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Do you listen to music while you edit?
- Thread starter Policar
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No, because it's distracting. I listen to music when I'm color grading or doing AE-type work (organizational stuff) but not when cutting.
Lethal
Lethal
Yeah, just editing, nothing fancy.
How do you keep it from getting boring and tedious? Do you take breaks? Snack constantly? How do you structure your time to be most efficient (and not distracted) if you have an extremely large amount of work to do?
I don't know how documentary editors, for instance, stay sane. It must take months of work and very long days.
How do you keep it from getting boring and tedious? Do you take breaks? Snack constantly? How do you structure your time to be most efficient (and not distracted) if you have an extremely large amount of work to do?
I don't know how documentary editors, for instance, stay sane. It must take months of work and very long days.
Music during color correcting is my "treat" for a long editing session. Other than that, I suck it up
I'll try take a short break every 90min or so and as far as time structure goes I'll make a 'radio edit' (just dialogue, interview, whatever) first and then look for music and broll. I want to get the core of the piece done before I start adding all the fluffy stuff. Each project is different though so I don't have too many hard and fast rules (other than be efficient and pragmatic in my workflow). For a large amount of work the best thing to do is to break it down into smaller chunks. I like making 'To Do' lists so as I cross things off the list I feel like I have a tangible record of what I've accomplished that day.
There are certainly boring/tedious projects and tasks but if you find the whole thing boring in general then editing probably isn't for you (it's certainly not for everyone). I love the solitude and the meticulous nature of editing though.
I've worked on a some docs & unscripted shows (some as an editor, some as an AE) and it is months of work and very long days (50-60hr work weeks are considered normal) but whittling down hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of footage into a cohesive narrative can be very rewarding. It's also an indirect way to meet new people and learn about new things via the footage so there's a learning experience aspect as well that I enjoy.
Lethal
Only while importing/transcoding 
I snack a lot, in school i was terrible, I would snack on M&Ms the costco size bag
Now, I must have a drink, mostly water. (no alcohol)
For me, when I'm editing a full length game, every quarter I take a small break, at halftime I have a snack. While doing the full game, I also mark off highlights.
If i'm putting together a package, I cut up the interviews first looking for bytes as I "log". Take a short break, then I fill in with b-roll, transitions, and 3 point edits. After that I then add my lowers in. Then I take a small break and watch it back a few times fine tuning the edits.
I like Logging interviews, when people screw up, esp when spelling their own name. believe it or not it happens more times then you would think.
I snack a lot, in school i was terrible, I would snack on M&Ms the costco size bag
Now, I must have a drink, mostly water. (no alcohol)
For me, when I'm editing a full length game, every quarter I take a small break, at halftime I have a snack. While doing the full game, I also mark off highlights.
If i'm putting together a package, I cut up the interviews first looking for bytes as I "log". Take a short break, then I fill in with b-roll, transitions, and 3 point edits. After that I then add my lowers in. Then I take a small break and watch it back a few times fine tuning the edits.
I like Logging interviews, when people screw up, esp when spelling their own name. believe it or not it happens more times then you would think.
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Like Lethal, I only do music in the background for the more menial tasks like logging and color. It's far too distracting for actual editing.
Hehe...
But there are also some very annoying things about logging interviews that happen often, especially with subjects that are inexperienced in doing them.
A big one: people who don't answer questions in complete sentences, despite the constant reminders from the interviewer. Annoying.
Another one: interviewees that habitually look into the camera instead of the interviewer.
But, there's some rewarding aspects, too. Some of things certain people say (that don't necessarily make it into the edit) are hilarious and priceless.
Hehe...
But there are also some very annoying things about logging interviews that happen often, especially with subjects that are inexperienced in doing them.
A big one: people who don't answer questions in complete sentences, despite the constant reminders from the interviewer. Annoying.
Another one: interviewees that habitually look into the camera instead of the interviewer.
But, there's some rewarding aspects, too. Some of things certain people say (that don't necessarily make it into the edit) are hilarious and priceless.
This is a great idea. I'm going to try this. Thanks for the advice, everyone.
Still: after a few hours straight I slow down and everything turns to garbage. Is there any way to avoid burning out? In the words of a great American singer, my loneliness is killing me.
What's a three point edit, btw?
You just might have to take a break at that point to recharge.
A three point edit refers to using three edit points to add media to the time line.
Option 1: In and Out on the source clip with an In or Out on the timeline.
Option 2: In and Out on the timeline and an In or Out on the source clip.
Basically you need one point to signify the start or end of the edit and two points to signify the duration of the edit.
A more comprehensive answer can be found in the Final Cut Pro 7 manual.
Lethal
A three point edit refers to using three edit points to add media to the time line.
Option 1: In and Out on the source clip with an In or Out on the timeline.
