To create a video montage, I first wanted to understand both pre and post-production to the best of my ability before starting the project. While my previous blog post covered all kinds of information regarding pre-production, this post will cover post-production: my challenges, the editing process, and my overall thoughts on creating this project.
The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video
Chapter 10: After the Shoot – Editing
In this chapter, Tom Schroeppel discusses how editing should feel: fun! Besides giving readers advice such as pacing the video shots without distractions or making sure every shot is different, Schroeppel makes sure to let his audience know that this is their project. While it is important to keep track of the pacing, matching the music, checking the sounds, etc., it all really depends on how you want to relay your message to your audience. I took this point away from the chapter because of how different it can make a shot. There can be the same exact event in front of you, but no shot will ever be the same! Same with directing, every director can have a different vision for the same exact shot. It all depends on who is shooting it!
I wanted to show some examples of various editing styles:
Euphoria S2E1 – New Year’s Party
Of course, when mentioning editing Euphoria should always come up. Sam Levinson, the director of the show, knew exactly how to capture emotion through both camera movements and editing. The slow motion zoom to the main characters with such a busy background show the intensity of their situation, with a fade to black when transitioning to each character. The music matching the transitions perfectly also ties into the intensity of the scene, and the slower pacing shows the characters’ thoughts vividly on their faces. All in all, Euphoria is one of my favorite shows to talk about when mentioning editing, because of how vivid and real the scene becomes with the right scenes, music, etc.
Attack on Titan S3E2 – Levi vs. Kenny Squad
This scene, known to be on of the most iconic scenes in Attack on Titan and is admired for its animation, shows a more personal attack on Levi, the Survey Corps’ Special Operations Squad captain. His childhood mentor, Kenny, was hired to take out the team, including Levi. This betrayal and anger was shown perfectly throughout this scene, through super fast pacing as they swing around and faster transitions when a gun or ODM grappling hook fires. The SFX mixed with the fast-paced animation added to the intensity of the scene, and was able to show Levi’s nerves, something he usually doesn’t show. The added-in flashback of Levi (01:39 second mark) shows the audiences Levi’s thoughts, and adds in even more context to the intense scene. This scene, besides it’s insane animation, gives the audience a new perspective of the captain through the intense editing of this moment.
Tangled (2010) – “I See The Light”
Now for a calmer scene, this scene captures a beautiful moment for Rapunzel as she finally sees the lanterns for the first time after such a long journey. There is medium pacing in this scene, around 3-5 seconds per shot, some even slower for emotional beats. The super smooth pacing and transitions heighten the romance between the couple, and the glow of the lanterns and their reflections in the water matches the scene perfectly. There are even dissolves and crossfades to move between Rapunzel and Flynn’s perspectives, then zooms back out to emphasize shared moments between the two. One of my favorite Disney movies, this scene shows a new perspective of both the characters, as they finally realize their feelings.
Editing My Own Montage
Now it’s my turn! In creating a montage, I wanted to capture a moment in my everyday life. With the falling leaves and autumn weather, this is the perfect time to capture my morning walk around my neighborhood. Already finished with my pre-production planning from my previous blog, I had everything I needed to begin production.
Now, it was time for me to get comfortable bringing a tripod around my neighborhood. On a mission to not get any houses or people in my video, I did my best with what I could capture. In the end, to avoid any misunderstandings, I created a montage of my backyard, a place that has captured many of my favorite childhood memories. Using various composition techniques and angles, I tried my best to capture the relaxing feeling of my backyard. With slower pacing and relaxing music, the montage gives a small glimpse into my backyard. Enjoy!
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