How I edit

How much footage do you have?

It's the first thing I ask when a new project comes in. Reviewing the footage is one of the most valuable things an editor does. When I know the footage, I can build the story from the best material, and that helps the whole edit.

1 hourof footage
≈
2 hoursof review
Up to 5 phasesfrom the hard drive to the finished film
1 gate, 2 pathspicture lock, then I finish the film or hand it over for finishing
The footage comes first

The story is in the footage

In documentary, the story is found in what was filmed. Real life doesn't follow a script. A script, if there is one, is usually a rough guide, and the real moments often happen off the page. Sometimes a client has already reviewed the footage and made a radio cut (the interviews put in order as an audio story). Either way, I review the footage before I start building the story.

The Alliance of Documentary Editors recommends about 2 hours of review for every hour of footage: watching every shot, listening to every interview and moment in the field, making notes and marking the moments that could carry the story.

For example

10 h
of footage
→
20 h
of review, at 2 h per hour
→
2 days
of 10 hours, before I start building the story

Review time depends on the hours of footage. How long it takes to build the story depends on what is in the footage: its quality, and how well the key moments were covered.

Find the story

Knowing the footage means I can suggest a structure, not only follow one.

Find the moments

The key action, the best reaction, the small detail, the shot that makes a scene work.

Plan the time

The amount of footage tells me how long the review will take. The review shows me the quality, and whether there is enough to build the story. Then I can estimate how long the edit will take. If something is missing, I will give you a pickups list: the shots that would complete the story.

What shapes the timeline

Every project is different. These are the things that change the time an edit needs.

Length of the film

Every extra minute means more music to fit, more shots to grade and subtitle, and a longer quality check.

How the footage arrives

Organised folders, synced sound and ready proxies save a lot of time. One mixed folder, with no clapper board or timecode, means more preparation first.

What is in the footage

Strong interviews, clear action and good coverage of the key moments make the story quicker to build. When the story has to be pieced together, it takes longer.

Archive, stock and music

Finding archive or stock footage, and music, takes time. We agree at the start what is needed and who sources it.

Feedback

How quickly the notes come back, and whether they come as one clear set per round.

Step by step

The phases of an edit

Most edits move through these phases in this order. After picture lock, either I finish the film, or I hand it over for finishing.

Why preparing the footage matters

Before I can review anything, the footage has to be ready to work with. Some projects arrive organised, with synced sound and proxies made. Others arrive as one folder of mixed cameras and audio, and everything is sorted and synced first. Without a clapper board or matching timecode, syncing is done by hand, and that takes time.

1
Before the review, if needed

Prepare the footage

  • Organise and back up the media
  • Check camera settings and frame rates
  • Sync sound to picture
  • Create multicam clips
  • Transcribe the interviews
  • Create proxies
  • Build stringouts by scene or subject

Not every project needs every step.

2
Building the story

Review and rough cut

  • Review all the footage and make selects
  • Find and build the story
  • Shape the interviews and field moments, and test the structure
  • First music pass and sound clean up
3
Your feedback

Revisions

  • You review the rough cut
  • 1 to 2 rounds of story notes
  • Ends with picture lock
Picture lockThe story is approved. Then the film takes one of two paths.

After lock, music, sound, colour and subtitles are built to the exact timing of every shot. That is why the story is approved first. Changes after lock affect all of that work and take extra time.

Path A

I finish the film

For online platforms, at the standard level described below.

4
Finishing
  • Final music edit
  • Sound design and mix
  • Colour grade
  • Titles, subtitles and captions
  • One final review round
5
Quality check and export
  • Watch the full film in real time
  • Stop, fix, watch again
  • Export and check the final file
Path B

I hand it over for finishing

For broadcast, or when the budget allows a dedicated mixer, colourist or online editor.

→
Turnover
  • Project, files and music prepared for the finishing team
  • Reference video and a list of deliverables

My work ends with the turnover. From there, the finishing team completes the film, and the final quality checks are done by them and you.

