New Ways to Log Quickly
As promised, here’s my new system for logging footage quickly. This innovative approach will help if you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of footage you’ve shot.
If you have a hefty amount of cash for post-production, this approach is likely too economical for you.
Culling your footage and handing selects to an editor is one of the cost-saving hallmarks of our new Finish Your Film Program (begins Dec. 1st) which can enable you to complete your documentary within one year.
Let’s say you have 200 hours of footage. How can you get that number down to your best 40 hours, saving you months in editing fees?
First, let go of your perfectionist’s mindset because we’re going to jettison the traditional, time-consuming method of logging footage from A – Z.
Second, get all your important interviews transcribed. Transcripts help editors cut more quickly.
Third, with transcripts in hand, take the first pass at editing your interviews. Organize only the best sound bites into sequences that are named by topic (for the essay part of your film) or by plot point (for any story aspect of your film). Your editor will watch these sequences.
Ready for the intrepid fourth step?
Examine a list of your remaining scenes and b-roll footage. From memory, identify the best forty percent. In making your selection, ask yourself, “Do I absolutely need this scene/image/b-roll to make this film? Could I make this film without it?
Executing this 4-step logging strategy really depends on your ability to be ruthless and discerning in step four.
So…rather than including a little of every scene that might make it in the film, select only the crucial scenes that you absolutely need to tell a story or to make a critical point. Of course, include all your killer emotional moments, whether you see a place for them yet or not.
Once you’ve highlighted the essential forty percent, watch that footage and edit only the highlights into separate timelines. For example, in a scene of a championship football game, you might select any great plays, any touchdowns, and the moment the coach yelled at your protagonist. Name the sequence by scene, i.e. “Championship Game”.
Your editor will later determine if the scene is juicy and compelling enough to include in the rough cut. If so, your editor will return to the appropriate bin and find any ancillary footage needed to cut the scene, such as set up and cutaway shots.
What about the remaining 60 percent? Once you have a preliminary rough cut, we’ll ask ourselves what’s missing and then strategically search for it. Or, supplement with pick-up shoots.
To learn more about how our Finish Your Film Program can save you months in post-production, email me for a free consultation. The program begins December 1st, and my goal is to help you finish a magnificent film within one year.
