What is editing?

Editing helps to put all the shots into a proper sequence so that the film comes out as a comprehensive whole unit. Editing is so important that it can actually make or break the entire film. The editor is a creative professional who works with the story, pacing, dialogue, music as well as with the performances given by the actors to craft the film into a cohesive whole.

Editing is done in the post production studios that include dubbing studios and editing studios. Post-Editing involves Color Correction as well that is actually a very important step in the complete process of film production and makes a huge difference.

Importance of editing

It gives the perfect flow to the film – A film may be amazing in all its aspects like actors, performances, scenes, songs etc. but due to various reasons, its flow often gets broken. It can be due to lack of dates of actors, any technical problem or any other such issues. A film editor is responsible for arranging the shots in an organized and smooth manner and thus for containing the intended flow. The film editor works with the producer, director, and cinematographer to achieve that perfect flow in the film. Editing studios are the perfect place to do editing as they are equipped with all the necessary tools and techniques.

It helps in switching the scenes – Transition of scenes plays a very important role in a film. The transitions have to be placed at the perfect moments to attain a proper flow and to keep up the desired pace of the film. A lack of proper transition may give you a jumpy and fast paced mess that is not liked by anyone.

Gives option of cutting – Cutting the scenes at the appropriate place is also an important task in editing. It requires a perfect timing as the cuts should be smooth and provide the ideal flow to the film. Cutting the scene too soon or too late can spoil all the hard work. Thus, timing is critical!

Sound editing and color correction – Sound editing involves adjusting the volume levels and synchronizing the video clips with the audio clips. It should be smooth and elegant as it can invoke emotions into the audience while watching the film. Dubbing is done in the dubbing studios to expel any unwanted sounds. Color correction makes your videos appealing and graceful and is very crucial for the video quality.

The role of editing is paramount in video production as it blends the sounds and images excellently and makes the audience feel emotionally connected with the film. An emotion evoking masterpiece can be created with the help of a professional video editing that is cherished by all!

A creative mind is a low budget filmmaker’s most valuable tool. It all starts with an original thought; from there it is all about nurturing that thought until it grows to be a brilliant idea. After that it is a matter of getting that idea made into a movie using every ounce of energy and resources you can possibly muster up.

Most of the successful films that are showing at film festivals these days are movies that were made at a fraction of the cost that it takes to make a major Hollywood studio film. Advances in technology have made it so that just about anyone can make a movie. Film cameras, video cameras, sound recording equipment, and just about any other kind of equipment that one needs to make a movie can be purchased at very affordable prices these days. The equipment that is available these days can provide a very low budget movie with a production value that looks like James Cameron had something to do with the project. This professional look coupled with a unique story can help any film’s chances at being accepted into film festivals like Houston Worldfest, Cannes, Toronto Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, etc…

Try as they might, the major Hollywood film studios will never have a monopoly on creativity. They spend millions of dollars on marketing research in an effort to figure out just what it is that the film-going audiences of the world look for when they go to the movies. Despite all of this effort, they still have not come up with a formula. The tastes of people who go to the movies are as hard to predict as an earthquake is, for the pattern changes all the time. Because of this fact, the door is left wide open for the creative types of the world to enter the game. All they need to do is come up with a unique idea that they can transform into a movie, enter their film in festivals like Sundance and then let the judges decide. While the big studios have tried to take over the film festival circuit in recent years, it is still the little guys with the small, yet creative films that are King in that realm.

It does not cost as much as you would think to make a movie that can be entered in contests like the Sundance Film Festival. Sony is about to release a line of High Definition camcorders that are perfect for anyone who wants to make movies on a shoestring budget. While movies made with these cameras will not be shot on “film” (like movies have been since the beginning), they will (almost) look like they were. These new cameras will be able to give a high quality image that is comparable to the image that film provides. The two camcorders are the PDW-F330 and the PDW-F350, and they offer all sorts of film production features that even the most film-loyal professional filmmaker must respect. Both cameras offer true 24P recording in both SD and HD, interval recording, and slow shutter recording to name a few. The F350 model also offers true variable frame rate recording capabilities which are also referred to as the “slow motion/fast motion” features. Features like these are very valuable to anyone making a low budget movie for it allows them to include motion effects in their films without the use of an expensive film camera or a high priced film lab. Both of these cameras will be on the market in March of 2006. The F350 will cost about twenty five thousand, while the F330 model will only cost about sixteen thousand dollars. A PDW-F30 deck will be available in June for about nine thousand. These are small prices to pay to be a self-sufficient independent filmmaker.

