request for book on editing

AAABluestocking

I've got iMovie 9 on an iMac and have just started to play with editing. Is there something like a Dummies/Missing Manual on how to pace editing? I've got some helmet-cam footage from this year's skiing holiday that needs some serious culling. And if there's a way to make it more interesting...it could use that too.

- Nancy

DavidTO

Pacing is a difficult subject to talk about in a book, since it's something you have to experience and feel in your gut whether it's right or wrong. Whether or not you cut to music you should think of your cut as visual music. It should feel right. It's a visceral thing, if you pay attention to it.

Are you planning on cutting to music? It would most likely be helpful. It provides a structure that's familiar to both you and the audience. You can play to expectations and provide a solid foundation to your cutting by cutting on the downbeats. But you can't do that exclusively, as it gets boring.

Feel free to post works in progress and we can talk about your pacing here.

AAABluestocking

Yes. Funny you should say that. I've been playing with Garageband as well and it feels like cooking with music.

I read the Kindle excerpt of this;



And it appears promising for what I want.

This is excruciatingly quick and dirty. I think all family videos of this type should be limited to under a minute.

I've been trying to observe commercials (what is the shortest clip that can be incorporated/observed) and music videos ~ the last because they seem to be so fast-paced and engrossing...

Nancy

DavidTO

AAABluestocking wrote: »

This is excruciatingly quick and dirty. I think all family videos of this type should be limited to under a minute.

I've been trying to observe commercials (what is the shortest clip that can be incorporated/observed) and music videos ~ the last because they seem to be so fast-paced and engrossing...

Nancy

It's looking good. Getting it to around a minute would be a good thing. Cut the music down to the length you want first, then take the best of what you have and try to feel the music more. Much of the cutting at this stage (early, I know) feels like it's not paying attention to what the music is doing. There was one nice little jump he did that lined up very nicely.

It would be nice to start and end with something personal, even a "You ready? Yeah! Let's go!" at the front. You know who they are, but just seeing a face (goggles and all) saying something to start it, and maybe to end it, would make it more approachable.

I wouldn't add the white frames at the cuts. Just cut.

Nice start!

DavidTO

One thing I would highly recommend is watching the full version of this movie:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJcQgQHR78Q

AAABluestocking

thank you! I'm not ignoring you ~ just trying to digest all that's in that wonderful series of videos.
-Nancy

CookieS

Interesting video