Your DVX100
Movie Rough Cut
(cont'd.)
by
Margaret Kleinsele
continued from
previous
page
Well, to make a long story short, after production was completed
and the film entered the post production phase, we all
discovered something amazing - our little action movie had the
potential of becoming a better movie as a dramatic action flick
rather than just an action flick.
We came to this realization after watching some rough edits of clips
and sequences in our editing timeline. We’d then switch some scenes
around and even went as far as deleting some scenes to accommodate
and boost the dramatic feel and tone of the storyline. Now, did we
ever think we were making a serious drama when we were shooting the
scenes? Not even a clue. But it turned out that what we had in the
editing room had a lot more impact for the storyline as a drama than
it would as an action movie.
The Big Picture
So, once we discovered what we now had, the pacing of the story
began to take shape and the editing was giving birth to something
totally new. This won’t be the case for every movie, but it is the
case for most. Some might have to chop it up more than others to find a
flow and direction that works for the movie. But don’t rush it.
Sometimes editing can take weeks upon months!
The Whole Point Is This:
The rough edit of your movie lets you
evaluate each scene and figure out what’s working and what’s not
working and therefore allows you to make the right decisions.
Whether it means editing scenes shorter, switching some scenes
around in the movie or even deleting scenes, make sure you know why
you’re doing it before you do it. That is to say, make sure it
benefits the story and overall pace.
This will be the toughest part
of editing your independent film because as you shape each scene,
you’ll have to do the toughest thing of all as a filmmaker/editor –
you might have to delete some scenes and images that you worked
so hard to get. But be strong and look at what benefits the overall
picture!
Realizing that the rough edit of your movie can yield something
totally different than what you intended isn’t a bad thing. It means
that you’re smart enough to stand back and take a hard look at your
project and decide what suits the story best. Good luck to you, have
fun with it and do the best you can!
Do
YOU have a cheap, low budget, do-it-yourself DVX100 tip or trick that
you'd like to contribute?
If so, just email it to
us and we'll post it up!
Thanks
for helping the grass roots grow!
