Documentary editing tips for working with lots of footage. Youll also learn a handful of helpful editing techniques and get insights on the ethical and legal responsibilities of documentary filmmaking. How to make a documentary cameras, lenses, audio, video. In film editing, the technique may be achieved through the use of a rostrum camera, although today it is more common to use software. Filming a documentary means lots of footage, and that means the edit is no small undertaking.
View a documentary film and analyze the rhetorical and persuasive strategies employed by the filmmaker in the construction of the films argument. The subjects that you are interviewing are unlikely to be actors or people used to being on camera, so its very likely that theyll. To engage in documentary filmmaking you must brave the unknown, and capture a story that unfolds in its own unpredictable way. Davinci resolve video editor free software editing. The ken burns effect is a type of panning and zooming effect used in video production from still imagery.
International school history documentary film making in the. Interviewing techniques for your documentary film dummies. If your documentary film will include interviews, you may wish to shoot them first, because your subjects answers may help you choose what to include in the rest of the documentary. The technique, previously known as animatics, predates his use of it, but his name has become associated with the effect in much the same way as alfred hitchcock is associated. Classes and labs will consist of lecture and group discussion of theory and techniques of documentary video production based on assigned readings and inclass screenings. Video editing programs often come standard on computers apples imovie or windows moviemaker but.
They get their names from how the clips line up in the editing software. Oct 10, 2018 any documentary filmmaker can tell you that one of the most difficult parts of any documentary project is after you finish shooting and move to the edit. Learn how to edit a film in davinci release sale documentary masterclass 76% off cinematic color g. Blackmagic davinci resolve video editor free software editing documentary get my courses.
The practical guide to documentary editing sets out the techniques, the systems and the craft required to edit compelling professional documentary television and film. Film production managers have a huge number of tasks. How do people from outside the industry see it and what do people from inside the industry. Frametrail is an open source software that allows you to experience, manage and edit interactive video directly in your web browser. Once you do shoot your documentary, you can update your twocolumn script to. This integration streamlines your entire preproduction and production worflow, from writing to shooting. Best documentary video editing techniques learn how to. Whether youre a weekend gopro shooter or a fulltime video professional, you need editing software thats powerful and easy to use. A twocolumn script is an easy way to structure and plan for your documentary project. The j cut is the opposite, where the audio from clip b comes in when were still seeing clip a. Days that shook the world, bbc, 2003 reconstructions generally provide factual information and give the viewer a sense of realism, as if the event really happened in front of them live. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available.
The camera captures it all with a documentary rawness, but from a distance, on a long lens and according to the. The practical guide to documentary editing sets out the techniques, the systems and the craft required to edit compelling professional documentary television and film working stage by stage through the postproduction process, author sam billinge explores project organization, assembling rushes, sequence editing, story structure, music and sound design, and the defining relationship between. L earning how to make a documentary is no easy task. But for more professional documentaries with higher video resolutions, multiple audio and video tracks, motion tracking, and varying export formats, you may need to pay more for video editing software that caters to enthusiasts and pro. Here are some tips for choosing the best video editing software. With the exception of historical feature films, documentary. This video on brooklyn brewery is pretty much all j and l cuts. Documentary storytelling has reached filmmakers and filmgoers worldwide with its unique focus on the key ingredient for success in the growing global documentary marketplace. Replicate these folders as bins in your video editing software. The ken burns effect, for instance, is a filter that adds movement to a still image to enhance the documentary storytelling process. Even if you dont know what your interviewees will say or what footage you might shoot, writing a script predicting what you want your final film to look like is a great way to stay organized. Its a onetime opportunity to make some great documentary footage, so heres how to make sure the interview goes swimmingly.
Video editing software there are tons of free editing software that you can download from the internet. Posted on november 26, 2016 april 16, 2018 by new york film academy. The bbs documentary video collection is a varied set of video items collected by jason scott, curator of textfiles. Various parts go into the making of a documentary such as preproduction, production, and postproduction. Make sure your subject stands several feet away from the backdrop to avoid casting shadows on it.