Option 2: In and Out on the timeline and an In or Out on the source clip.
Basically you need one point to signify the start or end of the edit and two points to signify the duration of the edit.
A more comprehensive answer can be found in the Final Cut Pro 7 manual.
Lethal
i don't listen to music unless it's the minor thinks like most have pointed out here. For me I don't listen to music because I tend to find that subconsciously I'll end up cutting to the beat and rhythm of the song... it's super weird but that's just my thing of why I don't.
We do stay sane, it's easy. Here's how -talk to your invisible friend constantly, make sure you wear a non-reflective tin foil helmet and fornicate with your mother daily. I do, it works. yes yes yes yes. Ask anyone. The voices guide me too. The rays= its moving, crystallise the output and we will be free from the birds. yes yes
This is my MO as well.
I stay sane because I love what I do. Sure some days are worse than others but all-in-all I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing for work. And I consider myself extremely lucky.
The bane of my existence however is sourcing stock music for projects. Seriously, sometimes I can spend hours listening to awful music and never find anything that fits the feel.
Oh god, I just went through over 200 tracks for a client who wanted a "Midwest urban" underscore for their ad (health care related). After a while, I threw up my hands and gave them about 20 tracks to pick from, all over the map because they kept rejecting what I was selecting that I thought would go well with the piece. They ended up picking a piece that sounded like a porno scene from Shaft. Ugh.
But yeah, I completely agree with you on your first point. I wouldn't be doing anything but production/post-production and be happy.
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We either work with really great producers who we get along with and/or we love the content we're working with. That being said, I've usually got podcasts or stand-up comedy playing in my suite when I'm logging, ingesting, rendering or doing anything where I don't need to mix or deal with dialogue. My brain needs a constant stream of input.
Glad we are all in the same boat on this. I do the same...let the producers deal with it especially if they know how picky the client is. I've been lucky with a few services where I'll get a helpful librarian to pick 10-20 tracks for me based on a description of what I'm looking for. But yeah, music selection (especially for a client) is by far the worst part of this job.
Specially when they say... "We're looking for something upbeat. Not too overly dramatic. Just something fun." Really? Thanks for that, because before that awesome description I was planning to go in the direction of the Halloween soundtrack for a computer commercial.
Specially when they say... "We're looking for something upbeat. Not too overly dramatic. Just something fun." Really? Thanks for that, because before that awesome description I was planning to go in the direction of the Halloween soundtrack for a computer commercial.
Exactly. I threatened to put everything from dubstep to Tupac under the spot just to spite them. I literally got the following description from them in an email:
"R&B (soft)
Contemporary pop - soft.
Kind of Hip hop - but more melodic sounding
slightly jazzy?"
Sure, let me just pull 5,000 tracks for you...
Having interesting footage helps. I remember when I first started editing I thought it was going to be one big high of excitement because I was editing the silly home videos me friends and I shot. Then I got a job editing and started cutting 16 hour chunks of weekend EMT seminars and equine competitions. Then I realized just how tedious editing could be. I don't listen to music while editing but I try to make the things that I shoot as interesting as possible.
If it gets too boring, just remember you could be digging a ditch instead
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This is where having a good producer with a solid log makes a world of difference. I work with some amazing producers from Discovery Channel and Nat Geo who will come in with hours of random b-roll, sit with me and just call out timecode or give me a really well laid out log so I don't spend hours scrubbing around, looking for the shots. I had to have several 4-minute montage re-cap pieces cut for a huge event here in DC a couple weeks ago...one recap for each day. Was given 4 hours of footage to cut down to 4 and a half minute videos in 5 hours each morning. We made our deadline every day because of solid organization...that and I'm one of the fastest editors they've worked with according to them
Finding music does suck but at least it gives me a break from cut, cut to more cutting and can "doze off a bit".
What sources do you use mostly for music? APM has some good stuff i find. I never really not found something.
What sources do you use mostly for music? APM has some good stuff i find. I never really not found something.
Was given 4 hours of footage to cut down to 4 and a half minute videos in 5 hours each morning. We made our deadline every day because of solid organization...that and I'm one of the fastest editors they've worked with according to them
That's very impressive. Do you just mark good stuff as you go along, then figure out how it goes together in the remaining hour? Do you try to structure your time in advance when you're freelancing unsupervised and don't have restrictions like that? The lack of structure seems to be what's doing me in.
Thankfully I don't have to find music right yet, but that's an interesting discussion. I hope no one thinks I'm complaining unduly, just trying to do the best work I can without too much undue stress...
I don't edit much video but I listen to music when I make 3D graphics.
That is until ZBrush does something stupid (or I do something stupid in ZBrush) and I have to google a video on how to fix it :/
That is until ZBrush does something stupid (or I do something stupid in ZBrush) and I have to google a video on how to fix it :/