This wasn't posted to any specific thread, for several reasons. It's intended as food for thought for all those who are truly interested in improving their videos.
It doesn't require much to get good looking shots from the Inspire1 (although a few on occasions some do manage to muff it). I've lost count of how many beautiful shots I've seen here and elsewhere on the Web from the Inspire. However, the vast majority of these videos share a common problem. That's length. The vast majority of those videos could be cut in half, if not more, to greatly improve their overall quality (and make you look like a better filmmaker).
Better than anyone, I know how easy it is to be enamored with all our wonderful shots. But like our children, not everyone thinks they're as darling as we do. Author William Faulkner is attributed with the quote: "In writing, you must kill all your darlings." The same holds true in film. You have to be willing to get rid of (or kill) what you think are your most darling (self-indulgently long) shots for the greater good of the film.
Most would agree it's far more enjoyable to sit through 1 minute of stunning images that are well edited than to sit through 3 to 5 minutes (or more) of long boring shots poorly edited that contain a few wonderful images.
Think of editing as sculpture (the subtractive method). The sculptor has a block of marble from which he has extract his "David," You, the filmmaker, have a disk full of shots from which you have to extract your "Lawrence of Arabia" (or whatever your favorite film is).
A good rule of thumb (and like all rules there are exceptions) is to come into the shot as late as possible and get out as soon as possible. Another rule of thumb, for camera operators, is to provide the editor with about 10 seconds at the head and about 10 second at the of tail on each shot (the reason should be obvious).
You've got to be willing to kill your darlings (ask any filmmaker whose best shots wound up on the cutting room floor) to improve your film. EDIT. EDIT. EDIT.
The trick is to leave your audience wanting more.
Hope this helps.
It doesn't require much to get good looking shots from the Inspire1 (although a few on occasions some do manage to muff it). I've lost count of how many beautiful shots I've seen here and elsewhere on the Web from the Inspire. However, the vast majority of these videos share a common problem. That's length. The vast majority of those videos could be cut in half, if not more, to greatly improve their overall quality (and make you look like a better filmmaker).
Better than anyone, I know how easy it is to be enamored with all our wonderful shots. But like our children, not everyone thinks they're as darling as we do. Author William Faulkner is attributed with the quote: "In writing, you must kill all your darlings." The same holds true in film. You have to be willing to get rid of (or kill) what you think are your most darling (self-indulgently long) shots for the greater good of the film.
Most would agree it's far more enjoyable to sit through 1 minute of stunning images that are well edited than to sit through 3 to 5 minutes (or more) of long boring shots poorly edited that contain a few wonderful images.
Think of editing as sculpture (the subtractive method). The sculptor has a block of marble from which he has extract his "David," You, the filmmaker, have a disk full of shots from which you have to extract your "Lawrence of Arabia" (or whatever your favorite film is).
A good rule of thumb (and like all rules there are exceptions) is to come into the shot as late as possible and get out as soon as possible. Another rule of thumb, for camera operators, is to provide the editor with about 10 seconds at the head and about 10 second at the of tail on each shot (the reason should be obvious).
You've got to be willing to kill your darlings (ask any filmmaker whose best shots wound up on the cutting room floor) to improve your film. EDIT. EDIT. EDIT.
The trick is to leave your audience wanting more.
Hope this helps.
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