Studio Lesson 3: Editing

In our 3^rd studio lesson we were taught the basics of editing our previous sequence. We were introduced to a new programme called ‘Adobe Premiere.’ This is a very important video editing software application allowing us to seek many new techniques and ideas.

We were firstly shown how to find our specific work and then how to deal with it. Primarily you launch the programme ‘Adobe Premiere’ and open the window at the top left to add a folder files where fortunately this allows us to collect all our relevant information in this project window.

Key factors we then learnt are there are two video screens, a timeline at the bottom of the screen going from left to right. The two channels are highlighted with ‘V1, V2 and V3’ meaning video channels and similarly ‘A1, A2 and A3’ for audio channels. We also got taught about ‘bins’ this name is associated with the word folders. ‘Bins’ appeared in old film terms to highlight waste labels. To launch a new bin you press ‘folder’ and then ‘new’, and lastly ‘bin.’ This is a prime important section from the premiere.

Secondly we learnt about a new term called ‘rushes’ meaning footage. The word rushes originates from another film making term which simply means at the end of a shoot the footage would be rushed off and be developed over night for the producer and director to figure out what’s going on the next day’; in America it is known as ‘daily’s’ as the footage or rushes are developed in one day. Continuing we look at rushes shoots and then clicked on an icon-populating window, this allows us to fully watch our footage. I learnt if you click on words you can rename things and press play to start the footage or press the space bar. The blue bar allows you to play back footage or scrub forwards and backwards through these rushes.

I remembered Matt saying for a head start towards our thrillers or bigger projects as film working is very much a team game, so therefore we were hinted about ‘log shots’ which allows one to save items as this will always take you back to the main source in case the editing fails. I learnt about two principles of cutting, for example, ‘last moment in’ and ‘first moment out’, this helps us when we find a moment of action happening. For instance, (I) highlights a blue marker to select your chosen part and (O) for ending it. Progressing on, you drag the picture down onto my timeline and you can zoom in and out for closer detail using the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ on our keyboards. Finally, we were asked to find moments when there was some big motion happening and cut a movement in to allow smooth transitions and continuity slipping (matching up two shots.)

Personally I found the lesson very effective and it helped me to gain an understanding of the concept of editing and heightened the enjoyment of learning new things and working on our own sequence. From this successful studio lesson I gained a lot that I can effectively use in the future for personal editing work, for example in the upcoming ‘Preliminary Task’ and ‘Thriller sequences.’  I am excited to learn many more

tricks and aspects of ‘Adobe Premiere.’

Progressing on, I primarily thought of how to use my new editing techniques in forthcoming work, for instance in the ‘Preliminary Task’ and ‘Thriller sequences.’ I will use the clever smooth transitions, cutting and continue to develop my skills on ‘Adobe Premiere’ by practicing.