A Note to the Editors

I have a lot of footage to sift through.  It's a little daunting.  It's something I have to just jump into knowing that I'm going to get lost in it and might not come up for air for hours.  But it's something that needs to be done.  What seems like work at the moment will turn into creative fun once I get going on it.  It's the jumping off that's the hard part.

My work flow is simple and necessary.  The first thing you have to do as an editor is make sure everything is organized.  This is the most important part of your job as an editor before the cutting of footage begins.  you have to be able to find everything you need.  If you lazily drop your footage onto the computer and figure you'll organize it later then you are only setting yourself up for an even larger headache in the very near future.  Take the time to do it right.

After making sure everything is where it needs to be on the computer I do the same thing on the editing software.  It's the same process.  Make sure all the footage has been labeled properly and put it in the right bins (these are like folders) so that you don't have to hunt for shots.  Hunting will kill productivity.  You don't want to have to stop mid creative thought to search for something.  Getting back on task is just as hard as trying to get going in the first place.

After all that is finished I save it.  I save everything anytime I have a second to stop and think.  It's my security blanket.

It's now time for me to get into the edit.  For me it's best to just start at the beginning and work my way through the whole film in order.  Some folks like to just edit specific scenes hopping around doing some work here and there and then fitting it all together later.  For me it works best if I go in order and let the movie play out before me.  There is no wrong way.  Just figure out what works best for you and do it.

My best advice would be to just get it done.  Don't let it sit on your computer and collect dust while you jump into the next thing.  Remember... it's not just your project.  Everyone that helped you make this project a reality is now waiting on you.  They want to see their hard work put to life.  They want to know they didn't just waste hours of their life.  If you don't deliver then they will not want to help you again.  Do not betray their trust because you are lazy.

And with that I jump into my own mountain of footage.  See you on the other side.

This is how it starts...