Post-Production research

What is a Non-Linear editor?

For my Post-Production research I chose NLE (non-linear editing).  I have had the experience this semester to make a documentary film, and in this process I have been through pre-production, production, and post-production.  Each one of these processes have been an experience of it's own.  We are actually at the tail end of post-production.  I have been involved for the most part with the story formation and the gathering of content.  But I am also a part of the assistant editing crew.  I have been doing the first stages after the all the footage has been collected, doing something called logging.  This is the process where you watch and sort through all of the footage by marking certain points with colored markers and brief written descriptions of what that sequence or frame contains.  This helps for the editors to begin piecing together the story. 

After the editors have a cognitive timeline from each area of the story it is taken to the editor chief which in our documentary would be Luke Draper, he then goes through and adds music as well as coordinates the voice overs if necessary.  Then whole process is a combination of the writers, directors and editors vision for the film.  It is a process that can be repeated very many times until it is fine tuned and ready for the final stages.  Color corrections are done and syncing of any of the the audio.

Color correction is where the color in each shot is made to look consistent, and any problems, such as over or under exposure, are adjusted.  Online editing is the final stage of editing, where all of the shots are color corrected and assembled with the highest possible resolution. Finally, mastering is the process of transferring the edited film, with soundtrack and all, onto a master copy, from which all copies of the film will be made. A lot of work to ensure that the film looks its best!

An important thing for editors to keep in mind because of the mass amounts of footage and information that they will have to go through is something called the rule of six.  This helps an editor to decide what to use and what to leave out.

The Rule of Six

When editing a video project you have to keep in mind both the spatial and contextual continuity for a given scene. You have to keep in mind that the action is a small part of the entire film and that the various angles it was captured in need to be put together in a way so the audience will be able to understand what is occurring. The Rule of Six can designate these elements, which are the six points that need to be considered when cutting together a scene. The order of importance of these is different depending on whom you ask, but the following is a good hierarchy to consider.

1. Emotional Continuity

The most important goal of editing a scene is the emotion that it should hold. Keep the tone of the film in mind, as well as the specific aspect of the overall sense that the scene should carry. When selecting shots, length of cuts, and transitions, think about how the rest of the scenes were edited, then how this scene fits into the whole. Try to never violate the feelings in the moment for story or spatial continuity. It is better to keep the overall tone of the film continuous because that is what the audience will pick up on most.

2. Story/Plot

The story is also very important, so make sure that this scene fits in perfectly with the whole film. Place it in correct order, and make sure that the scene clearly portrays what has happened. If a given scene is not clear then the continuity of the plot will be lost and the audience will disconnect.

3. Rhythm

Think about the rhythm of the film, and the other scenes, and make sure that the edits you do on a sequence maintain this. You do not want to suddenly have a scene that breaks the film up and loses the audience’s focus. If a scene does not seem right for its location then it should be cut entirely.

4. Eye-Trace

Eye-trace is the first of the last three items of the Rule of Six, which if they were all put together, would not be as important as one of the first three. This means that you should keep in mind what the audience will be looking at in each frame, and to make sure that you have everything exactly where you want the audience to see it. For example, if you have main action happening and you would like the audience to focus on it then put it in a central spot in the frame, and do not let background objects or action take over the image.

5. Two-Dimensional Space

You have to make sure that your edits maximize the two-dimensional aspects of the frame. The screen is a two-dimensional image, but you are trying to portray a three-dimensional world. Make sure you cut together correct images so that it will continue to give the illusion that they are watching a three-dimensional event. This means respecting things like the Z-Axis and staggered depths of field.

6. Spatial Continuity

The last one is to make sure to maintain the spatiality of the three-dimensional space in the frame. This means that there should not be jump cuts and that all movement in the frame accurately represents the space that you are trying to portray to the audience. This means that you need to show all movement through a series of shots, and do not let someone jump from one side of a room to another without showing them move to that second location.

Here is another video with Walter Murch talking more on the the rule of six with I found it helpful to understanding why, when and how to use it.

All Important

Though they are listed in a descending order of importance, they should all be considered important. A great editing job will make sure that all of these elements are at play, and that the scene works as a whole, keeping in mind both the audience, and the integrity of the piece.


Resources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJcQgQHR78Q
http://davidmalki.com/editor/breakingin.html
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/video/articles/6281.aspx