Film/video Editor
Film editors assemble footage of feature films, television shows, documentaries, and industrials into a flawless end product. They manipulate plot, score, sound, and graphics to refine the overall story into a continuous and enjoyable whole. The film editor is responsible for assembling raw film work into a final finished piece suitable for broadcasting. The material they tend to work on, consist of raw camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects. This is mainly the key role in the post-production process, as the editor’s skills can determine the quality and delivery of the final product. The editor may be part of a team and they will usually work closely with the director to achieve the desired end result. Editors are specialised to be able to have sharp skill in areas such as digital technology, computer software and high-quality digitisation of sound and pictures. Depending on the type of video the editor may be very involved in creating the narrative, structure, and tone of the programme.
The process of work for an editor involves:
• Receiving a brief, and possibly an outline of footage, script or screenplay.
• Assembling all raw footage, with camera shots either recorded/transferred onto a video tape in preparation for inputting into the computer.
• Inputting uncut material and sound, and synchronising ad storing them into files on the computer.
• Digitally cutting the files to determine the sequence of the film and determining what is usable.
• Creating a ‘rough cut’ of the programme/film and determining the exact cutting for the next/final stages.
• Tweaking the content to ensure the logical sequencing and smooth running of the film/video
• Overseeing the quality and progress of audio and vision engineering and editing.
• Experimenting with styles and techniques including the design of graphic elements.
• Selecting the most effective shot of a scene in terms of drama, story relevance or continuity.
• Writing voiceover/commentary.
• Suggesting/selecting music.
The final stage of the process requires the skills of the online editor, who is often employed in a specialist post-production facility. They are responsible for delivering the final product to the required specifications, the online editor's role is focused on technical aspects such as correcting faulty footage, grading/colouring, and adding special effects to finish the film or programme. In lower budget productions one editor may perform both the offline and online editing.
Skills
A willingness to get involved and be prepared to do the most menial of tasks from the outset is highly required. At the same time, a skill with appropriate editing software packages such as AVID and Final Cut Pro should be developed. The following personal qualities are also crucial:
• A keen eye for detail
• Reliability
• Perfectionism
• The ability to listen to others
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
A passionate interest in film/video editing and being creative through visual and aural perception is also essential, as well as being highly technically skilled in order to construct the product.
0 comments: