Part 1. Editing A Natural Sound Story
Run Fast, Shoot Slow …. is the first story we are going to use. Please watch the story first.
The beginning of the story immediately establishes several things.
- First off, I’ve established a pace.
With a lot of natural sound pops in the beginning of guns going off you set the speed of the story. You’ll also notice in the opening sequence of shots I actually make an edit as close to action as possible. So, a gun is shot and it recoils immediately. I don’t sit on the shot for more than a few frames before action happens. Once the action happens I move on to another shot.
- I like to edit like the eye would move.
So, if you were there how fast would you eye move around to capture everything that’s going on. Probably pretty fast. Would your eye capture everything from the beginning? No, you would catch several things in mid-action. Just like my edits.
- A lot of what I like about this story is the fact that one person carries the whole story.
So, I decided to introduce him. His name and where he’s from. He does a very good job of describing what’s going on. I don’t just put up any old shot. I’m thinking about what he saying and trying to find video relevant.
- S.W.A.P - synchronize words and pictures.
So when he says
“from a physical standpoint this is one of the easier ones,”
I show the participants being physical.
“From a shooting standpoint, it’s pretty tough.”
Guess what I’m showing there, yep a member shooting. I know it’s seems silly to bring this up but I see wrong shot in stories like this all the time. Sometimes the simple things are forgotten.
“So you’re lookin’ for every little advantage.”
I have a shot of a participant moving his gun onto a wall for better stability.
- Again, S.W.A.P.
It’s a little thing but I’m a big fan of all the little things that make a story better. One final thing. The first shot of the story and the last shot of the story complement each other very well. They are almost like chapter indicators in a book.
- You see it’s a beginning and you see it’s an end.
- Opening shots and closing shots are very important.
It’s rare you can do this in a story and it works like this.
October 12th, 2008 at 5:49 am
Glad you’re doing this. Thanks for offering your insight.
How long did it take you to edit this piece? Did you shoot it too?
How detailed are your tape logs? How much of the package can you see in your head (or on paper) before you start the actual edit?
October 12th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
First of all, interesting blog. Glad to see such a talented editor explaining the thoughts behind the edits. I’m sure there’s much to be learned. Thank you for taking the time to do this and please keep up the good work.
Are you strictly an editor, or do you also shoot some? I typically assume that the person who shoots a story is typically the best person to edit the story. I’d be interested to hear your take on that.
The story keeps a very consistent pace throughout. That is not easy to do! It makes me wonder how long you had to piece this together. For me, incredible editing is usually just a matter of how much time I have. Nothing is ever perfect, so give me a little more time, and it’ll be that much better.
The only negative thought I have about the package is that I really…almost hate the closing shot. I know that it is somewhat similar to the opening shot and is supposed to wrap things up and bring them full circle, but all it did for me is confuse me. The shot is so complex and confusing that it did not bring closure to the story for me at all. I can’t understand the framing in the least bit. The fence posts lead my eye to a big pole in the middle of the frame that separates two unintelligible words “land” and “ranc.” Then even the “US National Swat Championship” sign is partially blocked. Mix that in with the slow zoom out and the car driving off and there is just way too much going on. How about ending with a close up of a target being knocked down?
October 13th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
John Says:
How long did it take you to edit this piece? Did you shoot it too?
——– I took me about 5 hours to edit it. I did not shoot it. Dave Wertheimer shot the story.
How detailed are your tape logs?
——– In this case I log everything in Avid. Actually I rarely do tape logs anymore for natural sound stories (I stil do it for stories I write). Instead I log in Avid. I use locators (F3) and make notes as I go. So I write the text of the soundbites and make notes of shot and natural sound moments I think I’ll use. This is one thing I like about Avid more the Final Cut. You cannot log anything as you capture in Final Cut. At our station we have both.
How much of the package can you see in your head (or on paper) before you start the actual edit?
——— This story I didn’t see anything in my head. I built a skeleton of all the sound I want to use first. Then I figured out how I wanted to start the piece and built the opening sequence. I bounced around alot after that. If I found a shot and knew where I was going to put it then I would put it in. I edit a lot by feel. This that shot feet right in that spot.
