Film editing is one of the most important parts of making a movie. When you edit a film, you are taking what you think is awesome, and cutting what you think doesn’t work. It can be a grueling experience but it is the most important part of making sure the film is ready to see the light of day.
6 STEPS TO EDITING YOUR FILM EFFECTIVELY
Here are six steps anyone working on film editing should consider for a successful film:
1. LOG IT
The first thing you are going to need to do is take all of the clips and put them in order. When a film is initially made, it is shot in a different order. You must first get all of the clips and put it together so that it visually tells one coherent story.
2. ASSEMBLE IT
Now as an editor, you have to get all of the sound to go with the visuals and look at the big picture. You have to decide on the order you want to work in and get that starting combination. This part can take some time, as there are dozens of film editing choices to make in the first assembly.
3. CREATE A ROUGH CUT
It is now your job when you are film editing to take the variations and figure out which one you want to work on. This part usually takes some time because you need to check all of the versions and find the ones that line up with the original vision. Each editor has a different time frame for this step.
4. MAKE THE FIRST CUT
The first cut involves taking a look at the entire film and cutting out some of the larger sections. Think big. Try not to focus on one particular scene, instead look at the movie as a whole. Try to find scenes that don’t make sense, or don’t need to be put into the film.
5. PUT TOGETHER THE FINE CUT
The fine cut involves each and every scene being analyzed. This step could take some time simply because it is no longer a big picture. You need to look it over scene by scene and figure out what works and what doesn’t on a smaller scale. Be prepared to spend many hours on this part.
6. COME UP WITH THE FINAL CUT
Now that everyone has gotten together and agreed on a fine cut, it is time for the final cut. You have to go through the entire film with a fine tooth comb. This is where decisions need to be made about what is actually going to be shown to the audience.
HOW TO LEARN MORE EFFECTIVE FILM EDITING TECHNIQUES
While film editing is a fun job, it can be a handful. If you want to be a professional film editor, think about going to a professional film school. When you go through a film school curriculum, you will be taught film editing techniques you would never learn elsewhere.
It is a great experience and allows you to meet new people and turn film editing into your career. Check out the program of Film and Video Production of F.I.R.S.T. Institute for more information today
