Task 3: Be Able to Edit Moving Image Material. 

By Callum Taylor. 

There are process of editing is often slow and complicated. Using all of the different kinds of software can make it difficult to actually edit. This along with all of the orginisational tasks which need to be carried out to ensure that all of the footage is accounted for to make sure the finished product is able to draw from any of the orignal footage in order to make a good moving image product.

Editing Technology: There are many different kinds of technology which are used in editing moving images and many different terms which are used in editing.

Software: There are many different kinds of software applications which are used in editing. These programs are editing programs which are installed onto computers which allow people to edit their footage.

Hardware: There are many different kinds of hardware which can be used in editing. It might be a computer piece which is designed to be used in a editing computer of it could be a piece of equipment used to aid in the editing of footage. These pieces of equipment could include consoles and tools to help the editor.

Non-Linear: Non Linear editing is a kind of editing which is the most popular kind of editing in use today. The footage isn't all in sequence and edits don't have to happen in sequence. Hence why it is called non-linear not linear editing. Non Linear editing suits usually contain a computer with more than one screen in order to take advantage of the common editing softwares like AVID, Song Vegas and FinalCut with consoles to give the editor greater control over the picture and sound and speakers.

Linear Editing: Linear editing is different to non-linear editing in one major way. When editing in a linear fashion the order of all the shots has already been decided and all the editor has to do is put them together. This is different to non-linear where the editior has much more power. A linear editing setup is similar to a non-linear setup. The most common current usage is in live television. This is mostly done because you can't afford any mess ups.

High Definition & Standard Definition: High definition is a term which is used to describe the quality of images. the resolution of the image is higher, meaning that there are more pixels per square inch than in a standard definition picture. The higher number of pixels per square inch means that image is clearer as seen in this image here.

Tapes: Tape (Magnetic Tape) is used to record audio and video. This format is one that is becoming less and less popular for many reasons. The first of these is that each reel of tape can take up a lot of space. Even small tape takes up more scace than a memory card. It is also easy to damage if mis-handled. This can lead to it becoming expensive, a problem which is being made worse by the fact that it is becoming increasingly more expensive to use tape because of the rise of digital technology. You can digitise the footage or audio which take away the storage problem and means that you have a backup of the tape but it would be easier, cheaper and quicker to just record digitally.

Hard Disk: Hard disks are the most common way to store information today. This is because of the amount of footage you can get on a hard disk and the small amount of space that they take up. There are a number of reasons why using hard disks is becoming a ever increasingly more popular method of storing information and one of them is that hard disks are becoming cheaper and the amount of space on hard disks is becoming even larger. They can be damaged relativly easily though which is one of the few draw backs of using hard disks which is why most people will back up everything in case the worst happens.

Data Transfer Rates: The data transfer rate is how fast data can travel from one thing to another, like a external hardrive to the computer. In the editing world the higher the data transfer rate is the better simply because of the size of the files that can be needed and you don't want to be waiting for days for your footage to import into the editing software. Transfer rates are measured in units or measurement per second so for example 1kbps or 1tbps so kilobite per second or terrabite per second.

Exporting Productions: Is an important part of the editing process because this is how you get your production from the editing software out of the editing software. The process of exporting can take a long time and there a number of things which are important when exporting the production. One of them is to render the production to make sure that all edits and effects are as seamless and well done as possible because an un rendered image isn't going to look as good as a rendered one. Another is the file type that you export the file in.

File Types: There are a number of different reasons why the type of file used in editing is important. One of them is that some file types aren't compatible with all programs. This could lead to potential problems when it comes to viewing your product because if you can't open it you can't watch it. Another is that some files are better quality. This is due to the compression of the file which I will talk about in a minute.

.MOV: .MOV is a file extension which is one of the most common. One of the reasons for this is because it is compatible with both winndows and mac operating systems. It can store all of the information needed when making videos because it stores video audio and timecodes. This is why it is popular. It can also be converted easily.

.AVI: Avi is a very common file for the editing industry because it compresses the file less than other file types meaning that the quality of the footage is better. It can be played by a lot of different programs which is another reason why it is kind of the most popular file extension for the media industry and it can be played over all of the main operating systems.

.FLV: One of the reasons why FLV is a popular file extension is that it contains all of the information you might need. This includes metadata. It less common then AVI but it is still used occasionally and is supported across some programs and all the main operating systems.

