Herman shows you how he approaches editing a video from start to finish – and shares some clever tips on how to streamline your workflow and keep a clear overview of your project.

IMPORTING

There are many different editing programs available. Which one you use is not that important, as long as it has the features you need. The first thing I do is import all the footage. Ideally it should be stored locally on your computer or on a fast external hard drive. Once the footage is imported, I go through the clips and sort them by content. This is called "logging the clips". If you do this properly, you will have a much better overview of your material and it becomes much easier to find exactly what you are looking for.

TIMELINE

Before I can start editing, I need to create a timeline. I use the same settings as the footage was filmed in. I then go through the material, select what I think looks and sounds best, and place it on the timeline.

After that I go through the timeline once more and tidy it up, making sure there are enough pauses and that the flow is good. I then duplicate the timeline – I do this every time I make major changes or want to test something. It is a good idea to use a clear naming system so you always have an overview of all the versions.

Now it is time to add what we call "B-roll". These are clips that complement the dialogue and make the film visually more interesting. When editing B-roll together I try to find small stories within the clips – this makes the finished film flow more naturally. I also add any graphics and text at this stage.

MUSIKK &
FARGEKORRIGERING

Once I am done with that I find music that suits the look and content of the video, add it to the timeline and cut it to length. I usually keep the beginning and the end, then trim the middle to fit. I then mix the music and the dialogue audio together – it is important here that the music does not drown out what is being said.

Finally, I colour correct the film. I usually pick one shot to work on first to set the look, then match the other clips to it. That is how I edit a video – I hope you learned something.

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