Ah, post-production … (Cue a crusty grin from the bad guy as he walks away from his detonated explosive). This is where the fairy dust starts to sparkle and glimmer. It is in this phase where we can sand away rough edges and polish our craft for excellent delivery. Yet, even the novice filmmaker knows that post-production is more likely to ooze elbow grease and not so much fairy dust. Surely, the post-production phase can be very difficult. The following are 8 suggestions that I hope can help you see the bigger picture as the fairy dust settles!
1. Save as many copies as possible!
Save, save, save! I repeat: save your files! Save them in multiple and separate locations. Save them also offsite and in a disaster-proof safe if possible. I saved the Coples’ files on an external hard drive and on my local computer hard drive since I did not have the resources for more sophisticated procedures. Either way, the last thing you want is to tell your client is that you lost all their files and need to re-film. Thus, do all you can with what you have to back-up your files!
2. Review the Script Often
I have said throughout this series that your “why” is the force of life behind your end product (click here to see our thoughts on the pre-production phase). Videos that make sense and engage the audience are ones that have a solid undergirding purpose. Your script is the outworking of your “why”, so keep a copy nearby for reference throughout the editing process. This allows the bigger picture to always be in full view even as you piece smaller parts of the “why” together.
3. Check for Nuances
Examine your captured video and audio critically. Who is smiling kind of funny? Who is making weird eye contact? What is not said that may need to be added underneath b-roll? Is that a fly on his nose? Do you need Automatic Dialog Replacement (ADR) because the audio simply tanked while on set? Ask questions and pretend to be the viewer often.
4. Color Grading
Believe it or not, there was a time that I did not color grade and sharpen my videos. They turned out awful because they poorly represented the beauty of the moments captured. Do yourself a kind thing: color grade and sharpen your clips! The results are stunning.
5. Take a Break
I love to sit at my computer for hours editing my craft. Yet, common sense and common experience tell us that this actually diminishes our end products. Take breaks regularly. Go outside, get some fresh air. Eat a banana (good for finger muscle cramps). Get up out of your chair and stretch. Trust me, you will thank me later!
6. Cut the Fluff!
In the film industry, this relates to “pacing” and can be a painful step to say the least (Darious Britt has a great video with comments on this). The Coples had so many good takes and b-roll shots, but I still had to trim off the extra to get the extraordinary. Cutting the fluff also means cutting away empty audio space, so keep that in mind as well. One of the many good reasons to pace well is to avoid awkwardness. Long pauses or spending too long on a dialogue can make your audience feel weird feelings. You may want to avoid that.
7. Ask for a Review
Have a friend or family member to review and comment on your video before you render. Another pair of eyes keeps you as non-biased as possible. Constructive feedback is certainly an invaluable tool to your growth as an artist.
8. Contribute to Value-Added
You have a reputation to keep and expectations from your clients to maintain. You can’t stop there, though! Always be asking what extra value you can bring to the table. (As a bonus, this is an excellent strategy for organizations as they manage shareholder relationships). Here’s what my friend Elijah Nacita had to say about his approach to the video making process:
We film a lot of weddings where the couples aren’t really [Christian] believers but do have a traditional Southern/Christian wedding. So while editing we try our best to tell their story while adding any snippets of truth from the ceremony so that hopefully as they watch their wedding film they will hear snippets of gospel truth again and again.
Elijah Nacita, Owner of Morgan Scott Films, www.morganscottfilms.com
Elijah ultimately asks what value-added can he can bring to the table. So, what is that little bit of “extra” that differentiates your end product, making it more than just another video?
I hope this series on the video making process was insightful for you. Remember, there are a lot of great resources out there, so the last thing I want to do is add to the clutter. My goal in this series was to show how you can mix some traditional video making strategies with unconventional ones to make exceptional short videos.
Let’s continue to create community as we learn from the One Most Creative and from each other. Please share this post with a friend and comment below!