The Craft of Editing
Course Description
This course is for aspiring editors and other media professionals wanting to develop their editing skills using non-linear editing software systems. The course introduces the key grammatical concepts of: what, when and why to edit; shot selection and matching; editing for continuity and jump-cutting. It then builds on these foundations to move on to topics such as storytelling, pacing and style.
Using guided tutorials and individual hands-on exercises, students will learn new insights into how to get the best from their rushes and produce a polished piece of work quickly and efficiently.
The course will give the chance to work with media from different genres – Music, Drama and Documentary. Students may wish to ‘specialise’ in one genre, for example if they work in that area, or they might like the opportunity of working in a new and less familiar style.
Who Should Attend
Directors, Producers, Assistant Editors, Junior Editors, and other production staff who need to understand the editing process.
Course Duration
The course is divided into six 3-hour modules. You can choose to do as many, or few, modules as you like – each stands alone.
If all modules are taken, the total duration will be 18 hours, or 3 days.
Course Outcomes:
At the end of the course you will be able to:
- understand the grammar of visual editing
- efficiently organise an editing project in an NLE
- create compelling content in a variety of genres
Course Outline
The topics covered will include:
Module 1 – Terminology, Naming Conventions and Grammar
Shot descriptions and sizes
- Simple Shots
- Complex Shots
- Developing Shots
The Grammar of the Cut
- Motivation
- Information
- Continuity
- Angle
- Composition
- Sound
Module Cost: £80
Module 2 – Editing a Montage to Voiceover
- Shot selection for effective storytelling
- Using complex and developing Shots
- The ‘Lord Privy Seal’ – the pitfalls of literal cutting!
- The 3 shot sequence
Module Cost: £80
Module 3 – Editing Interviews
- Logging
- Editing a sync pull
- Editing an Interview – content and flow
- Cleaning up fluffs and stammers
- Using covering shots and cutaways
Module Cost: £80
Module 4 – Editing to Music
- Multicamera editing techniques
- Rhythm & pace
- The On-beat and the Off-beat
Module Cost: £80
Module 5 – Drama Editing Part 1
- Working with a script
- Tramlining takes and annotating
- Working with separate sound – syncing up
- Tracklaying atmos and effects
Module Cost: £80
Module 6 – Drama Editing Part 2
- The importance of continuity
- Crossing the line
- Hiding continuity errors
- Changing angle and framing
- Cutting on the action