October 13th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Nathan Thompson Says:
Thank you for taking the time to do this and please keep up the good work.
—— You’re welcome Nathan. I hope I can keep this intesting.
Are you strictly an editor, or do you also shoot some?
—— I’m just an editor. And I disagree with the person who shoots the story in the best person to edit it. Bringing in someone else to the story add more.
I love natural sound stories but aren’t stories with a reporter better told most of the time? It’s because two people are working together on a story. I think the same thing of a natural sound story. Two people are better. Two sets of ideas. I typically talk to the photographer about what he shot and how he/she thinks the story should be told. Their imput is very valueable to me. Also, as and Editor I’m not as connected to the story and won’t force shot just because they are cool. There is other reason of course but those are my primary reason.
The only negative thought I have about the package is that I really…almost hate the closing shot…. I can’t understand the framing in the least bit. The fence posts lead my eye to a big pole in the middle of the frame that separates two unintelligible words “land” and “ranc.” …….How about ending with a close up of a target being knocked down?
Dave and I talked about the closing shot. He felt he didn’t get a very good closing shot. Dave was called to cover and tornado in Northern Colorado and had to leave this shoot earlier than he thought he was. I decided to go with it anyway. Yes you are correct, the eye is led to the big pole in the middle. I decided there was enough in the frame for the viewing to understand where you were. I thought the fact that the car was in the shot lent to establishing you are again and the entrance to the ranch. Thank you for your comments.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Shawn, ANOTHER brilliant way to help us. Thanks for the creativity, for doing it and for explaining your reasoning. Then, again, I always learn a lot from you. Can’t wait ’till the next one.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Silly me, and sorry for my poor reading comprehension.
It took you five hours to edit this story?
That is a lot of time. A fine story of all nat sound but…five hours is more than most newsrooms can afford to give anyone for this short of a story. almost an entire shift of work if a person is working an eight hour day. While you were doing this, what were the rest of the editors doing in your newsroom? Did they too have that long to craft a story or were they picking up the slack so you could have the time to be this creative? Do you think a manager will agree with you that this is a good, cost effective, use of limited employee resources?
I’m not trying to be argumentative. I’m trying to understand your thinking about what is good editing and how to get it done under real world newsroom working conditions day in and day out without adversely affecting the production of the entire newscast.
I’m all for seeing creative work. I notice you believe a story, most often is better with more people involved, yet here there is no reporter.
Fine, it’s a nat sound story. But in todays world of television news I’m not sure what you created justified the expense. Either to the station or the viewer.
Could you do more to share stories and editing that have more important issues involved instead of features? It would help make this site have a little more value to the day to day work most of us do.
Thanks
October 15th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I find time. I can always find time. If you truly want to do something and do it good, you can find time. At my station we have two editors to do a 5:30pm newscast and a 9pm newscast. We mostly edit vo/sots. Sometimes we edit packages for the shows. We also edit topicals and preshows for both newscasts. We don’t have a lot of free time to do much unless there is a plan. We’re both fast editors. We’re also efficient editors. In situations like this I use my time very efficiently.
I can spend about 90 minutes on a project from the time I come in (2pm) until I absolutely have to work on the newscast. My co-editor knows what I’m doing so he watches the show’s rundown and makes sure he’s on top of everything. We get the 5:30pm newscast done and I can take a quick lunch and then work on a project for about 60 more minutes until I absolutely have to work on the next newscast. We get the 9pm newscast done and then I have another 90 minutes to work on project before I go home (10:30pm is the end of my shift). No overtime, no loss to the daily product and all done without putting any of my own time in. I just found 4 hours to work on a project in one day. My co-editor didn’t have to pick up any of my ’slack.’ In fact, I was busier because I was working on a project and the show. But I wanted to have all this time so I found it. I did work on this project over a two day period. I probably could of found a few more hours if I had needed them.
Managers love when you can find time and still get the daily product done. The staff at KWGN is one of the leanest groups I ever worked with. We are the definition of ‘limited resources.’
As to your question of the types of stories to share. Thank you for the ideas. I’m going to try and have all sorts of stories here.
Shawn.