Video editing

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Video editing is the post-production and arrangement of video shots. To showcase perfect video editing to the public, video editors must be reasonable and ensure they have a superior understanding of film, television, and other sorts of videography. [1] Video editing structures and presents all video information, including films and television shows, video advertisements and video essays. Video editing has been dramatically democratized in recent years by editing software available for personal computers. Editing video can be difficult and tedious, so several technologies have been produced to aid people in this task. Overall, video editing has a wide variety of styles and applications.

Contents

Types of editing

Though once the province of expensive machines called video editors, video editing software is now available for personal computers and workstations. Video editing includes cutting segments (trimming), re-sequencing clips, and adding transitions and other special effects. [2]

Background

Video Editing Table Risto-Jarva-1970s.jpg
Video Editing Table

Video editing is one of the most crucial steps of the post-production process. The process combines all motion video production footage, special effects and sound recordings to create a compelling visual sotry. Before editing film, makers would require the camera to be stationary, with the action being distant from the camera. The video was captured with single shots strung together without regard for continuity, screen direction, lighting, emotional consideration, etc. [3] Using video footage, a director can communicate non-fictional and fictional events. The goal of editing is to combine video and sound to communicate to the audience and allow them to feel emotionally connected to the story. It is a visual art. [4]

Motion picture film editing is a predecessor to video editing and, in several ways, video editing simulates motion picture film editing. Video editing was first introduced with the use of linear video editing, which was preformed before digital software. Follwed by video editing software on non-linear editing systems (NLE).

Linear editing

The first type of editing in the early 1900s was made with scissors, tape, and an editing table. Since editors could not view their edits while in the process, holding the film to the light was their only way of viewing their work. With the invention of the Moviola in the 1920s, a machine that allowed editors to see the film and make precise edits to deliver a better film. [5] this process was used for about fifty years and helped advance video editing.

In the 1950s, video tape recorders (VTR) were invented and it was a defining element in the advancement of video editing. The VTR was the first device to use magnetic tape and was revolutionary due to how it recorded video. The VTR was a revolutionary addition to video editing but had major drawbacks the quality degradation caused by copying was so great, that a 2-inch Quadruplex videotape was edited by visualizing the recorded track with ferrofluid, cutting it with a razor blade or guillotine cutter, and splicing with video tape. The two pieces of tape to be joined were painted with a solution of extremely fine iron filings suspended in carbon tetrachloride, a toxic and carcinogenic compound. This "developed" the magnetic tracks (tape), making them visible when viewed through a microscope so that they could be aligned in a splicer designed for this task. The process did allowed editors to play back their video but only at one speed and to mark the point of cut an editor had to be very precise.This process was used up until the late 1990s and early 2000s but the evolution of video editing continued. By the 1960s the EECO 900 was invented as well as the Ampex EDITEC which allowed for electronic editing and electronic editing controller.[ citation needed ]

Vision Mixer Mesa de video 1.JPG
Vision Mixer

Improvements in quality and economy, and the invention of the flying erase-head, allowed new video and audio material to be recorded over the material already present on an existing magnetic tape. This was introduced into the linear editing technique. If a scene closer to the beginning of the video tape needed to be changed in length, all later scenes would need to be recorded onto the video tape again in sequence. In addition, sources could be played back simultaneously through a vision mixer (video switcher) to create more complex transitions between scenes. A popular 1970-80s system for creating these transitions was the U-matic equipment (named for the U-shaped tape path). That system used two tape players and one tape recorder, and edits were done by automatically having the machines back up, then speed up together simultaneously, so that the edit didn't roll or glitch. Later, in the 1980-90's came the smaller beta equipment (named for the B-shaped tape path), and more complex controllers, some of which did the synchronizing electronically.

Non-linear editing

Non-linear editing (NLE) was first introduced in the 1970s with the CMX 600, which allowed editors to modify and edit the pieces of footage to be moved and placed in an alternate timeline and preserving the original footage, the ability to work on any segment in the video in any order. [5] In 1984, the invention of the Editdroid created by LucasFilm allowed editors a computerized editing system that stored large quantities of high definition footage. [6]

Video editing controller Sony BVE-600 for the analog U-Matic system, 1980s. Sony BVE-600 UMatic edit controller (44714270850).jpg
Video editing controller Sony BVE-600 for the analog U-Matic system, 1980s.

