Documentary film editing involves stitching together raw footage into an engaging narrative that engages audiences. To achieve this end, editing techniques such as pacing techniques and compelling transitions must be employed.
Explore various editing software options and select one that works for your documentary, such as Final Cut Pro X which features an intuitive magnetic timeline or Avid Media Composer with its robust media management system.
1. Use Close-Ups and Medium Shots
A successful documentary film utilizes multiple shot sizes. Close-ups should be used to highlight emotional moments and create empathy among audience members; medium shots create intimacy between subject and viewer; wide shots set the location or provide a larger view of scene; when using combination shots sizes make sure they are balanced evenly.
If your documentary includes archival footage, make sure it has been professionally transferred before editing begins. This ensures a high-quality master file on which to base your edits while giving you flexibility in terms of music, pacing and style in your rough cut.
Make it easier to work on each piece of footage separately by organizing it into separate bins for B-roll and interview footage, B-roll for B-roll editing, interview footage for interviews etc. Keeping organized can also prevent sudden jumpy edits that distract audiences and take them out of the story. When working with archive footage it is also wise to be wary of licensing issues – often producers try convincing rights holders they need their footage by offering cash compensation but usually this fails miserably.
2. Keep It Simple
Maintaining simplicity when editing documentary film. Unlike fiction movies, documentaries don’t follow a script, meaning editors must piece the whole story together from start to finish – something which may prove challenging when working with so much footage.
Start by reviewing all your footage several times, this will help familiarise yourself with it and identify connections not apparent during filming, which will assist with selecting which clips should remain and which should be eliminated from consideration. It will also allow you to determine what needs to be cut out for use and reuse.
At this point, it would also be prudent to have all interviews transcribed and timestamped, which will come in handy when searching for quotes or answers later. Once this task has been accomplished, add some b-roll. Make sure that b-roll and interview clips have their own bins to easily access when editing; note also that using stock images and music may prove costly; budget accordingly.
3. Keep It Relevant
No matter the platform or audience you’re editing for – from Sundance Film Festival screenings to your own YouTube audience – editing should always aim for relevance and engagement. To do so successfully, start by setting goals and using them to guide structure decisions as you weed out sequences that don’t support those goals.
Documentaries often consist of interview clips that need to be pieced together into an engaging storyline, so rearranging and editing transcripts to find sound bites for your documentary may be necessary. To assist with this task, consider having interviews transcribed and timestamped so you can quickly search for specific words or answers while editing your documentary.
Once you’ve acquired footage, it’s essential that B-roll and Interview sequences be treated separately; otherwise you risk becoming overwhelmed with material you must work with. Sub-clips and markers may help keep track of where interview clips fit with regards to other footage.
4. Keep It Clean
Film editors seek to craft narratives that elicit specific emotions while conveying the intended message, with documentary films being particularly difficult in this respect. But with proper strategy in place and dedication it is possible to find success in editing projects of this nature.
Start editing your documentary right by carefully watching every shot of footage available to you. Sometimes outtakes can contain surprises that give the final edit an extra push; additionally, this step can also help narrow down music selection and other aspects that will enhance its aesthetics and intrigue viewers.
Documentary editors should keep B-roll and interview footage separated in their NLE timeline to avoid becoming lost or confused when working with their footage. Furthermore, having your transcripts timestamped as you go will allow you to identify common themes or keywords from interviews that could form the foundation of story arcs later on.
5. Don’t Overdo It
documentary filmmakers know that creating engaging narratives that elicit emotional reactions in audiences can be a formidable task. Even with professional equipment and talented editors on board, creating such stories often takes hours of footage going through an editing suite to ensure everything fits cohesively into meaningful story arcs.
To save time during the editing process, it’s advisable to distinguish interview footage from b-roll footage and label each accordingly. Furthermore, transcripting interviews makes searching for specific pieces of dialogue much simpler when editing.
At this stage, it is critical to review your work often to ensure you haven’t added too many unnecessary clips or effects that would detract from the overall impact of your film. Take it one step at a time without becoming overwhelmed; taking this approach is particularly useful when working with large amounts of footage.