quote:

---

Originally posted by Marco

2) I noticed that a lot of studios I worked at keep their gear in air conditioned rooms. I keep my equipment in my small apartment which is not too hot, but I'm wondering if I fix a room and condition it to keep my gear in good condition. Oh and when I say gear, I'm referring to camera's, lights, tascam, mics, editing laptop.

---

Your camera, lights, tascam and mics don't need to
be stored in an air conditioned room. Computers
should be kept cool

quote:

---

1) I just started editing my own work and I'm pretty sure I'm breaking a lot of "video editing rules". Even though I usually don't follow any rules when it comes to shooting, I really want to learn about any major editing rules I might not know of. Let me give you all an example. The directer tells me he wants a shot of the city and then cut to the inside of "a building". I've noticed those shots "of the city" are pretty quick. How long should they take? Basic rules like those I need to know. I'm sure I'm doing a pretty good job guessing, but I know there are rules out there.

---

There are no rules. You do what works.

quote:

---

2) When I'm downloading p2 footage into my computer, I get a lot of options I can or don't need to fill out. One thing I really want to start using are REEL NUMBERS. How do I number a reel? I'm sure this is basic film school stuff, but I don't know.

---

The first P2 card you use is "REEL ONE", the second
P2 card you use is "REEL TWO" and so on.

quote:

---

3) Where can I get a list of video editing terms?

---

aspect ratio - The shape of the video fram, expressed by the ratio
of its width to its height. Standard television uses a 4:3 aspect
ratio, while widescreen and HDTV use a 16:9 ratio.

chromakey - Method of electronically inserting an image from one
video source into the image of another through areas designated
as its "key color." It is frequently used on news programs to
display weather graphics behind talent.

compositing - Superimposing multiple layers of video or images.
Each layer may move independently. Titles are a simple and
common example of compositing.

crawl - Text or graphics, usually special announcements that move
across the screen horizontally, typically from right to left
across the bottom of the screen.

cross-fade - Simultaneous fade-in of one audio or video source as
another fades out so that they overlap temporarily. Also called a
dissolve.

cut - Instantaneous change from one shot to another.

cutaway - Shot of something other than principal action (but
peripherally related), frequently used as transitional footage or
to avoid a jump cut.

coverage - "Extra" footage shot to ensure that at least some video
is available for all possible scenes. Coverage shots may feature
scenery, long shots of events, or other material that can be used
during editing to "cover" scene changes.

EDL, edit decision list - Notes and descriptions of scenes to be
edited or cut. A proper EDL should specify the time at which
important scenes and potential edits occur. Editors use the EDL to
place scenes in their final running order.

filter effect - Digital effect added to colorize or otherwise alter a clip in post-production.

in point (inset point) - The place on the tape where you want to
start your edit.

jog - To step slowly through video footage. The term comes from
the mechanical jog dial used by pro videotape-editing equipment.

jump cut - Unnatural, abrupt switch between shots identical in
subject but slightly different in screen location, so the subject
appears to jump from one screen location to another. Can be
remedied with a cutaway or shot from a different angle.

linear editing - Tape-based VCR-to-VCR editing. Called "linear"
because scenes are recorded in chronological order on the tape.

lip sync - Proper synchronization of video with audio, lip
movement with audible speech.

master - the original version of your raw footage tape. An
original edited tape is called an edited master.

montage - A sequence of shots assembled in juxtaposition to each
other to communicate a particular idea or mood. Often bridged with
cross-fades and set to music.

mosaic - Electronic special effect whereby individual pixels
comprising an image are blown up into larger blocks in a kind of
checkerboard effect.

nonlinear editing (NLE) - Digital random access editing that uses
a hard drive instead of tape to store video. Random access allows
easy arrangement of scenes in any order. It also eliminates the
need for rewinding.

out point (outset point) - The place on the tape where you want to finish
your edit.

posterization - Electronic special effect transforming a normal
video image into a collage of flattened single-colored areas,
without graduations of color and brightness.

raw footage - Pre-edited footage, usually direct from the
camcorder.

real time - Occurring immediately, without delay for rendering. If
a transition occurs in real time, there is no waiting; the
computer creates the effect or transition on the fly, showing it
immediately. Real-time previewing is different from real-time
rendering.

render time - The time it takes an editing computer to composite
source elements and commands into a single video file so the
sequence, including titles and transition effects, can play in
full motion.

roll - Text or graphics, usually credits, that move up or down the
screen, typically from bottom to top.

rough cut - Preliminary edit of footage in the approximate
sequence, length and content of finished program.

safe title area - The recommended area that will produce legible
titles on most TV screens; 80 percent of the visible area,
measured from the center.

scrub - To move through video footage in video-editing apps by
dragging the playhead. Manually scrubbing through video lets you
skim its contents.

sepia - Brassy antique color effect characteristic of old
photographs.

sound bite - Any short recorded audio segment for use in an edited
program usually a highlight taken from an interview.

sound effects - Contrived audio, usually prerecorded, incorporated
with a video soundtrack to resemble a real occurrence. Blowing on
a microphone, for example, might simulate wind to accompany
hurricane images.

soundtrack - The audio portion of a video recording, often
multifaceted with natural sound, voiceovers, background music,
etc.

superimposition (super) - Titles, video or graphics appearing over
an existing video picture, partially or completely hiding areas
they cover.

sweetening - Post-production process of adding music and sound
effects or otherwise enhancing the existing audio with filters and
other effects.

timeline - the area in the video editing software interface
containing video clips, transitions, effects, titles, still
images, and audio - all the elements that will be part of the
finished project.

titling - Process or result of incorporating on-screen text as
credits, captions or any other alphanumeric communication to
video.

voiceover (VO) - Audio from an unseen narrator accompanying video,
heard above background sound or music.

wipe - Transition from one shot to another, where a moving line or
pattern reveals the new shot. In it's simplest form it simulates
a window shade being drawn.

quote:

---

4) This one is tricky. A friend of mine recently had a chance to teach me the work flow he uses to edit most of his documentaries. Now don't get me wrong, I know everybody has their own work flow, but is there a certain order or something, when editing a short movie or feature film?

---

Not tricky at all. there is no specific order when editing a short
movie or feature film. I think you'll find most start at the beginning
but many editors will cut scenes they think will be easy first and
many will start with scenes they think might be difficult.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

re: "video editing rules" - Certified Instigator is right, there's no reason not to do something if it works. There are a lot of guidelines to edit by (your edits are more likely to work if you follow them, but they can get a little dull). They involve not breaking the 180-degree line (that's a kind of complicated subject, but I'm sure there are forum topics on it here), avoiding jump cuts and maintaining continuity of action. Still, the best-edited movies are the ones that know how and when to break those rules.

re: digital cinema desktop preview - This is basically just a way to see your video at a more reasonable size instead of staring into a teeny-tiny viewport. Back in the day when everything was standard-definition, I ran a video stream out of Final Cut back into my FireWire video camera and previewed it on an ordinary TV screen. Now that everything is moving over into HD, that isn't a viable solution anymore. I have two monitors, and when I edit HD, I usually use one of those monitors for a full-screen desktop preview, just so I can see more detail and make sure the shots are sharp, etc. Unrendered clips (be they Unlimited RT, 'Full' preview, or anything else in between, will play back alright (depending on the speed of your computer and the complexity of the applied effects), but it will look fuzzy. Render your clips to watch them in full-motion/full-quality.

-----------------
Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com

Thanks! You guys are awesome 🙂