There was a transitional analog period using multiple source videocassette recorders (VCR) with the Montage Picture Processor [7] and Ediflex, [8] or EditDroid using LaserDisc players, but modern NLE systems edit video digitally captured onto a hard drive from an analog video or digital video source. Content is ingested and recorded natively with the appropriate codec that the video editing software uses to process captured footage. With high-definition video becoming more popular and it can be readily edited using the same video editing software along with related motion graphics programs. In the late 1980s and early 1990s at home NLE software became more apparent on home computers using software such as Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere. The video clips are arranged on a timeline, music tracks, titles, digital on-screen graphics are added, special effects can be created, and the finished program is "rendered" into a finished video. The video may then be distributed in a variety of ways including DVD, web streaming, QuickTime Movies, iPod, CD-ROM, or video tape.

By the 2000s, NLE had become accessible to everyone, with advanced of central processing units (CPUs) on personal computers giving the ability to edit at home with higher resolutions.

Home video editing

2018 Video Editing Setup Video editor.jpg
2018 Video Editing Setup

Like some other technologies, the cost of video editing has declined over time. The original 2" Quadruplex system costs so much, that many television production facilities could only afford a single unit, and editing was a highly involved process that required special training.

In contrast to this, nearly any home computer sold since the year 2000 has the speed and storage capacity to digitize and edit standard-definition television (SDTV). The two major retail operating systems include basic video editing software – Apple's iMovie and Microsoft's Windows Movie Maker. Additional options exist, usually as more advanced commercial products. As well as these commercial products, there are open-source [9] video-editing programs. Automatic video editing products have also emerged, opening up video editing to a broader audience of amateurs and reducing the time it takes to edit videos. These exist usually as media storage services, such as Google with its Google Photos [10] or smaller companies like Vidify.

Current applications

Video editing can be used for many purposes. Every social media app, workplace, YouTube video, and educational institute use this skill to create something visually appealing and informational. [11]

Collaborative Video Editing Editing Department of Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, students work (1).jpg
Collaborative Video Editing

Future applications

The future of video editing will be significantly impacted by the development of artificial intelligence (AI).[ citation needed ]

Extracurricular courses in elementary schools throughout the United States have been started to educate students on the importance of video editing and practice video production. [15] Notable themes of videos being taught in schools include music videos and short documentaries; some of which win awards such as one from Panasonic.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video editing software</span> Software used to edit digital video files

Video editing software, or a video editor is software used for performing the post-production video editing of digital video sequences on a non-linear editing system (NLE). It has replaced traditional flatbed celluloid film editing tools and analog video tape editing machines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-linear editing</span> Non-destructive audio, video, or image editing

Non-linear editing is a form of offline editing for audio, video, and image editing. In offline editing, the original content is not modified in the course of editing. In non-linear editing, edits are specified and modified by specialized software. A pointer-based playlist, effectively an edit decision list (EDL), for video and audio, or a directed acyclic graph for still images, is used to keep track of edits. Each time the edited audio, video, or image is rendered, played back, or accessed, it is reconstructed from the original source and the specified editing steps. Although this process is more computationally intensive than directly modifying the original content, changing the edits themselves can be almost instantaneous, and it prevents further generation loss as the audio, video, or image is edited.

The NewTek Video Toaster is a combination of hardware and software for the editing and production of NTSC standard-definition video. The plug-in expansion card initially worked with the Amiga 2000 computer and provides a number of BNC connectors on the exposed rear edge that provide connectivity to common analog video sources like VHS VCRs. The related software tools support video switching, luma keying, character generation, animation, and image manipulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post-production</span> Step in film, video, audio or photography process

Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.

Avid Technology, Inc. is an American technology and multimedia company that develops digital non-linear editing (NLE) systems, video editing software, audio editing software, music notation software and management and distribution services. It is based in Burlington, Massachusetts, and was founded in August 1987 by Bill Warner.

Linear video editing is a video editing post-production process of selecting, arranging and modifying images and sound in a predetermined, ordered sequence. Regardless of whether it was captured by a video camera, tapeless camcorder, or recorded in a television studio on a video tape recorder (VTR) the content must be accessed sequentially.

A hard disk recorder (HDR) is a system that uses a high-capacity hard disk to record digital audio or digital video. Hard disk recording systems represent an alternative to reel-to-reel audio tape recording and video tape recorders, and provide non-linear editing capabilities unavailable using tape recorders. Audio HDR systems, which can be standalone or computer-based, are typically combined with provisions for digital mixing and processing of the audio signal to produce a digital audio workstation (DAW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ampex</span> American company that pioneered the use of videotape

Ampex Data Systems Corporation is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff as a spin-off of Dalmo-Victor. The name AMPEX is a portmanteau, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence. Ampex operates as Ampex Data Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Delta Information Systems, and consists of two business units. The Silicon Valley unit, known internally as Ampex Data Systems (ADS), manufactures digital data storage systems capable of functioning in harsh environments. The Colorado Springs, Colorado, unit, referred to as Ampex Intelligent Systems (AIS), serves as a laboratory and hub for the company's line of industrial control systems, cyber security products and services and its artificial intelligence/machine learning technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Color grading</span> Enhancing the color of an image or video

