EDITING 101
by Dave Barry

There’s a process I go through when editing a piece. Not every editor follows these steps exactly, but it’s good way to get started.

STEP ONE: LAYING THE AUDIO
I begin by placing just the main sounds of the piece. I edit into the timeline the sound bites that the characters say and any narration that an announcer might say. If there’s a specific sound (such as a gunshot or an explosion) or a song lyric that needs to play clear, I place that too, (though I won’t do the rest of the music scoring until later). I don’t bother looking at my video monitor yet, because there’s nothing that will be worth seeing for a while.

STEP TWO: SCRIPT REVISIONS:
Now that I have a foundation of sound built, I listen to it. If it’s too long, too short, or just doesn’t sound as effective as it did in my head, I tinker with it by trying alternate sound bites or announcer lines. I’m still not watching the monitor (though in my head, I have an idea of what video I’m going to put where).

STEP THREE: MUSIC
Once the “audioline” feels right, I begin music editing. It’s not enough to pick a cool song and lay it down. I craft the music, identifying all the song’s good edit points, marking where the key changes, the drums kick in, etc. I use those moments for punctuation. Good music (and good music editing) bring a piece to life.

STEP FOUR: VIDEO:
By waiting until after I’ve cut the music to edit video, I can easily match up good coverage shots to the edit points of the music. A big cymbal crash, for example, is a good place for a punch or an explosion.

STEP FIVE: SOUND DESIGN
Finally, I add little audio touches. To an outdoor shot, I’ll add chirping birds. If two characters “high-five” I might foley a crisper “slap” then the one from the natural audio. I also add whooshes and other sound effects to any visual graphics to bring up the overall production value of the piece.

That in a nutshell, is my basic editing procedure. I hope it makes the process a little simpler and more effective for you

Dave Barry is an award winning editor who has specialized in the field for over 5 years. Currently he is working at The CW television network.

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