What is your "mental process" when editing?

[Ray Dunakin]

I'm curious as to how people make editing decisions (mainly for short, narrated videos, not feature films).

How do you go through all the footage and decide what clips to use, and where to use them?

How do you decide things such as the background music -- do you pick the music that suits the mood you're going for, and then edit to that? Or do you put together some clips, see what works, and then pick the music?

[Josh Bass]

You talkin like corporate talking head/broll stuff or ehat?

[Ray Dunakin]

I was thinking more along the lines of videos featuring historic sites, nature, etc.

[Cary Knoop]

Originally Posted by Ray Dunakin

I'm curious as to how people make editing decisions (mainly for short, narrated videos, not feature films).

How do you go through all the footage and decide what clips to use, and where to use them?

How do you decide things such as the background music -- do you pick the music that suits the mood you're going for, and then edit to that? Or do you put together some clips, see what works, and then pick the music?

Personally, I select all the interesting footage first and then use an iterative and evolutionary approach of placing, moving and elimination. That way the footage starts to grow on me and then adjustments come more natural. I admit it is not the fastest approach.

Music comes afterward unless something I edited is timed to music and obviously if it is a music clip the duration is set by the music. Even when the music comes afterward I sometimes make minor changes to the edit when it fits better with certain musical transitions or phrases.

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks! That's pretty much how I've been doing it too. But I'm still new to videography - I've never been to film school or anything like that. Just learning what I can from seeing what others have done, and getting advice wherever I can find it. I think I'm getting fairly good at what I do, but sometimes it's a struggle to figure out how to make it all come together.

[Mark Williams]

I follow the same approach as Cary.

[Steven Digges]

Editing is all to often a solo experience. If you taught yourself and learned from watching others finished work it is hard not to stagnate quickly. Whenever possible gain experience from another person in the edit suite. Seeing the why and how of what others do has taught me far more than looking at their work.

I have been lucky enough to work with a few very talented editors. I learn an amazing amount of new skills every time.

Kind Regards,

Steve

[Paul R Johnson]

I used to do proper storyboards, but for the narrative stuff, I now arrange the clips in a rough time order, but without any topping or tailing, I put alternate takes in a new timeline, again at roughly the right place. then I go through each clip and without moving it, remove the top and tail of each one, then remove the sections between the useful video then I start to rebuild it in a time sequence. I used to log everything, then match each shot to the story board but my current system seems quicker. When I then find the inevitable clip that is better I go back and replace.