Pacing

[pcwells]

I'm trying to say this without sounding like VIZ Top Tips but...

This is an attempt to start an online refence guide for new editors. Any thoughts and advice on pacing your edit can be posted here. Please start new threads as appropriate.

In short, the video editor's job is to accentuate the mood of the scene he or she is editing. One of the most frustrating things is watching back work in progress, before all the sound has been added, and being disappointed with the flow and rhythm of the piece.

My first thought is this:

Find a piece of music that closely represents the mood you're trying to create, and lay it down on the timeline. Cutting your video to the music is often an good yardstick - a soft piece of classical will suggest a controlled edit with plenty of reaction shots, focussing on detail and a relaxed emotive context. Something more noisy or rock orientated will be suited to fast cutting - accentuating motion and activity within the frame.

It doesn't matter if the music is copyrighted or if you don't want it in your final video. Just delete it from the timeline when you're done.

You'd be surprised how closely music resembles film or video in terms of 'what sounds/looks right' rhythmically.

That's Top Tip no.1 in this thread. Let's have some more please!

Peter Wells

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Deputy editor, Computer Video Magazine

[Chad]

My Top Tip!

The pacing of a scene often effects the emotion of your audience, for example sad scenes often have a slow gentle pace which should result in helping to make the audience sad (this is why most film buffs refer to chick flicks as too slow!).

Now here's my tip, to really get your audience going break the rule. If your filming a fast action scene slow the pace right down at the critical moment and watch your audience hanging off the edge of their seats. For an example of this watch any John Woo film!

You can also use this technique if you really want to get the audience upset, simply slow the pace right down (i.e. slow motion or even freeze frame) just as something really terrible happens, guaranteed tears every time!

Anyway that's it!

Chad!