READING & WRITING
Chapter 10 of The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video boils editing down to its essentials, emphasizing that it’s not just about assembling clips—it’s about shaping a story. For new editors, three key lessons stand out. First, continuity is king; keeping visual and narrative flow seamless is crucial to maintaining the audience’s immersion. Paying attention to details during filming—like lighting, props, and actor positions—makes the editing process smoother and more cohesive. Second, timing is everything. Whether you’re creating suspense or maintaining a fast-paced action sequence, the rhythm of your cuts determines how your audience experiences the story.
Lastly, sound is often overlooked but essential. The chapter drives home that well-edited sound can elevate a good scene into something unforgettable. Dialogue, sound effects, and music aren’t just additions—they’re integral layers that deepen emotional impact. New editors should approach the craft with creativity and intention, knowing that their choices shape not just the story but how it resonates with the audience.
RESEARCH TO INFORM
Fast & Furious 8 – Dom’s Car Chase
In the explosive car chase scene from The Fate of the Furious, Dom Toretto races through the streets in a high-stakes pursuit. The pacing of this sequence is extremely fast, with most shots lasting only 1–2 seconds. Occasionally, key moments such as a dramatic drift or a crash are highlighted with slightly longer shots of about 3 seconds. This rapid editing style mirrors the intensity and adrenaline of high-speed action, immersing viewers in the chaos and energy of the chase. Quick cuts between vehicles, close-ups, and wide shots create a sense of constant motion, ensuring the audience feels the relentless momentum.
1917 – Crossing No Man’s Land
The “Crossing No Man’s Land” scene from 1917 is a masterclass in slow, immersive pacing. This sequence is designed to appear as a single, continuous shot, with no visible cuts interrupting the tension. Each “shot” lasts several minutes as the camera follows Schofield and Blake through a treacherous battlefield. The absence of frequent cuts creates a gripping sense of realism and immediacy, making the audience feel as though they are right there with the characters. This deliberate pacing heightens suspense, as every step and movement feels fraught with danger.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian – “What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
In the humorous “What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?” scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian, the pacing is more moderate, allowing the comedic dialogue to shine. Shots typically last 5–7 seconds, giving viewers enough time to absorb the humor and appreciate the characters’ interactions. Occasionally, shots linger slightly longer to capture a character’s expression or emphasize the punchline of a joke. The steady rhythm of the cuts ensures the absurdity of the conversation comes across naturally and effectively. The scene’s simplicity in pacing and editing keeps the focus squarely on the sharp, witty exchanges.
CREATE
Video Shoot Days
As mentioned in a previous post, pre-production planning and good scouting for location using composition shots is essential. Having completed the pre-production planning helped to iron some details out about my actual location shooting. While on location for the composition shots, I saw a few opportunities to get interesting perspective shots. Everyone at the ranch including the owners were cooperative and excited about the video shoot. My assistant (daughter) and I arrived on location each day about 2:30 pm. We only had until 4:44 pm before we lost sunlight.
Based on our camera shot days, and timing on those days, we pre-agreed to what we were shooting on which day. One of the first shots we wanted to get was the two drone shots. However, day one was not successful due to mechanical issues. We then moved to the actual tripod shots. Most of the shots on Day 1 were at the ranch and across the street in the field with the horses. At the end of Day 1, I went home looked up the error code I was getting and seemed to have fixed it.
Day 2 arrived and we knew we had less time because we needed to walk to the trail and the creek. Therefore, I elected to try the drone shots again on Day 3. Additionally, I was carrying new slider gear to hopefully get more interesting videos. The slider took extra time to setup but set it up I did (see below) and was able to get neat perspectives and pans. Next time I’ll try to video some vertical shots (this is where the camera travels diagonally up or down the slider). Walking and setting up the tripod and slider solo requires a lot of extra time which was against me. I didn’t have my daughter as she was riding the horse! I didn’t get all the shots I wanted but luckily we had taken a lot of B-roll in the field on Day 1 so I used those instead.
Day 3 came and I headed over to the ranch to get the drone shots and a couple more trail shots. I couldn’t go over until 3:30 because it was a Saturday and they were very busy. I arrived, set up the drone. I was thinking this is going to be awesome. Then it happened. The same error I received on Day 1. I fuddled with it (for more than I wanted to) but to no avail. The drone shots will have to be done another time. By then it was too late to get the additional trail shots as I lost my daylight. Had I done more planning, that is, requested to go more than 3 times that week and got the drone issue worked out, the video might have had a different flavor.
Editing
The last attempt for video shooting was Saturday at 3:30 pm. After the fiasco above, I came home and got to editing. I created and organized my clips, gathered my background music and any sound effects I thought I might use. The only thing missing was the clients logo. My daughter was able to get me a copy of the logo when she went into work. However, the logo was a jpeg with a large red square background. Before I could use it, I converted the jpeg to a vector in Illustrator using the Image Trace option and expanded the object so I could have a transparent background. Once this was done, I created 6 versions 2 red, 2 black, and 2 off white. Each version of the logo had both a flat and shadow so I had options. I will share all these files with the client for future use.
During the editing process, I also used the Ken Burns effect on some of my shots. For instance, the shot looking at the lesson ring was actually a video where I needed to remove the large pile of…yup you guessed it horse matter. Therefore, because there was no movement (bad camera shooting), I used a still, removed the matter and applied movement. Another thing I noticed was when I was looking at my script. The original script was very short. As I viewed the rough cut, there were extremely awkward silences and I wasn’t happy so I rewrote it to what you hear in the montage below. While I didn’t get all the shots I wanted, like the drone video, I’m still happy with the results. In fact, I shared the ALPHA version of the video (without the logo) with the owner and they loved it. Hopefully, having the logo in there they will now love it even more (if that’s possible).
Citation(s)
Schroeppel, T. (n.d.). After the Shoot – Editing. In The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video. essay, All Worth Press.