Compression:  Compression is the process of crompressing a file to make it take up less space. The file is squeezed into a smaller file which can be incredibly helpful when downloading or importing large files which will take a long time or storing large files if you don't have that much space. The problem with compressing files is that every time the file is compressed and decompressed the quality of the file goes down. This can be a problem if you need to compress and decompress files a lot.

Editing Process:  The process of editing is a slow and arduous one at times, it requires a great level of attention to detail and a lot of patience. However it is a very rewarding process which requires a knowledge of editing tchniques and terminology in order to get the best from it.

Seamless: Seamless editing is the process of editing which is designed not to be noticed. IT is important that the edits aren't seen because if they are seen it will distract the audience from the video. This process first came into the world in Russia with films like Battleship Potemkin being early users of this techniques of editing.

Continuity Editing:  Continuity Editing is a similar process of editing in that you don't want to notice it but it encompasses all of the most common editing techniques in order to acheive the sequence of shots full of techniques to keep the focus on the story rather than on the edits.

Motivated Edit:  A motivated edit is a edit which is noticable. It is almost impossible not to have to use motivated edits in a production because they are important at times. One example of a motivated edit is when a character reacts to something. The editor will usually cut to the thing that is being reacted to. This is a noticeable cut. One that will make the audience aware of the edit.

In my advert at 25 seconds there is a motivated edit. It goes from a shot of the bottle being pulled from the pocket to a point of view shot of the bottle. This is a noticeable cut and it is a good example of motivated edits. 

Montage: A montage is a sequence of shots placed in a generally fast pace in order to tell a story in a shorter amount of time. Or it is just a sequence of shots to give a specific feeling.

In my music video at 2:22 there is an example of a montage. The guy is thinking about his lost love and as the song hits its climax there is a montage of the flashbacks that he had had during the video and it kind of feels like a highlight reel of the music video.

Jump-Cutting: A Jump cut is a very noticable cut which doesn't really fit in with coninuity editing because it is jarring but is often used to show a passing of time or to show movement. An example of why this might be used is if someone has to walk across a field. The editor will cut when the person walks to show them further a long then again to show they have moved more until the person has walked across the field. This is used to save time mostly although it can be used for other reasons.

Parallel Editing: Parallel Editing is the techniqu of cutting between two scenes which are happening at the same time. This is most often done with phone calls however it can be used to heighten tension on a chase scene or in a horror movie.

The "Baptism of Blood" scene in The Godfather is one of the most famous examples of parallel editing.

Transistions: Transitions are the way to transistion between different shots and there are many different kinds of transitions.

Cut: A cut is the actual process of cutting between two shots. The term comes from the early days of editing when pieces of film would bneed to be physically cut in order to splice them together.

Dissolve: A dissolve is when one shot dissolves into another shot. This can be done for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is to show a passing of time although this isn't the only reason. For example in my music video at 16 seconds in there is a dissolves from one shot to another.

This was done to show that he was thinking of the girl. At the end of the video at 2:41 I used the shots in the other order to make the girl dissapear. showing that she is gone and there isn't a lot that he can do about it.

Fade: A fade is when one shot fades into another. One of the most common techniques in using fades is to fade to black. However in my music video at 25 seconds (and multiple other points) I used a fade to fade to white. This was done to show the transistion from the guy playing guitar to his flashbacks. It is faily common practice to fade to white when showing flashbacks or flashforwards because it makes it clear that there is a transition. It also adds to the "flash" in flash back because a white screen is flashed on the screen.

Wipe: A wipe is used to show a transition where a wipe is physically seen going across the screen.

Conventions: Conventions are the process and ideas which are commonly used in editing.

Cutaways: There are a number of different ways to use a cutaway. One might be to cut away to show a rection of a person and another might be to cut away to a seemingly random thing. One example of the latter is Family Guy where they constantly cut away to jokes which seem random sometimes.

Cutting on Action: Cutting on Action is the process of cutting to action to show action during action. It doesn't have to be a huge chase seen it could be something as simple as showing someone who is playing guitar in a mid shot and then cutting to a close up of the persons hand forming the chords on the strings of the guitar like in my advert at 1:36.

Creating Juxtapositions: One way to create meaning or feeling in a video is to juxtapose one image with another. This could be used as a way to make people feel something they wouldn't uually feel about something by juxtaposing it with something else.

