Hyperediting

C

combatentropy

Veteran
This documentary is an editing tour de force: PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S Supercars Mega Factories. There are cuts every few seconds, often many in one second, speed ramping up and down, 3-D models, archival film, voice over, interview sound bites, split screens of varying number and layout, dissolves, special-effect transitions with their own sound effects. It wears me out just imagining myself editing it.

And yet this is not a multimillion-dollar production. This is a National Geographic documentary about a car company. It happens to be my favorite car, but I suffer no illusion that it will appeal to everyone and rake in millions of dollars.

So I wonder what the editor's hourly wage works out to. It seems it would take me days, weeks, to edit it together, yet National Geographic could not afford to pay me enough to make more than a middle-class living.

For whatever reason, this hyperactive editing did not drive me crazy. I tell myself I prefer a minimalist, thoughtful style (think Ken Burns), but I had no problem following along. It was fast but not confusing. So I think this editor has a lot rhythm and skill. He has clearly been doing this a long time.

I know that there are many productions like this. It's just every once in a while I wonder how long it took to edit and how long an editor could keep up that level of production before burning out.
 
Last edited:
Create a new bin - with a custom sort column (color, alpha, numeric)
from source footage subclip your (short) selects & place into that bin
sort your selects
append sorted selects to sequence
modify & tweak
 
I used to edit stuff like this 20 years ago. Usually, when stuff wasn't shot properly, but sometimes as a stylistic device to add a little drama to sequence. In this instance, it's over-the-top and incoherent.

As for tutorials, just get your favourite editing tutorial and watch it on fast forward whilst punching yourself in the face.
 
I gave it about a minute and a half. I find that to be unwatchable. And if I watched it a bit longer, it might have induced a seizure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top