Working stage by stage through the postproduction process, author sam billinge explores project organization, assembling rushes, sequence editing, story structure, music and sound design, and the. What kind ofimpact does it seek to achieve with and upon its intended audience. These are recordings about and from the era of the domination of ascii and dialup bulletin board systems roughly the 1970s through the 1990s, with examples far before and after that. Even when you start with an outline, that outline is likely to change as you get to know the footage, the subjects and events. It also allows you to communicate with your team in realtime, thanks to the easy to use comment. A documentary film is a film that presents information about factual rather than fictional topics. Dec 17, 2019 studiobinder movie software is most known for its easy to use interface and integration between scheduling, breakdowns, and contact management. This is an intermediate level course that builds upon the iphone filmmaking course iphone filmmaking for beginners. One easy way to get a professional look for your video is to use a solidcolored background. To make your dslr documentary of any length and subject matter into something that people will find interesting, consider these ten tips. This iphone videography course features an awardwinning documentary short film that was shot with mobile devices. Feature length online documentaries are theatrical feature films that have been ported to the web, while microdocs are made with the online audience in mind. How to develop an idea into a finished documentary videomaker.
Mar 21, 2018 autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. The name derives from extensive use of the technique by american documentarian ken burns. Up next editing documentaries sir opifex cuts and tricks for emotional storytelling kriscoart duration. These are recordings about and from the era of the domination of ascii and dialup bulletin board systems roughly the 1970s through the 1990s, with examples far before and after. The management of a documentary timeline begins when you answer a few. Introduction to documentary video storytelling breaks down the narrative elements of documentary film. If you know basic editing, but want to learn how to tell stories better this class is for you. Documentary techniques and where they come from gauge. Questions to answer when analysing a documentary 1. Studiobinder is a video production softare that incorporates the same functionality as trello and assana, all within a suite of tailored filmmaking software. Interesting storytelling techniques for documentaries. Apr 28, 2016 in the video folder, i create subfolders for different scenes or interviews that we shot. The choice of what technical codes to use when filming are critical in the production of meaning.
Whether your subject is the arab spring, human happiness, or pet cemeteries, it has to be engaging and say something about the world. This video explores the multifaceted nature of broll. How to edit and structure your documentary videouniversity. A documentary about the world of software and the software makers. Its easy to think of film editing as the mere execution of certain video editing techniques. Best documentary video editing techniques learn how to edit a. Staff author ashley kennedy explores the grammar and story structure of nonfiction filmmaking, and discusses how history and technology have impacted how todays documentary filmmakers shoot and edit their projects. Voiceover the voiceover in a documentary is a commentary by the filmmaker, spoken while the. How to prepare and conduct a documentary interview.
Videomaker helps you make better video by providing expert educational articles and training videos. Master pro iphone videography stepbystep techniques. The nsas illegal surveillance techniques are leaked to the public by one of the agencys employees, edward snowden. Shooting documentary short films with griffin hammond. Best documentary video editing techniques learn how. Editing is one of the most important elements of the film creation process. Documentary portrait class with dan minor creativelive. Easily combine photos, video, text, music and narration without the time and effort of video editing. A history students guide to documentary film making techniques. Howard views the editing process as an opportunity to execute your final rewrite. Ken burns gets all the credit for this technique, but using still photos can help you hide. How to edit a documentary phil ebiners process youtube. Whether youre a weekend gopro shooter or a fulltime video professional, you need editing.
In the left column of your script you will describe all the video your viewer will see broll, aroll, photos, diagrams, screen captures, etc. Once you do shoot your documentary, you can update your twocolumn script to reflect what video and audio you actually have to work with. This practical guide reveals how todays top filmmakers bring the tools of narrative cinema to the world of nonfiction film and video without sacrificing. Stock footage is often images of cities and landmarks, historical events of importance or images of the natural landscape and wildlife. Craft compelling stories as a documentary filmmaker.
