Back to School Pep Talk
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While we're on the subject of computers, it's important to be able to keep your machine in good running order. Think of yourself as a soldier entering boot camp, where one of the first things they teach you is how to take care of your gun -- how to disassemble and assemble it quickly, how to clean it and above all, how to shoot it. Well, your computer is your gun on this battlefield, soldier, so learn how to keep it policed. Whether your weapon of choice is a Mac or a PC, if you know how to keep your drives de-fragged, keep your registry clean and know how to make moderately advanced hardware changes, you'll be a much more valuable member of any production team. There's not always an engineer waiting around for your computer to break, so knowing a thing or two about the innards of that compu-box might just turn you into a hero someday.
Speaking of another kind of shooting, learn how to frame up shots, even if you picture yourself as a pure editor. Part of your job in that edit bay is to evaluate shots, and how will you do that if you don't even know what a good shot is or what it takes to get that shot out in the field? If you can get out there and get comfortable with the field production process, you'll have a much better feel for the shooter's plight -- to get great shots in less-than-great conditions. You'll get a keen sense of framing, too, if you actually shoot some footage yourself and then bring it back to your edit suite, seeing what you might have done here and there to improve that framing. Observe your own framing and that of the masters, too, in major motion pictures and in TV shows you admire. Give yourself some basis from which to evaluate shots and sequences.
While you're watching that framing, take special note of the editing, too. Get a feel for how long the editor stayed on a particular shot instead of cutting to the next one, listen to the way the audio comes in before the video, and get into the rhythm and overall pacing of the segment, too. You might want to even take notes as you go, writing down what you like and don't like and compile a "personal favorites" list. Save up that list for your most important production, and you might come up with a winner that expresses your very essence as an editor.
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Open your ears, too. I've always thought that a lame production is always given away by its low-quality audio. Don't forget the audio, and remember to pay special attention to the music, too. Today, with all the excellent music creation software that's available and the stock music libraries on the market, there's a wealth of choices out there for the discriminating producer. Try out a variety of music cuts dropped into various parts of your production, and sometimes you'll be surprised at how perfectly the music will fit. Other times, it'll be terribly out of place. It's difficult to predict, but with NLE software it's a simple matter to drag-and-drop an audio file on a track and try it out.
Finally, become aware of the physical world around you, and you'll become a better content creator. Look at how objects move in space, how light plays off water, how reflections look in glass, how people move. Then re-create that in your work. Determine what catches your eye, and remember what that is, so you can bring it to the screen and catch the eyes of your viewers. Live this business, internalize it, and you'll find a niche in it. The competition is fierce, and the plum spots will go to those whose second nature is bringing compelling imagery in front of the eyes of the people, on time and under budget. Now get out there, do your best work, and have a great school year!
Digital Media Net Executive Producer Charlie White has been writing about new media and digital video since it was the laughingstock of the television industry. A technology journalist and columnist since 1994, White is also an Emmy-winning producer, video editor, broadcast industry consultant and shot-calling television director who has worked in broadcasting since 1974. Talk back -- Send Chazz a note at cwhite@digitalmedianet.com.Read more of Charlie White's editorials by clicking here.
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