POST PRODUCTION

Editing To Rough Cut

Grading the raw footage

The video editor’s first job is to grade the rushes, which means look at all the footage shot and decide which is useful, and which is not.

This takes longer than people might think, as grading is the process by which the editor becomes familiar with the footage and becomes absorbed into the project. They may have to watch some of the video clips severable times before they decide how best to use it - or not.

Usually a editor will grade footage as Excellent, Acceptable and Unacceptable, mark it as such, and save it in folders, ready for editing proper.

If the shoot has captured a lot of unscripted material, such as interviews or conference debates, or general business footage, it may save time and money if you help to grade the rushes to see which clips you want to use, and which can be deleted for now.

The editor can then put these together in the most effective and interesting way.

The video production company may send you mp4 with shot IDs, which will indicate shot numbers and timings on screen, so that you can identify which video clips you want, without the necessity of coming to the studio.