Nonlinear Editing. Storytelling, Aesthetics, and Craft

534 Pages·2002·16.66 MB·English

by  Bryce Button (Auth.)

CMP Books
CMP Media LLC
1601 West 23rd Street, Suite 200
Lawrence, Kansas 66046
USA
www.cmpbooks.com
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. In all
instances where CMP is aware of a trademark claim, the product name appears in initial capital letters,
in all capital letters, or in accordance with the vendor’s capitalization preference. Readers should con-
tact the appropriate companies for more complete information on trademarks and trademark registra-
tions. All trademarks and registered trademarks in this book are the property of their respective
holders. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and
other countries.
Copyright © 2002 by Bryce Button, except where noted otherwise. Published by CMP Books, CMP
Media LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval sys-
tem, without the prior written permission of the publisher; with the exception that the program listings
may be entered, stored, and executed in a computer system, but they may not be reproduced for publi-
cation.
The programs in this book are presented for instructional value. The programs have been carefully
tested, but are not guaranteed for any particular purpose. The publisher does not offer any warranties
and does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information herein and is not
responsible for any errors or omissions. The publisher assumes no liability for damages resulting from
the use of the information in this book or for any infringement of the intellectual property rights of
third parties that would result from the use of this information.
Technical Editor: Kim Reed
Acquisitions Editor: Dorothy Cox
Copyeditor and page layout: Madeleine Reardon Dimond
Managing Editor: Michelle O’Neal
Photography credits: Sergio Ballivian and the Kobal Collection
Chapter image design: Jordan DeGrazia
Cover layout design: Damien Castaneda
Distributed in the U.S. by: Distributed in Canada by:
Publishers Group West Jaguar Book Group
1700 Fourth Street 100 Armstrong Avenue
Berkeley, California 94710 Georgetown, Ontario M6K 3E7 Canada
1-800-788-3123 905-877-4483
www.pgw.com
ISBN: 1-57820-096-2
This book is dedicated to all the dreamers who have reached down into the
wealth of physical source materials presented, alongside their imaginative
troves, and lovingly helped craft the films, videos, and digitally-based visual
artworks that sustain us all.
Acknowledgments
A book, like editing a video itself, comes about through the contributions of far
more people than many realize. I’d like to thank my business and creative partners,
Jamie Wallace and Ryan Moore, for creating the time I needed to pursue this
project. Jordan DeGrazia thoughtfully designed the graphics and images you find
within these pages and I thank him for his immense efforts. The folks at CMP
Books have been a delight to work with. Paul Temme and Dorothy Cox, as my
publisher and editor, steered me through novel and fresh waters, always patient and
supportive. Michelle O’Neal and Madeleine Reardon Dimond flowed words into
the physical form you have before you. My technical editor, Kim Reed, did a superb
job of egging me on and helping us settle on the structure of this work as well as
making the specific nicks and tucks always necessary.
Equally responsible for the genesis of this book are all the students over the years
that have questioned and spurred on fresh questions, keeping my inquisitiveness
and love of the art vital. Many others: co-workers, employers, directors, producers,
writers, and editing peers are equally responsible for all that has become part of the
base of real-world knowledge that sustains and spurs me. I thank them all. You
know who you are.
I thank all the software developers who have provided the materials you’ll find on
the CD-ROM and am especially grateful to my interview subjects who took time
out of very busy schedules to share their thoughts with us. Editors don’t often find
time to reflect on their art with each other, and I found the communion very nour-
ishing.
On the personal side, as with all who squirrel themselves away for hours at a time,
I’d like to thank my family for their love and support. My parents, Ann and Errol,
who have supported all my crazy paths through a demanding career and for light-
ing the fire in the first place. Colton and Morgan, Dad thanks you for the space and
understanding you’ve shown for such young lads, and Deborah, what can I say?
You enabled me again; I love you as much for what you don’t do as for what you
do.
xi
color page — I
BEST LEGIBILITY Figure A Color and visibility
in NLE systems.
text text text text
WORST LEGIBILITY
text text text text
BEST VISIBILITY
TEXT
II — color page
Figure B Munsell color system. SATURATION
(Figure 7.1)
E
U
L
A
V
HUE
COLOR : WESTERN CHINA JAPAN M IDDLE EAST
EUROPE and US
Danger, Joy, Anger, Danger,
Red
Anger, Stop Celebratory events Danger Evil
Grace,
Caution Honor,
Yellow Cowardice Royalty Nobility, Prosperity
Happiness
Future,
Sexual Arousal, Youth, Fertility,
Green Youth,
Safe, Go Growth Strength
Energy
Purity, Mourning, Death, Mourning,
White
Virtue Humility Mourning Purity
Purity, Masculinity, Strength,
Blue Villany
Virtue Calm, Authority Power
Black Death, Evil Evil Mystery
Evil
Figure C Common color meanings in different cultures (Figure 7.2).
color page — III
Figure D Colors and the
(+) (-) Common common emotional
Characteristics connotations.
Spirituality, Melancholy, cool,
femininity, darkness, soothing,
conservatism, discouragement restful.
devotion, doubt
justice,
rationality,
passivism,
tranquility,
contentment,
hygiene
(+) (-) Common
Characteristics
Nature, Decay, calming,
fertility, mold, quieting
life, envy,
hope, jealousy
prosperity,
stability,
security.
(+) (-) Common
Characteristics
Communication Malevolence warmth.
organic,
ambition,
cheerfulness,
expansiveness,
richness,
generosity,
receptivity
(+) (-) Common
Characteristics
Royalty, Lust, feelings
loyalty, decadence, of
power, penitence, fantasy.
memories, mourning,
truth, secrecy,
religion mystery
IV — color page
Figure D (continued) Colors and
(+) (-) Common the common emotional
Characteristics
connotations.
Happiness, Explosiveness, warm,
aggression, anarchy. active.
impulsiveness,
optimism,
strength,
masculinity,
dynamism,
mobility,
passion,
intensity,
sexuality.
(+) (-) Common
Characteristics
Cheeriness, Cowardliness, warm,
enlightenment, treachery uplifting
sunshine,
intelligence,
action,
youth

Figure E Golden rectangle and its significance for editors (Figure 7.3).
color page — V
(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:9)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:19)
(cid:11)(cid:15)(cid:17)
(cid:12)(cid:15)(cid:16)
(cid:20)(cid:21)(cid:22) (cid:23)
(cid:11)(cid:12) (cid:13)(cid:13) (cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:3)(cid:13)
(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6) (cid:7)(cid:5)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:2)(cid:6)
Figure F The Golden
Rectangle
compared to
common film,
video, and
other
common
aspect ratios.

Figure G Use multiple tracks to checkerboard and overlay audio elements (Figure 9.1).
VI — color page
Figure H An additional sound can mask the cut point (Figure 9.2).
Figure I Use waveforms to identify amplitude and rhythm (Figure 9.3).
color page — VII
Figure J Zoom in to see just how much audio occurs in a 30th of a second.
Figure K Use you NLE’s visual
tools to help your
work in audio.