Dirty Editing
I got your attention didn’t I? So what’s dirty editing? I don’t think there is an actual term coined for what I’m about to talk about. I’ve heard it referred to as checker-boarding but I’m still not quite sure that grasps the concept enough. So I’m going to call it dirty editing.
Dirty editing is using your timeline to it’s maximum potential. Dirty editing is an editor’s timeline that is messy. Editors are often messy. We often put a clip here and there. We put stuff down in the timeline not really knowing if we’ll use it or when we’ll use it. We just want it there in case we do use it.
The finished product you output should be clean and polished. That does not mean your timeline has to be clean and polished. It’s your timeline. Make a mess. And guess what? You don’t have to clean it up!
This is the timeline for this story. Double click on it to see it in a bigger window. You can double click on any screen grab here to get a better view of them.
For this blog entry we are going to us the story Sarah didn’t walk away at all.
It’s on my YouTube site. I ended up doing a lot of effects to the story. I had several layers of video some times. Other times I had just one. But watch my timeline as we go along. Just because I only have one layer of video. That doesn’t mean it’s automatically going on video layer 1.
Our story begins on video layer 2. I had to put a reporter as-live in front of the package. This was actually one of the last things I did. I wanted to dissolve from the reporter to the package. I often like to play with the durations of my dissolves. If I keep both of the these first two clips on video layer 1 and add a dissolve I have to constantly adjust the dissolve until I get the desired length I want. I think it’s just easier to place one of your clips on video layer 2, then use key-frames [:13] to drop the opacity at the place you want. I just move the key frame until I get the dissolve I like.
I do use a dissolve next at [:20]. I wasn’t too worried here. I knew I wanted a two second dissolve centered on the transition.
Pretty routine stuff so far. Now comes some serious dirty editing.
At [:24] I slowly dissolve up (using key frames) the picture of Sarah.  Notice it’s on video layer 3 on the screengrab of my timeline above. I know I want to have a car crashing (file blurred and turned black and white) underneath her picture. I don’t waste time moving things up and down the timeline (meaning changing video layers). It doesn’t matter that there is no video on video layer 1 for a moment. What matter is my final product look the way I want it.
Here is the picture of Sarah (cropped) and the car crashing and you can also see a seat underneath both of those.
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A tip. When you have multiple layers of video and you want them to ALL fade to black at the exact same time. Use a slug like you see below.
You can get a slug in the same drop down menu you would engage the text tool in Final Cut. You can also get slugs in Avid.
Load a slug into you viewer and drag it to the time line and place it on the video layer higher than you already have at that moment in your timeline. Change the opacity of the slug just like any other clip.
I do go back to video layer 1 at [:31]
After the interview from the father my timeline gets dirty again at [:38]
I have a picture of Rebecca fading (increasing the opacity) up on video layer 3. Then a picture of her sister fading up on video 2. Then a picture of the seat belt on video layer 1. It all looks good to the viewer. I’m simply maximizing my timeline. All non-linear editors give you multiple layers of video. Use them. Any way you like. That’s the beauty of non-linear editors, they conform to you.
After these few shots I have another shot of a seat belt and a shot of sarah at 50% opacity with a garbage matte (for another post). Then look! I’m up on video layer 3!
And there is NOTHING on video layers 1 or 2. I’m already up there why come down to video layer 1? Just so my timeline looks clean? Dirty editing at it’s best!
I don’t move back to lower video levels primarily for efficiency reasons.
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Already there, just keep editing
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It’s more efficient to just stay where you are and continue editing
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An efficient editor becomes a faster editor.
I’m placing another screengrab of my timeline her so you can refer back to it as you continue watching the story on my YouTube site. It’s Dirty. It’s just the way I like it!
Thanks for reading!
shawnmontano @ June 8, 2010
[...] Edit Foundry » Blog Archive » Dirty Editing blogs.nppa.org/editfoundry/2010/06/08/dirty-editing/ – view page – cached I got your attention didn’t I? So what’s dirty editing? I don’t think there is an actual term coined for what I’m about to talk about. I’ve heard it referred to as checker-boarding but I’m still not quite sure that grasps the concept enough. So I’m going to call it dirty editing. Tweets about this link Topsy.Data.Twitter.User['shawnmontano'] = {“photo”:”http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/759562040/Me_normal.jpg”,”url”:”http://twitter.com/shawnmontano”,”nick”:”shawnmontano”}; shawnmontano: “#FCP users. I'd love to hear your response to my latest blog 'Dirty Editing' Go to http://bit.ly/cjmV9j ” 16 minutes ago retweet Topsy.Data.Twitter.User['alexgamela'] = {“photo”:”http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/725937284/twitterProfilePhoto_normal.jpg”,”url”:”http://twitter.com/alexgamela”,”nick”:”alexgamela”}; alexgamelaHighly Influential: “Dirty Editing http://ff.im/-lJv8T ” 8 hours ago retweet Filter tweets [...]
