Skill-Builder 1.3: Reading Scene – Edit and Review
Edit an Assemble of the footage you shot for the “Skill-Builder 1.1: Reading Scene – Shoot.”
1. Import media:
Follow the steps you learned in the Editing Setup module to keep your editing project organized and to import your Reading Scene media:
a. Launch your editing software and open the Editing Exercises project file that you worked with in the previous editing modules.
b. In the Project dialogue window, double-click on the Media bin and create a new sub-bin named “Skill-Builder Reading Media” (or a name appropriate to the activity you filmed).
c. Using the Media Browser, import the media you shot into this Skill-Builder Reading Media Bin.
2. Log your footage:
a. Open each Clip into the Source monitor and review the footage.
b. Download and make a copy of this Blank Shot Log and label it “Reading Media Shot Log”.
c. Log each Clip by its file number, Timecode, Shot Type and a description of the content. For reference, refer to the Craft Making Shot Log and the instructions in the Editing Setup module.
3. Edit an Assemble:
Use what you’ve learned from the Editing Interface, Three-point Editing, and Overwrite and Insert Editing modules to create a short (1-minute or less) Assemble edit of your Skill-Builder – Reading scene.
a. After you have created a Sequence with your first edit, label it “Assemble 1 – Reading Scene” (or a name appropriate to the activity you filmed) and put it in a new sub-folder in the Sequences Bin labeled “Skill Builder Reading Sequences”
b. Mute your audio. The goal right now is to focus on visual storytelling. We’ll cover audio in depth in future modules.
c. Your Assemble edit is meant to be rough. Your goals are to:
– Select and order the Shots into a Scene that visualizes the story;
– Gain a thorough understanding of Three-point editing and the use of the Insert and Overwrite editing tools.
4. Export the Assemble:
a. Export your Assemble edit for group review. If you need help with the exporting process, refer to the last video in the Overwrite and Insert Editing module.
5. Review:
a. Gather online or in person to screen and discuss each team member’s edit, one at a time.
b. Provide feedback on the following issues remembering that in an Assemble edit the transitions and timing do not need to be refined:
– Has the editor selected the correct Shots to effectively communicate the story of the activity?
– Are the Shots in an engaging order that builds the story from one to the next?
– Is there any repetitiveness in the visual story because too many similar Shots have been used.
– Are the Shots of an Optimal Duration, neither too short to communicate their meaning nor too long to become boring?
– Are there any aspects of the edit that call attention to themselves and distract the viewer from the subject’s activity?
Keep the discussion focused on the goals of this exercise and avoid issues that have not yet been covered in the modules.
Review Sessions Setup and Feedback Guide
In-Person Review Session Setup:
– Ideally, use a projector or large screen connected to a single computer to display each person’s work.
– If the exercise includes sound, connect speakers to the computer’s audio output.
– Each group member should bring their footage, exported Sequence, or written document on an external drive compatible with the main computer.
– For efficient playback, use video software like VLC.
– If reviewing footage, avoid playing individual clips one at a time. Instead, compile all clips in the order they were shot into a Sequence using editing software such as Adobe Premiere.
– This compiled Sequence can either be played directly in the editing software or exported and played via VLC.
Online Review Session Setup:
– Option 1: If all group members are joining by computer, each person can share their screen to present a written document, footage, or Sequence—either played from a video player like VLC or directly from editing software.
– Option 2: If some group members are joining by phone instead of by computer, they should upload their written document, footage or Sequence to a file-sharing platform (like Google Drive) before the session. A designated group member can then share their screen during the meeting to present the submitted work, either from a browser or downloaded files.
Healthy Approaches to Feedback:
Giving Feedback:
The filmmaker needs your fresh perspective on their work. Focus your feedback on what you see, learn, and feel. Be specific. If something isn’t clear, tell them what you are curious or uncertain about rather than suggesting fixes.
For example, instead of saying:
– “You should have gotten a Close Up (CU) of the book in his hands,” it is more helpful to say, “I don’t fully understand what he’s reading. How could you have communicated that to me?”
Instead of:
– “The duration of the Shots are too short throughout this section of the edit,” say “I’m feeling frustrated in this section of the edit because I don’t feel like I get to experience what is going on. How can you help me feel more engaged with the story here?”
Rather than:
– “Cut this Scene from your Treatment because it repeats what we experience in an earlier Scene,” say “The fourth Scene feels to me like a repeat of the second Scene. Why are you including the fourth Scene? What does it add to the story?”
As you give feedback, remember that some of our most valuable learning comes from watching and discussing other people’s work. You can often learn as much, if not more, about how to improve your own work from the feedback you give others about their work.
Receiving Feedback:
Feedback helps you understand how others experience your work – mirroring the likely response of your future audience. Their fresh perspectives are one of the most effective ways to learn how to improve the impact of your work.
When presenting your work, let it speak for itself without preemptive explanations or excuses. Similarly, after receiving feedback, resist the urge to explain or defend your choices. Instead, focus on listening, taking notes, and asking questions to make sure you fully understand the feedback.