Month: July 2008

Apparently my previous post – a crass comparison of video editing to wood turning which singularly failed to ape the style of Comrade Coombes and was spectacularly poorly-punctuated – was last week reproduced on the back of a meeting agenda circulated amongst post-production staff at BBC Scotland.

Comments on the blatherings: none.

Luckily, the text wasn’t attributed. For once, I’m happy to have my CC license badge (right column) ignored and my material plain ripped-off, even by the BBC.

Sometimes editing video is rather like carving wood.

The woodcarver starts with a blank form, a lump of tree that suggests… something. They might see it, in their minds eye, as a suggestion: a shadow or ghost. Or they might, in a flickering glance askew, glimpse the finished article.

But it’s not there. Not yet. It must be revealed… or found. Imposed?

So one sloughs away the outer layer, the detritus that has played its part, of supporting the essential internals. Sloughs and hacks and chops and lops and cares, hoping and trusting that the process will clarify rather than obscure.

And repeat.

And repeat.

Until… there! Do you see? No? No!

More. Invert. Rotate. Walk around, return.

There. Definitely there.

Yes.

More digital celluloid sawdust hits the cutting-room floor, and the work is revealed.

And now we finesse, and polish, and seal.

Enter about:robots in the address bar.

Via Danny O’Brien.