| Motion pictures are called that because the most important aspect of this medium is what we see. It's not that what we hear is unimportantit is. However, what is shown visually has more impact on the viewer's emotions than what he hears. What the viewer hears should enhance what he sees. First and foremost, we'll edit the picture track for this reason. As an editor, your job is to perform the final rewrite of the script. It's the editor's responsibility to enhance what was originally written and what was originally shot. Any film needs to be edited visually to the story's rhythm. This story-enhancing rhythm also is part of any video program. Even a documentary or marketing program needs to find its rhythm and never stray from its story. Pacing and timing are everything in storytelling with motion pictures, just as they are with a standup comedian, Shakespearian tragic actor, or great cellist or rock guitarist. What fascinates and engages us much of the time is not just what the story is about, but how it is told. This is really evident in the telling of a joke. We've all seen two people who tell the same joke, where one person is funny and the other person is not. It's all in the timing, the pacing, the rhythm of the delivery, and the emotion displayed. The editor holds the keys to the timing of every event we see and hear in any motion picture. I will pass on some tips on achieving the critical knowledge of what, when, where, and how to make that cut. I've always thought that moving pictures cut together with emphasis on story are an invaluable asset to a finished project, whether it's a feature film, instructional video, wedding video, TV spot, marketing video, or something else. The medium is one of pictures and sound, and it's the editor's province to pull all these elements together in a way that enhances the story . The editor has as much impact on the project's success as the writer's vision and the director's execution of it, because the editor has much to do with setting the project's pacing, timing, and rhythm. In this vein, the project hopefully will teach you not only which buttons to push, but when to make an effective and story-enhancing edit, whether it is a picture or a sound edit. |
