Working with your editor on your first film
In documentary filmmaking, the film is actually made (or broken) in post - in the edit suite. That's why deciding on who will edit your film is a crucial decision.
Video Journalism . Documentary Filmmaking: Stories from inside the heart of India
Top 10 Tips for first-time filmmakers
The tools may have changed making it simpler for first-time filmmakers but the rules have not. Here are some points I've learnt from shooting and edited my own films and working with other filmmakers as editor on those projects.
Documentary film editing: Developing story arcs
In long-format documentary film editing, creating the story arc requires a good deal more thought and diligence. I've found certain tools and techniques that have helped me in documentary film editing and am sharing them here.
What is a Story Anyway?
To be human is to tell stories. That's a powerful statement I came across when reading "Telling True Stories" from the Nieman Foundation at the Harvard University. In the opening…
Once picture is locked the Premiere sequence is imported into Audition where the audio tracks can be worked on with reference video. Adobe makes the process a breeze.
Working with film sound in Audition
Adding subtitles to my documentary film using Premiere's Closed Captions
Subtitles in Adobe Premiere
Filmmaker’s thoughts on making Journeys – the documentary
The co-founder of El Shaddai Charitable Trust, Matthew Kurian approached me back in 2014 regarding a documentary film that would encapsulate the work of the charity. I had been associated…
Using Archival Photos in documentary films
In making Journeys - the documentary film about El Shaddai Trust, a charity working with children in need in India, I had to rely on archival photographs for the sequences…
The art of editing and sewing
Want to become better film editor? How about practicing the craft of sewing. Seriously. There’s a lot to learn. In the early days of cinema, the craft of film editing (note that at the time, film editors were not considered artists), was the domain of women. Memorable films like The Birth of a Nation, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, All About Eve, An American in Paris, Singin’ in the Rain, The Ten Commandments, Lawrence of Arabia were all edited by women.
A reason for this was that film editing was considered akin to sewing and so it was thought seamstresses would make good editors. (more…)