RTVB 2330: Film and Video Editing

Materials needed:

USB Flash Drive (10gb+), Thunderbolt (or USB 3) External Hardrive (Mac formatted) 7200 rpm, Lynda.com account

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is intended to introduce and/or strengthen the student’s knowledge in the aesthetics and technical skills of editing for film and video. These skills will be attained during lectures and class discussions, scene analysis and through exercises and projects conducted in a nonlinear editing environment. The editing will be performed at ACC’s Edit Lab utilizing non linear editing software. This course will also touch on the basics of format conversions utilizing compressing/transcoding software.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students are required to attend class and participate in class exercises and discussions.  Students must also demonstrate their understanding of the nonlinear editing system software and must apply editing theory and techniques to each of the assigned projects and exercises.  There will be one presentation on the editing of a scene within a film and several quizzes over readings and lectures. 

GRADING:

Participation/attendance 15 

Project 1 (Editing Software Tutorial) 10

Project 2 (Edit Exercise)  15 

Project 3 (Presentation)  15 

Project 4 (Final) 25

Project 5 (Demo) 10

Quizzes 10

Total 100

***Incompletes are rarely given, and only under special circumstances. 

A 100-90

B 89-80

C 79-70

D 69-60

F < 59

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is extremely important since this is a software intensive course. We have many exercises and projects to complete, frequent absences will hinder this work and cause you to fall behind thereby lowering your grade.  And may cause unsatisfactory results in the knowledge and skill you attain from this course. Any more than 3 excused absences (other than on mandatory days) may result in the student being dropped from the course.  Each absence takes 3% off the 15% Participation/ Attendance Grading Percentage. For example, if a student misses 3 classes- a total of 9% will be deducted from the 15% and the student would drop to a 91% grade overall. Missing "mandatory" days as noted in the syllabus will deduct 11% off the participation grade and the student would automatically drop to a B for the course. Arriving more than 10 minutes late or leaving 10 minutes early may result in an absence. The last day to withdraw from the course is Monday April 24, 2016.

HOURS SPENT OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM:

This course contains both a lecture and lab component.  Each class, after the lecture for the day, there will be lab time to be used for working on course projects.  This time may or may NOT be enough time to finish course work depending on the student’s working speed. Please be aware that in most cases students will need to attend open lab hours (outside of this course) to complete all course work in a timely manner. This extra time in most cases is at least 5 additional hours a week and usually more.

EXERCISES AND PROJECTS

1.  Editing Software Tutorial:  Editing software guided tutorial and readings.  You must register for a Lynda.com account for the tutorial and the tutorial media.

2.  Editing Exercise # 1: Image + Sound:

Part 1: Edit together the provided footage to tell a story

Part 2: Editing Sound (sound design for edited project)

- Mix existing sound in the edited project

- Create a sound design that helps tell the story

- Use music, sound FX (from RTF library), samples from previously existing work, etc

3.  Presentation on Editing (within a film):  Choose a scene(s) from a film and discuss the editing, reference the questions handed out in class, and any other topics discussed in class, must be presented to class from your own outline and notes.

4.  Final Editing Exercise (provided footage or footage brought in):  Edit a project 3-7 minutes in length (may be your own project from existing footage or footage provided by instructor)

- Needs to tell a story

- Needs a sound design and mix

- Needs titles/ credits

5.  Compressing/Transcoding Demo:  You must attend class to follow along on the compressing/transcoding demo and then create exports of various types

6.  Periodic quizzes will be given over reading material from handouts and from lectures

*Projects are subject to change.

External Hard Drive:

You must purchase an external hard drive for this course to store all the media and your projects and then work on it at home and/or use it in various classes and labs. We insist on Thunderbolt (or USB3), 7200 rpm drives formatted for Mac computers ONLY. Higher gig capacity is recommended (3 min HD video = roughly 1gig).

Hard drives can be purchased at Fry’s Electronics (Shopping center, corner of Parmer & Mopac), The Apple Store (Domain is closest location), Amazon.com (just make sure to express ship it), Best Buy (sometimes they have the correct type, make sure it’s 7200rpm, Thunderbolt or USB 3)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is intended to introduce and/or strengthen the student’s knowledge in the aesthetics and technical skills of editing for film and video. These skills will be attained during lectures and class discussions, scene analysis and through exercises and projects conducted in a nonlinear editing environment. The editing will be performed at ACC’s Edit Lab utilizing non linear editing software. This course will also touch on the basics of format conversions utilizing compressing/transcoding software.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The student will have a greater understanding of the nonlinear editing workflow and its advantages, be able to organize material correctly to maximize efficiency within the nonlinear environment, edit proficiently using the non linear editing software and export out multiple formats using compressing/transcoding software. The students will also gain a deeper knowledge in editing theory and technique and be able to apply this toward making better choices in the postproduction process. 

Radio- Television- Film Program Learning Outcomes:

ACC's Department of Radio-Television-Film envisions setting the standard for educating students in the film and digital arts in Central Texas. The goal of its training program is to enhance and inspire students to achieve their educational and career goals by the department's use of current and emerging technology, and training. The RTF department strives to collaborate with the community, organizations and businesses to insure the educational program is relevant to the students and community it serves. 

Various Articles (handed out in class or online)

No required textbook (see recommended) 

Recommended reading:

In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing

Author: Walter Murch

ISBN-13: 9781879505629

Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film
Author: Michael Ondaatje, Walter Murch
ISBN-13: 9780375709821

On Film Editing
Author: EDWARD DMYTRYK
ISBN-13: 9780240517384

NONLINEAR EDITING- Storytelling, Aesthetics, & Craft

Author: Bryce Button

ISBN: 1-57820-096-2

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

Author: Syd Field

ISBN-13: 978-0385339032

Most classes will have a lecture component and a lab component. But there will also be open edit days.  In addition to the lecture most classes will have movie clips shown as editing examples.  Quiz topics will be announced during the preceding class.        

1.  Class Introduction, Discuss Syllabus, Classmate and Instructor Introductions, Screening

2.  What is Editing?                                           

3.  Pudovkin, Eisenstein & Montage

4.  Three Act Structure & The Journey

5.  Symbolism

6.  Nonlinear Editing Work Flow   *Don’t miss this lecture*           

7.  Time (Manipulation)

8.  Blinking & Cutting, Where & When to Cut

9.  Screening: Instructor Presentation- Project 3 Example           

10.  Pace & Rhythm, Overcoming Story Problems 

11.  Editing Sound

12.  Text, Fonts, Titles                     

13.  Project 3 Film Editing Student Presentations & Discussions

14.  Transcoding, Encoding & Codecs (Don’t miss this class, it’s part of your final grade)

15.  Lab: Finish Project 4 Final Editing Exercise  Finalization & Goodbyes

16.  Dubs