Book the whole edit, or part of it

Three ways to work together

Before I can quote an edit, I need to know the condition of the footage and how many hours there are. That isn't always easy to know from the outside, so you can also start with phase 1 on its own.

Footage preparation

Phase 1

I prepare the footage to your specifications, ready for you or another editor. You also get a short report: total hours of footage, cameras, formats, and anything that needs attention.

Story edit

Phases 1 to 3, then path B

I build the story to picture lock, add the sound design and music edit, and hand over to your mixer, colourist and online editor.

Full edit

Phases 1 to 5, path A

From the hard drive to the finished film, for online platforms.

Footage already prepared?

If the footage arrives organised, synced and ready to edit, the story edit and full edit can start at phase 2. I do a short check of the footage and project first, to confirm that nothing needs preparing.

If you're not sure how many hours of footage you have, footage preparation is the most accurate way to plan the rest of the edit.

One editor, many roles

Who does what in post production

On a big production, each of these roles is a different person. Smaller projects for online platforms don't need to pass broadcast quality control, so one editor can cover most of them. Here is how I work on a smaller project.

My craftStandard levelHanded over
My craft

Assistant editor

Prepares the footage: organises it, syncs sound and picture, creates proxies and logs it.

With me: Included when the footage needs preparing.
My craft

Editor

Builds the story, from the rough cut to picture lock.

With me: The heart of my work.
My craft

Sound editor

Cleans up dialogue, effects and music, ready for the mix.

With me: Included in every story edit and full edit.
My craft

Sound designer

Creates the atmospheres, effects and Foley that bring a scene to life.

With me: Included in every story edit and full edit, also when a mixer is hired.
Standard level

Mixer

Balances all the sound into the final soundtrack, to technical standards.

With me: Sound mixed to standard levels for online platforms.
Standard level

Colourist

Grades and corrects the colour, and meets technical requirements.

With me: A basic grade for a clean, consistent look. No complex fixes like sky replacements.
Standard level

Online editor

Finishes the film to technical specifications for delivery.

With me: Final export for online platforms. Not for broadcast quality control.
Standard level

Subtitler

Creates readable, well timed subtitles and captions.

With me: Subtitles and captions in English and Afrikaans.
Handed over

Composer or music editor

Composes original music, or edits the music to picture.

With me: I cut library music to picture. A composer or music editor gets a music turnover.
Handed over

Translator

Translates the dialogue for subtitles.

With me: I translate between English and Afrikaans. Other languages need a translator.
Handed over

Graphic designer

Designs graphics, maps, titles and animation.

With me: I create text and titles in the edit. Designed graphics and animation need a designer.

For broadcast, or whenever the budget allows, I recommend bringing in a dedicated mixer, colourist and online editor (path B). Each of them is an expert in their craft, and your film will benefit from it.

Your part

Working together

From my side: I review all the footage you send, give you an estimate once I have seen it, and let you know early if anything changes the timeline. From your side, these help a lot:

1

Send everything before we start

The brief and all footage, ideally 1 week before the edit starts.

2

Organise the footage

Folders per day and camera. Move footage you know won't be used to a separate folder. Please separate it, don't delete it.

3

One set of notes per round

Collect everyone's feedback into one list, within the agreed number of days. The sooner the notes arrive, the sooner the edit moves on.

When we start, I'll ask a few more questions about how the footage was filmed, the music and any archive or stock.

Planning a film?

Tell me about your footage

Tell me about your story and roughly how many hours of footage you have. Not sure? We can start with phase 1 and find out.

Get in touch

Sources

  1. Alliance of Documentary Editors: Guide for Documentary Edit Schedules (PDF): 2 hours to screen and take notes per hour of footage; footage organised before the edit starts; the amount of footage affects the schedule.
  2. South African Guild of Editors: Post production roles (PDF): the specialist roles in post production, and how they combine on smaller productions.
  3. MIT TechTV video production guide: screening: about 2 hours of screening per hour of footage.

Industry organisations