Montage editing

[Neil Weaver]

Napolean Dynamite credits? Damn, we didn’t leave enough in the budget for catering!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. My new tack today is gonna be to start with the soundbites and the soundtrack. Spread out the student voices til they start forming a nicely paced narrative and that should inform which pictures I use and where.

Honestly, editor’s block… That’s a new one on me!

[Kai Cheong]

I’m with Mike – Wow, no plodding VO with run-on sentences to cramp your style?! Awesome!

Though that doesn’t mean it should be without a structure.

To add to the others’ suggestions, as you scrub through your rushes, do keep an eye out for interesting expressions, emotions and interactions of the students that might not be part of the supposedly ‘good’ takes. Probably unrehearsed, natural ‘performances’ of genuinely happy and relaxed people. Sprinkling some of these shots into your video might be a nice touch.

Not sure what’s the style of the rest of the shots, but if the shots you have are a little ‘dirty’ [with some foreground, slightly free framing etc], it might lend a bit more realism to the message. Personal preference, perhaps.

Have fun with your shots!

Kai
FCP Editor / Producer with Intuitive Films
https://kai-fcp-editor.blogspot.com
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[Craig Hirshberg]

I would try to narrow down a theme. What is this school all about? What makes it special? Diversity? Community? Etc. Do a brainstorm session and write down the big words that pop to mind, then pick the most fitting one. Your client could also be involved in this step if you’re comfortable enough with that.

Maybe from that a concept will develop, such as the previous post using famous quotes. The concept will drive the inspiration of the edit, the look, pacing and feel, though all decisions must still back up the overall theme.

Giving credit where credit’s due: I’ve learned a lot about theming and concepting from Hillman Curtis’s book MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer. He’s brilliant! Highly recommend his book for any artist.

Craig

[Leonora Fishbein]

I love montage edits because you can be extremely creative with them, especially if the message is subliminal and what you want to do is evoke emotion. What I would do first with this type of piece is pick the right music that will have a good dynamic. The music should have some sort of a build, whether it be in the percussion or arrangement and then organize the images to complement the music making it harmonize. You need to be clear of the message that you will convey though and what type of emotions you want to evoke from the viewer. I would use the rhythm and timing of the music as a guide with your images and always keep timing in mind.

Leonora Fishbein of Melior Media