Editing

From 4docs

It is amazing that you can create your own edit suite with nothing more than a camera, your lap-top and a firewire cable. Some editing software will come free with your computer such as iMovie on Macs or Adobe Premiere on a PC, or you can buy more sophisticated software such as Final Cut Pro and Avid.

Editing can be both beautiful and infuriating but here are a few tips, both practical and theoretical, to help you along the way (please add your own too):

• It will make your life so much easier if your material is well organised so you know where to find everything.

• There is no short-cut to knowing your material inside out.

• Don't spend hours getting caught up in minutiae. Assemble a rough cut before you start polishing.

• You shouldn't be frightened about breaking up sequences and scenes, re-shuffling and then putting back together. Sometimes you need to do this many times before it feels absolutely right.

• Stay open to change.

• Getting other people to watch your film fairly early on can really useful - if a little scary. Besides their fresh thoughts and input it makes you watch your film in a different way.

• If you get stuck in a rut - have some fresh air!

• Play with your music and sound. They should tell a story in their own right. However, silence can be important and powerful too.

• Watch lots of documentaries - it really does help to see how others before you have structured narratives and told stories.