From file management to lower thirds, these twelve video editing tips will help you shape your documentary film. Dan will explore the motivations behind great documentary work, as well as share his techniques and philosophies regarding how to work quickly, collaborate with strangers and recognize optimal light. Whether youve had little experience working with videos, or youre in the middle of production looking for. Best documentary video editing techniques learn how to edit a film like a pro davinci. Reconstructions have become an almost essential element of documentary film and can even make up the entire filmed footage of the documentary. Preproduction documentary video production guides at. Nov 24, 2011 if your documentary tale is built out of interview clips, then a lot of your time as an editor will go into organizing the material and playing with story structure. If you want to learn how to tell meaningful stories that look great and sell, while working on a shoestring budget, dont miss shooting documentary short films with griffin hammond. That is, editing and rearranging sound bites in a way to tell a complete story without the need for a narrator. How to create a good documentary film with pictures. Contrary to what you might think, a short doc takes just as much time as a featurelength doc but its also just as much fun to make. A trailer is also a wonderful tool for building an audience and creating buzz.
It doesnt matter if you edit on adobe premiere, avid, final cut pro or imovie, this course focuses on the creative side of film and video editing. In popular editing software like apples final cut pro, we even find specific effects named after popular documentary techniques. Apr 07, 2020 the best video editing software for 2020. In the video folder, i create subfolders for different scenes or interviews that we shot. An l cut is used when you want to have audio from clip a continue when clip b comes in. The nsas illegal surveillance techniques are leaked to the. Some editors prefer to work with written transcripts including timecode of the video interviews. Introduction to video systems or who have had sufficient previous video production experience. Unlike fictional films, documentaries often have to convey large amounts of factual information. Also called stock footage, this is film or video that can be used in other film productions. If your documentary tale is built out of interview clips, then a lot of your time as an editor will go into organizing the material and playing with story structure. Plus, dan will teach you how you go beyond your current comfort level and build a deeper relationship with your subjects as you photograph them. How to make a short documentary film with pictures wikihow. Then you will need to dump your footage and audio into the various folders.
Virtually all nonlinear editing systems provide a tool to implement this technically simple effect, although only some systems, such as imovie and openshot for linux, specifically call it a ken burns effect. How to bring out story, develop characters and create emotional impact. International school history documentary film making in. Form and style documentary techniques the partridge nest. There are various kinds of softwares that are available on the internet that can be used in editing videos. A documentary is a nonfiction film account of a topic.
Pretty much every documentary interview youve ever seen uses j and l cuts throughout. British filmmaker john grierson believed that nonfiction film should be about information dissemination and he used film to educate people about the real world. No matter what part you have in a documentary, good storytelling is key as it connects everything together. Software sites tucows software library software capsules compilation shareware cdroms cdrom images zx spectrum doom level cd featured image all images latest this just in flickr commons occupy wall street flickr cover art usgs maps. Advances in editing techniques split film making in two, and from this documentary was born.
Actuality is the term for film footage of reallife events, places and people. Best video editing software for your documentary project. Any documentary filmmaker can tell you that one of the most difficult parts of any documentary project is after you finish shooting and move to the edit. There are settings for video editing, motion graphics, photography, visual effects, and web design. In this final course of a threecourse series, instructor ashley kennedy shares strategies you can use to successfully move into the postproduction phase. Step 3 select create sequences for each scene and pull your favorite clips onto that timeline. As of this writing, the average online video is around five minutes in length, according to comscores us online video rankings report. Know the topic you plan to film whether youre making a twohour feature length film or a twominute online video, you need to. Over the years documentary filmmakers have developed a range of techniques for presenting people, ideas and events onscreen. Watch the making of a documentary, from concept to creation.
Dec 08, 2018 in the current generation, video softwares or offline video editing process is used to edit videos as it is much more convenient and corrections can be made easily. Most history day students use videoediting software to create a 10minute documentary, much like professional documentary that you might see on pbs or the history channel. A short documentary is a lens on a selfcontained world. If you have any need or desire to raise funds for your project, a trailer a fantastic trailer is essential. Im sure your project has come and gone, but i still felt the need to comment. Studiobinder movie software is most known for its easy to use interface and integration between scheduling, breakdowns, and contact management. Digital rebellion, a free program that instantly creates folder structures based on the type of project. Technical codes involve filming techniques and methods such as shot types, angle, movement, and editing, most of which are specified in the film language section above. Youve got the story of the century and some great subjects willing to bare all on camera.
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