The tip about using a slug to fade multiple video tracks to black is very cool. Could fade to any color I suppose.
Nice article.
The biggest issue I’ve had when my timeline becomes unruly is when I want to make some big shifts. For example I’m trying to open a hole in the middle to insert something but I don’t want to just do a straight insert. I’ve carefully selected everything I want to move right and then slide it over.
Then later I find out I didn’t have everything selected like I thought and some little pieces didn’t move. Maybe they were off the screen above, below or to the far right. Since then I’ve learned to use the select-track-right tool (if that’s the right name for it).
Another slug tip is if you want to open some space up in the timeline then you can just insert a slug at the point, then delete it leaving a clean hole.
Peace,
Rob
I agree, be as filthy as you like, it’s your timeline. But once I’m happy with a sequence I tend to get it down to a couple of layers (more for graphics).
Professionally, it means that should you become ill or unable to work, the poor sod who takes your place doesn’t have to unpick a huge ball of string.
Also, if you handed a sequence like this over for grading/onling, you’d get a hell of an earful… (Same applies for messy audio to a tracklay/mix).
For personal projects, keep it as filthy as you want if that’s your bag I guess!
The real problem with this “dirty editing” isn’t spreading video over multiple tracks. No, it’s the editors who put alternate takes on multiple tracks, relying on the NLE to block anything on the lower video tracks. This may be fine while you’re thought-processing, but if you leave it there when you’re done, that’s asking for trouble down the line.
What do I mean by “down the line.” Well, there are probably no issues so long as:
1. You don’t have to go and do an online at some point.
2. You don’t have to go back many months later and and pick up your thoughts.
3. You don’t have to share your project with another editor
In other words, it works okay so long as you’re in your own silo and don’t have to interact with anyone else, and you have a great memory and a set of naming conventions. That may be fine for one group of editors, though it’s certainly a really bad habit to get into as you move into other groups.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to take that chance.
I am definitely a dirty editor! The only question I have is if doing it this way increases render/export time. If it does, you could lose that time you saved by not cleaning up your timeline. Although there’s something to be said for having a good rhythm while editing.
Thanks for your comments Adam. It doesn’t matter what level your layers are on. It still requires the same amount of processing.
Shawn.
Hey Robb, I’m glad you find the slug tip helpful. Yes, moving and sliding over is the easiest. The select-track-right or left tool I use all the time. Shortcut is hit the ‘T’ key three times.
Shawn.
Hey Norman, Yes not paying attention can cause some problems. Dirty editing is ideal for a project only one editor handles. I’m going to try an experiment with passing on a project some day. And you are right this could cause some problem with something that sits around. But it everything is labeled well you should be fine.
As far as taking a chance, just try it. I try new things all the time. Sometimes it works, sometime it does not.
Shawn.
[...] out this article on Dirty Editing and may your timeline never be so sloppy [...]
Not to nitpick, but checker boarding generally refers to alternating audio tracks. I have to agree with Norman. Dirty editing is a very bad habit to get into. If you have any desire to work with other editors or on high end projects that have finishing work done at outside facilities, you should really practice good timeline organization techniques. Keep everything on one layer as much as you can and only stack when you need to for an effect. As someone who does both offline and online work, I can’t tell you how much I hate getting a sloppy timeline from another editor. It is a huge waste of time and money to have to figure out what on the timeline is needed and what isn’t. If you insist on performing a dirty edit to build a cut, you should spend some time cleaning up that mess before you hand it off to someone else.
Thank you for you comments Dan. Yes, I agree this will NOT work in a situation with multiple editors. But if you the only one touching a project, this is just one more way to take advantage of your NLE.
“It still requires the same amount of processing.”
while it’s correct that the number or layers wont increase the tie to render / export / process,
there is another “dirty” thing going on here that WILL.
all those opacity keyframes!
ok so they wont always increase render time,
but doing all fade as opacity changes can lead to the whole clip needing rendering.
also, long ends of clips left hanging after the opacity has gone down to zero wil need rendering.
if you haven’t changed your default transition, then a simple Apple T will add a fade in or out.
(and now in FCP7, you can do both ends at once.)
everyone else her has pointed out that there is extra HUMAN processing of the messy timeline if you need to hand it over to someone, or re-build it in an on-line situation.
and remember that time in these places is much more costly than in the off-line suite.
finally i’ll add that there is a tool to deal with messy FCP timelines.
EDIT MULE’s Auto Collapse
http://www.editmule.com/pages/plugins/plugin.php?id=2