Digital Video, DV editing

[Monty Markland]

I've got some background in old-school, physical film from the film school days, but never played with digital video until this week.

After about six hours of playing around with the XL2 and AdobePP, I'm blown away.

With an open mind and a little ingenuity, there is nothing you can't put on screen with this kind of equipment. Maybe I'm just behind the times, but after today, I feel like DV is tantamount to the printing press.

I've also got a background in programming, for video games, and the digital production path brings together two massively powerful tools, a visual communication medium and a virtually limitless, completely adaptable, programmable machine made up of the computer/editing software and your brain.

I was able to string together junk footage of me practicing with the XL2 in front of my apartment into a narrative short.

That's impossible on film, unless you put it into a digital format and do the same thing, but then you wasted X dollars on film and processing and transfer.

I think Steev Dinkins' hilarious 35mm adapter short drives this point home best.

So, in the interests of creative freedom, I'm curious what exciting tricks and techniques everyone has discovered when jacking around with their gear.

The first thing I noticed:

Since miniDV footage is essentially free, I could produce all sorts of in-camera tricks that you couldn't even consider shooting on film (at least if you're on a budget).

The next thing I noticed:

Even a simple software operation, such as adjusting the speed, direction and audio pitch of the video footage, can create some cool results. By altering the speed of the footage slightly, you can draw the viewer into a scene, then let them focus on a scene by dropping back down to normal speed, then bring them to the next point of focus faster, etc. The permutations are obviously limitless.

I guess I'm like a kid with a new toy, and I'm excited. So, if there is something you've discovered about DV, and are excited about it, I'd love to hear it.

Monty

[Rob Lohman]

Since a lot of DV camera's are pretty small you can put them in
places where a film camera might be unable to go, in combination
with software you can make some brilliant camera angles and
moves.