Below are tips and process for editing documentary video, using Aron Ranen's "organic" approach to editing your film.

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How do you begin to edit the 'Organic Documentary"? First step is viewing your footage, taking notes and logging your footage I have covered this in a previous article, posted at our Free DVhandbook at DVworkshops.com.

How do you approach the edit? First let me give you a hint of what NOT to do. Many students love to take all their interview bites and group them into themes on the time line. For example... A documentary about a Jazz musician....all the sound bites about his early years are grouped together...then all the interview parts about his childhood are grouped together...by "grouped" together I mean edited into a "mini sequences" on the time-line.

Logically, this process makes sense..but in reality you end up being more concerned with set-ups and transitions between these pre-built themes...instead of unfolding a story for the viewer. Logic does not always lead to entertainment.

Over and over again I see linear, planning types of students try and super-organize prior to their edit..creating elaborate rows of 3X7 Cards...forcing them into a 3 act structure.....the result is usually dismay at why it doesn't work, .then they call in a script doctor to fix it...and 9 times out of then, this involves a more organic approach to mixing the footage together to create an interesting experience for the viewer.

I suggest starting your editing process by creating the Opening for your Documentary....from the first Credits with your opening...and build from there. There are many types of Openings, all of which we demonstrate in our workshops; The Cold Open, The Sound ups, The Slow Reveal,The written Quote Open and finally the Visual Montage Open- Or "Dirty River " opening as I like to call it...because you can take a helicopter shot of a dirty river, throw some music and credits over it..and you have an opening.

Once you build your open, start building the big picture of your story. This could be an establishing shot of a Neighborhood with text, or as in Genghis Blues, a slow reveal of your character, in that case Adrian opens Genghis Blues with a close- up of a cane on the pavement...then slowly reveal s that this person is a Blind Musician. Enron- The Smartest guys in the room" is a great documentary to see how they built the story question into the open with Sound ups. The story question is really "Why should the viewer watch this...why is this going to be fascinating and interesting? Academy award nominated director Adrian Belic ( Genghis Blues 2000) covers the story question in his 1 hour Advanced Documentary DVD on sale at DVworkshops.com.

My first minute is always building the big picture for the viewer...introducing them to the basic characters and locations of the documentary...This does not have to be "in your face", it can be a slow paced reveal...you choose the style, feel and mood..JUST don't Assume the viewer knows the basic fundamentals of your story...Lay it out for them ....then start digging into the real stuff that reveals the truth of the situation. Remember the VIEWER does not know as much about the character as you.

Use Text or narration to assist your story telling...I like to use both. Shot by shot, scene by scene, lay out your story, one cut at a time....Use the five elements of documentary....don't rely on Interviews.. as much as possible use image and sound to tell the story....these go directly to the "Old Brain" and effect the viewer on a deeper level of experience...words, (as used in interviews) are processed by a newer part of our brain...and are less emotionally involving. That's why you do not want to group all interviews together as your first start...you end up with a WORD Driven FILM instead of a IMAGE & Sound based film that is an EXPERIENCE and not a bunch of boring talking heads that puts everyone to sleep.

Let me be clear, I am not against the interview..I use them all the time...It's just that I try to take the viewer on a ride and a experience that is filled with many types of stimuli..not just a series of linear edited talking heads that make logical sense but don't move or entertain the viewer. Remember to make it like an EXPERIENCE and not like a TERM PAPER... Build your documentary from the start....mixing all the elements up. More info on how to create Dynamic Interview "Scenes" Click here to read past DVworkshops Article on "Creating the Dynamic Documentary".

An important note about the actual experience and work flow of editing. Once you begin to lay the edit on the time-line....do not be concerned with exactness or polishing ..I do not mean leave the edits long or big spaces..I mean if you use a shot of an airplane....and you know there is a a better one , but can't find it at that moment...leave the existing shot there, and move on with your STORY TELLING...don't get caught up with perfection on the first version of your edit...just try and lay the story down as best as you can.

The Pinball Effect...this can only take place when you have your first rough edit on the Time-Line. What is the Pinball Effect? This is the effect of watching the edit and it triggers your mind to evaluate and rearrange the it as you watch it...As you view the edit, be honest with your self if something is boring...or the best stuff is 2/3 into the edit....that should trigger the Pinball Effect...your mind tells you to move the best stuff from the middle to the begriming to grab folks attention...then after you place it there...you get another idea of what might go well next to it....and so on and so on.....the Pinball effect can only happen with a Video and Audio Edit... a bunch of 3 X 7 Cards on the wall are not effective in triggering the Pinball Effect....Except they give you a great false illusion of control..and make you look like a really smart, organized filmmaker when someone walks into your edit bay......but paper edits are different then real edits on a time line.

In Summary

DV 4-Day Crash Course August 7-10 10am-7pm $495 Do you want to learn how to create great lighting set-ups? Want to skip all the steps first time DV and HDV filmmakers make? Then attend our DV Crash Course with Aron Ranen. 10am-7pm,

Aron Ranen's Documentary Death Row Art Star was Selected for International Competition at the 2006 Rome Documentary Film Festival..........and was one of 94 shorts, selected out of 500 submitted to the D.C. Shorts Festival. You can click below to view it free at Youtube.com. Aron Ranen's Black Hair Documentary has had over 60,000 Views on youtube in the past two weeks. More info on how to upload YOUR film to youtube at this past DVworkshops.com Newsletter.

Can't make it to one of our workshops? Want to go to Documentary school on the cheap and on your own time? Academy Award Nominated Adrian Belic's ( pictured on top of this Tank in Iraq) June 2006 Documentary workshop was captured on tape, and edited into a 1 hour DVD. He covers everything from creating a story question, sealing with the interview, the Edit and the Road to the Oscars. Feel free to click here to view a sample from this single camera recording of that inspiring workshop...Adrian's film Genghis Blues was nominated for best feature documentary in the 2000 Academy Awards..It also won audience award for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival the same year. The DVD is $49.95, please type this amount into the Paypal link below, or call us to order with a credit card. (415) 810-5934

USD Buy Now | Click here to watch a preview from Adrian Belic's Advanced Documentary DVD.