How To Use Keen Instinct & Common Sense When Editing Motion

As an editor who’s cut motion pictures across several types of media, I can definitely attest to the uniqueness of weddings. Not having a storyboard or script notes to adhere to, of course, can be both liberating and frustrating. Since the general structure to weddings is more or less rigid—getting ready, ceremony, portraits, reception—it can be challenging to produce original work. Luckily, having edited film for one of Rf’s 30 Rising Stars in 2015, Tomasz Wagner, for almost three years, we’ve come to establish a certain look and feel that finely balances modest charm with a cinematic quality, and just the right kick of #trending.

DISCOVERING THE COUPLE 

I don’t meet with the clients face-to-face, so I tend to rely on a brief questionnaire they provide me that, in a nutshell, captures their personalities. At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I would say instinct plays a significant part as well. As I sift through the footage and categorize the usable from the unusable, I find myself “discovering” the couple, in many ways; things as simple as wardrobe, house decor, relationships with friends, family, etc. tend to dictate, to me, what sort of characters they are.

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A SONG

Once Tomasz and I have narrowed down and agreed on a song we both feel suits the clients, I listen to it at least half a dozen times before starting to edit. I mark certain parts of the song and classify the crescendos as different colors based on how dramatic (or subtle) they can be. These markers tend to help me map out the first kiss, first dance, cake cutting, etc., depending on the wedding.

EDITING ROUND ONE: Trimming Segments

I tend to dive headfirst into the edit, regardless of what non-linear editing platform I’m using. I scrub through each of the 300-something clips and set aside trimmed segments (usually about 2-5 seconds in length) that highlight a certain emotion, explore an interesting visual perspective or bring attention to certain details curated by the couple.

EDITING ROUND TWO: Sequencing Footage

Once I have all my pre-selected footage (usually about 15-20 minutes of usable clips), I begin a second round of selecting and start grabbing the clips that I really like, to be put in the edit. Each wedding is different, but this is generally the time to start assembling some sequences and further familiarizing myself with all the pre-selected footage. Once this is done, it’s a matter of piecing together the sequences and fine-tuning the timing, transitions, reframing, stabilizing, etc.

EDITING ROUND THREE: Mixing in Some Fun

I find that match cuts can be a fun way to visually piece together footage. I’m a sucker for swish pans, slow-motion dancing and mixing analogue and digital.

Putting yourself in the shoes of the couple is valuable; knowing what to show (or more importantly, what not to show) is something that I feel comes with a fair amount of instinct, practice and, well, common sense.

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