Color grading is a post-production process common to filmmaking and video editing of altering the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. Various attributes of an image such as contrast, color, saturation, detail, black level, and white balance may be enhanced whether for motion pictures, videos, or still images. Color grading and color correction are often used synonymously as terms for this process and can include the generation of artistic color effects through creative blending and compositing of different layer masks of the source image. Color grading is generally now performed in a digital process either in a controlled environment such as a color suite, and is usually done in a dim or dark environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video tape recorder</span> Tape recorder designed to record and play back video and audio material on magnetic tape

A video tape recorder (VTR) is a tape recorder designed to record and playback video and audio material from magnetic tape. The early VTRs were open-reel devices that record on individual reels of 2-inch-wide (5.08 cm) tape. They were used in television studios, serving as a replacement for motion picture film stock and making recording for television applications cheaper and quicker. Beginning in 1963, videotape machines made instant replay during televised sporting events possible. Improved formats, in which the tape was contained inside a videocassette, were introduced around 1969; the machines which play them are called videocassette recorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital audio workstation</span> Computer system used for editing and creating music and audio

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing and producing audio files. DAWs come in a wide variety of configurations from a single software program on a laptop, to an integrated stand-alone unit, all the way to a highly complex configuration of numerous components controlled by a central computer. Regardless of configuration, modern DAWs have a central interface that allows the user to alter and mix multiple recordings and tracks into a final produced piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video editor</span> Person involved in film post-production

A video editor is someone involved in video production and the post-production of film making. Video editor's responsibilities involve decisions about the selection and combining of shots into sequences, as well as the addition of accompanying sound effects and music—to ultimately create a finished movie, television program, commercial, promo, or snipe. Video editors usually use non-linear editing software to accomplish the task of editing. A video editor is a technically inclined individual that makes creative video editing decisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adobe Premiere Pro</span> Video editing software

Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based and non-linear video editing software application (NLE) developed by Adobe Inc. and published as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud licensing program. First launched in 2003, Adobe Premiere Pro is a successor of Adobe Premiere. It is geared towards professional video editing, while its sibling, Adobe Premiere Elements, targets the consumer market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type C videotape</span> Broadcast magnetic tape-based videotape format

1–inch Type C is a professional reel-to-reel analog recording helical scan videotape format co-developed and introduced by Ampex and Sony in 1976. It became the replacement in the professional video and broadcast television industries for the then-incumbent 2–inch quadruplex videotape open-reel format. Additionally, it replaced the unsuccessful type A format, also invented by Ampex, and, primarily in mainland Europe, it supplemented the type B format, invented by the Fernseh division of Bosch, but it was replaced by type C format also there.

Offline editing is the creative storytelling stage of film making and television production where the structure, mood, pacing and story of the final show are defined. Many versions and revisions are presented and considered at this stage until the edit gets to a stage known as picture lock. This is when the process then moves on to the next stages of post production known as online editing, colour grading and audio mixing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quadruplex videotape</span> First practical, commercially successful analog recording video tape

2-inch quadruplex videotape was the first practical and commercially successful analog recording video tape format. It was developed and released for the broadcast television industry in 1956 by Ampex, an American company based in Redwood City, California. The first videotape recorder using this format was built the same year. This format revolutionized broadcast television operations and television production, since the only recording medium available to the TV industry until then was kinescope film.

Online editing is a post-production linear video editing process that is performed in the final stage of a video production. It occurs after offline editing. For the most part, online editing has been replaced by video editing software that operate on non-linear editing systems (NLE). High-end post-production companies still use the Offline-Online Editing workflow with NLEs.

The EditDroid is a computerized analog non-linear editing (NLE) system which was developed by Lucasfilm spin-off company, the Droid Works and Convergence Corporation who formed a joint venture company. The company existed up through the mid-'80s to the early '90s in an attempt to move from analog editing methods to digital. EditDroid debuted at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 62nd Annual meeting in Las Vegas in 1984 concurrent with another editing tool that would compete with the EditDroid for all its years in production, the Montage Picture Processor.

CMX Editing Systems was a company founded jointly by CBS and Memorex; with help from many individuals such as Ronald Lee Martin, who later became a head of Universal Studios; that developed some of the very first computerized systems for linear and non-linear editing of videotape for post production. The company's name, CMX, stood for CBS, Memorex, and eXperimental.

A color suite is the control room for color grading video in a post-production environment.

References

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