Core Editing Principles

• Editing process insights:
  • Maintaining fresh perspective while repeatedly reviewing footage
  • Taking breaks and starting over helps maintain objectivity
  • Music heavily influences pacing and timing decisions
  • Some initially "bad" shots work better in final edit context
• Key concepts:
  • Editing as synthesis and emotion creation
  • Technology allows extensive manipulation (speed, timing, rhythm)
  • Story created in editing room, not just following shot list
  • More flexibility in post than on set

Sound Design Fundamentals

• Sound functions for both realistic authenticity and expressive truth
• Pace can feel too long if cutting too fast - pace isn’t always related to length
• Sound types:
  • Diegetic: sounds generated by person/objects/environments depicted in story
  • Non-diegetic: sounds that can’t be attributed to any source found within film’s reality (score, sound effects characters wouldn’t hear)

Four Main Sound Elements

• Dialogue “DX” - most important sound captured on set
  • Narration, ADR, production audio
  • Should not overlap when recording to allow timing flexibility in post
• Sound Effects “SFX” - on set, SFX, Foley
• Ambience/Background “BG” - room tone, ambience, walla walla
• Music “MX” - score, soundtrack

Production Sound Terms

• Dialogue: most important sound captured on set
  • No overlapping dialogue on single person shots for editing flexibility
• Wild Lines: dialogue recorded without video after scene completion
• Sync Sound systems:
  • Single system: sound recorded in one clip
  • Dual system: separate sound device, synced in post
  • Waveform sync: scratch audio in camera syncs to external audio
• Room Tone/Ambience: recorded immediately after filming scene
• Wild Sounds: production sound mixer captures specific noises cleanly
• Soundtracks: concerts, musicals (usually lip-synced to post audio)

Post-Production Sound Terms