A low budget filmmaker can invest in a relatively low-cost HD camcorder and deck and have everything they need to make as many movies as their mind and body can crank out. All they will need after that is a creative mind, a few thousand dollars, a few ambitious friends for their actors and crew, some script writing software like Final Draft, and an iron resolve to make a movie. They do not have to worry about the high costs of film stock, film processing, or film-to-DVD transfers. All they will need is their camera and a $30 disc (23.3GB) and they will be set to film an entire movie. Buying discs for a camera is a lot cheaper than buying film and all the financial baggage that comes with it.

Once they shoot their movie with one of these cameras, a low budget filmmaker can go right to their computer with the disc and start editing it using one of the many affordable editing programs that are available these days such as Final Cut Pro. They can do all of the post production work for their movie on their home computer, as long as they are willing to shoulder a mother load of work responsibilities.

Technology has allowed independent filmmakers to bypass many expensive steps in the filmmaking process. Instead of paying a bunch of people hundreds of dollars an hour for film services that are only available in cities like Hollywood and New York, they can now do all of these steps in the comfort of their own home on their own computer.

For anyone who has ever had a dream of making their own movie, there is no better time than now to make it happen. The playing field has been leveled in terms of technology, but you still need a creative story to get anywhere on the film festival circuit. The affordable equipment can get you on the field, but you must bring a good game to win. A creative mind is your best player in this game, so if you have that part taken care of you are halfway to making your film vision a reality. Nurture your creative idea until it becomes a unique script and then dedicate your life to making this script into a movie. If your idea is as good as you think it is you will do quite well on the film festival circuit. If this happens it could lead to a decent distribution deal for your movie. If you stick with it and continue to make films you may even find that you have made yourself a career as a professional artist who makes independent films, and that dreams really can become reality.

Copyright 2006. Michael P. Connelly

Film schools around the world are mainly focused at teaching the technical aspects of filmmaking. These areas include art direction, cinematography, digital media, editing, directing the actors, directing the camera, theater acting, and even critical studies in film. A very important aspect of filmmaking is managing the entire show which means putting everything together as every individual department takes care of its individual needs. Unfortunately, degrees in specifically production are very rare. It is interesting to not however that the management side of filmmaking before, during, and after a shoot is very similar to event planning.

Event planning schools teach skills that are in some ways very similar to skills needed to manage a big production. From the beginning of a project, the producer tries to gather together a crew just as an event planner picks out key players who will run their program. Similar types of phone calls, budget planning, and location scouting are needed in pre production stages for both fields. In the day of the actual event or the film shoot, the producer and the event planner are both making sure that all the individual departments are running smoothly for a shot to take place successfully or an event to run properly.

For example, just as a producer would make sure that the actors are well taken care of, the sound mixer is running smoothly, and the grip department has arrived on time, the event planner will have to make sure that the correct music is playing, the tent rentals have prepared the tents on time, and the correct cake is ordered. Both departments need to make sure that the important people are well taken care of- the producers will make sure their actors are pampered and happy as the event planner will make sure that the VIP guests are comfortable and treated luxuriously in there designated areas.

Because of these similarities, I believe that it will not be too difficult for someone who previous experience or has taken event planning courses to step into the production and management side of the film industry as they do share similar backgrounds. Of course, as they advance in their field, they will need to learn the industry specifics that only apply to filmmaking and not just general management. Such skills include knowing the right industry contacts as filmmaking is more so based on networking than event planning and also having a general idea of the technicality of filmmaking because although the producer does not need to get involved in any department very specifically, a general idea is required so they can guide and keep the team together through example.