Video editing has become one of those skills that any interested candidate can pick up and perform with ease. That's not to say that everyone is good at it however. Here are a few simple guidelines that I use that you can follow to help improve your video editing. 1. Stay Organized Editing is really about organization. From sourcing the best footage available to creating effective sequences, your ability to keep track of footage is what will make ultimately make your edits stronger. On a smaller scale this involves labeling tapes, hard drives, and files, where on the more ambitious side it means keeping editing logs, transcribing dialogue from unscripted takes or interviews, and diligent note taking. The rules vary between individual projects and time lines, but organization means efficiency and that goes a long way whether you're an employer or employee. 2. Try Everything Once Early on I began broadening my own editing by trying every kind of project I could think of. I created animations, experimental shorts, and narratives, and this only become more varied during my time in film school. The beauty in trying out these styles and genres is that they each require a different sensibility in how they're cut together. It's also a great way to find out what you like and what genre your style of editing favors. 3. Mimic Editing You Like This may sound like cheating, but homage is one of the best ways to enhance your skill as an editor. Create vintage filters, cut music videos, play on cliches. Editing is as much about understanding timing as it is about the footage you select. By mimicking the pacing of a popular commercial or music video for instance, you'll gain an appreciation for the subtlties that separate that style from telling a longer story in a narrative. It's always better if you learn the rules before you start trying to break them. 4. Use Music For Inspiration I still often use music when editing my home videos and travelogs as a way to motivate a more ambitious edit and experiment with styles that I don't get to try everyday. Understanding how a jump cut or a more elaborate transition effects the rhythm and dynamic of video is something that you can continue to experiment with and learn from. In general, using others as inspiration is a great way to springboard your own original edits. 5. Keep it Simple The mark of an amateur editor is too many cuts, transitions, or abrupt scene selections that remove the viewer from the story or cause confusion. Even when editing something with high energy, the goal of the editor is to keep a common thread throughout the entire video. Part of that means knowing when to cut away, what to cut to, and the meaning or relationship that is created for the viewer by doing so. An experienced editor will see when it's better to let something play out or when it's necessary to elaborate. There is no one right way to edit, and this is part of the beauty in it. Play around enough and you'll see how the choices you make as an editor can have dramatic effects on the outcome of a project. Like all skills, practice will only make you better.
Of all of the Christmas specials out there, A Charlie Brown Christmas is probably the one that appeals most to my childhood sensibilities. It's a humble and heartfelt telling of the true meaning of Christmas, and it's tough not to love the Peanuts gang.
Last year my friend Tyler gave me a vinyl copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas (not to be confused with the equally amazing soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi). I've watched the special countless times on television, but just hearing the story is an entirely different experience. There's something very wholesome about a crackling record and listening to Linus' famous speech. I put together this brief clip to share the experience.
In 2009 I was busy trying to balance two very different editing jobs as I felt I was prepping for big changes in 2010. I was becoming more stable as I let go of a lot of my former student stress and began focusing on ways to set myself apart and further prove myself at work. By this time I was feeling more confident and self assured. After several years of feeling like I was behind the curve, in 2009 I felt like things were moving quickly and I was gaining a lot of ground. My change in tone and desire to connect with film students became even more apparent and my blog evolved to reflect that. Here are some of my most popular posts from that year.
1. I Need Your Vote for the Gizmo Tree Originally posted April 12, 2009 With my success in the Sasktel film competition in late 2007 and early 2008, I promoted my short the Gizmo Tree in the Yobi Film contest in 2009. In the end I didn't win, but I did manage to advance through four rounds of voting. Things worked out the next year when I tried my luck in Yobi Film again and finished as runner up for filmmaker of the year, beating out 38 other filmmakers. 2. Cinematic Acrobatic Presents: Alex Lamburini Originally posted October 1, 2009 As part of my shift to help promote other up and coming filmmakers, I started interviewing young filmmakers who I'd met online through contests or on YouTube. The post I did with Alex Lamburini became so successful largely because of his own promotion, but it was also the first time that I had added another voice to my blog and I think readers enjoyed the shift. 3. Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers Originally posted May 19, 2009 This post was popular because it was a simple breakdown of everything that I'd come to appreciate from my time in film school. There was really nothing surprising about the advice, but sometimes it's just helpful to reinforce the obvious. 4. We Two Kings Originally posted December 12, 2009 This was a brand new short film I created for Christmas with my friend Tyler. The popularity for this one was pretty obvious because of the timing.