Intercutting: You can use intercutting in many different ways when editing. It is simply cutting between different things which are usually happening in different places but are happening at the same time. People might use intercutting for different reasons however it is mostly to heighten the drama of the scene. As in this clip;

Pace Effectively: Creating andd controlling the pace is an important part of the editing process. If the pace of the product is too fast for the story then it will feel wrong as it would if the pace was too slow. In my music video i had to make sure the pacing was right for the song because in a music video it would be even more distracting this is why I tried to cut to the beat as often as possible and make sure it doesn't feel too fast. Towards the end when the song hits the climax I sped up a little because the song called for it.

Convey Information Effectively: It is important that when conveying information through editing that It is clear and effectivley done. There are examples of this in both my music video and my advert. In the music video I used dissolves to make the girl appear and disappear from the video. I did this to show that she isn't realsly there and that he is thinking about her and that the song is about her so at the begining of the video she appears and at the end of the video she goes away throughout the video you see more evidence that the girl in the video is from a relationship that has ended through the use of flashbacks. In the advert I simply used idents and well timed cuts to portray that the drink gives you energy and warmth to carry on running.

Use Sound to Create Impact: Using sound is one way to create immpact. One of the most common usages of this technique is in horror films and the use of jump scares. In a scene there will be tension createdd by a lack of music or tense music. The editing will slow down and right when you are not expecting it something will pop up on the screen and thee will be a loud noise. This is a easy way to scare people and is a very effective use of sound to create impact.

Synchronise Sound & Vision: One of the thoughest parts of creating a music video in which a person is seen singing and playing an instrument is syncing the sound to the video. This is a process which can take a long time to do and requires a lot of  patience. When syncing most other sound and video it can be easier because of the use of clapper boards. The clapper board is held in frame for a few seconds with information about the shot on it and then the clapper is smacked down creating a loud sharp noise which is picked up by microphones. This is done so the editor can use the visual of the clapperboard and the sound of the clapper board to sync the video and audio.

Mix Soundtracks: Soundtrack are never one piece of audio and because of this all of the individual pieces of audio have to be mixed to make sure that the soudntrack is good. If anything is too loud or quiet or two many things are happening at the same time it can ruin a product which is why it is important to mix the soundtrack effectively.

Overlap Sound: Overlapping sound is an important part of mixing audio becasue in order to create a lifelike and dramatic sound tracck it is important to overlap sound because it adds texture to the soundtrack and this is oone of the most important things to do. Using programs like avid allows you to have many different time lines for both audio and visual and this is how you overlap sound by building soundtrack of multiple levels.

Offline Editing: Offline editing is the process of editing footage without changing the original footage. This is done by coping the orignal footage and editing it. This is one of the first stages of post production and is done before the footage is put into an editing system to be made into the final product.

Online Editing:  Online editing is what is done in the latter part of post production where the footage is edited using programs and orginized into the final cut of the edit. It is now done through specially designed programs which are used. Like AVID.

Post-Production Tools: There are many different tools which are used in post production which make a simple production into a finished production. All of these things can be done in order to add something extra to a production.

On Screen Text: On screen text (or idents) are things which are often used to help get more information to the audience then would be possible any other way. On of the most common uses of this is to set a scene. Often you will have an establishing shot and then the date and location will appear on the screen to tell the audience the loaction and date the scene is taking place in. This is done so that there doesn't have to be to much expositional dialogue in the scene. I used on screen text in my advert to show tell what the drink does because it wasn't as clear as I would have like it to be in the footage. They appear on screen at 34 seconds.

Image editing: One of the best things about mordern editing software is the ability to use the software to edit the footage. This might be because there is something at the edge of the shot which shouldn't be there. You can crop the image to make the thing that is distracting go away. Another way in which the image can be edited is colour correction. It might be that you want a slightly blue hue to the footage to add a sense of coldness or sadness to a scene so you can use software to change the hue or edit the colours in a scene to add a different feeling to it.

Audio Editing:  Much in the same way that images can be edited sometime it is important to edit audio. The audio might be too long, too loud or there might be some slight reverb and using different kinds of software you can fix little problems. You can also isolate certain bits of audio and change them or remove them. This is an imprtant part of crafting a soundtrack and can be done in many different ways.