Software used: Da Vinci Resolve (free/studio)

Editing for the longest time has been a niche and under-appreciated skill in the media space until recently, thanks to social media ivaga we have enough appreciation for editors and editing tricks that help in highlighting subjects/moments/frames or masking mistakes/errors or flaws.

E post Kanglish al iruthe cos that's my thinking language and technical in nature cos editing requires it.

Editing thumba ne patience mathu disciplined approach iruvantha department, you cannot miss steps or invent a new workflow to it as it will mess up the entire project output mathu schedule, writer or DoP or art department avru thap maddhre artistic liberty antha karibodhu but generally editors ge ah luxury irala.. but you have the luxury and the audacity to sit in a room and cut out scenes/shots that might have taken a lot of time to write and shoot, so thumba ne responsible and logical agi cut madbek aguthe ila nim team avra jothe jaglake ready iri :-D

So Editing ge mukyavagi e 6 phases iruthe (largely, madhyadhali 1-2 hechu kami agbodhudhu depending on the scale):

1. Data management and organisation
2. footage preparation
3. Raw review
4. footage cutting and assembly
5. effects, transitions, timing and motion graphics
6. VFX (optional)
7. Music and SFX
8. Delivery

Idhrali if you are working with a music person then the SFX and Music avru nodkothare so 6 mandatory phases and 2 optional for you as a editor iruthe.

Thumba janrige step 3, 4, 5 mathra editor kelsa ankothare but even before coming to the “edit table” (idhu hale celluloid/reel editing term, avaga negatives na ondh table mele thandhu sanna viewfinder al nodi “cut” or “splice” madtha idhru, adhike “editing table”, ivaga digital ali software al madthivi), but step 1, 2 ,3 nim overall time maximum time thogobodhudhu if you dont prepare properly.

Ivathina e post will deal with step 1 and 2, i.e. Data management, organisation and footage preparation.

Obe editor agi technically strong irodhu mukya so mundhina salagalu swalpa technical agey bardhidhini:

Step 0:

Ondh ole configuration PC or laptop bekaguthe editing smooth agi madoke but initial agi any basic laptop that can play 4K videos can be used, nimma target usage mele configuration matter aguthe. Da Vinci Resolve ano NLE (Non-Linear Editing) Software na navu use madodhu e series ali.
Download madake ili hogi nimma email id indha signup agi download madi, e software is used by professionals across hollywood and indian industry for editing and color grading (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/in/products/davinciresolve)

https://preview.redd.it/tjdb9c5n2i2h1.png?width=1077&format=png&auto=webp&s=4d78514b999aa902613e8e2d9e3c93407c8efade

Once downloaded, installed and open maddhaga e page nodbohudhu

https://preview.redd.it/trbffq5n2i2h1.png?width=769&format=png&auto=webp&s=97f81347dad871579e5fbf83b98e4aedcbd65fbf

Da vinci na use mado munche namma data bage concentrate madona.

Step 1.Data management and organisation

Data Size

Theory of data:

Neevu yavdhe camera al shoot madi, adhral shoot ago footage ondhu strorage al hogi kuthkolothe that can be a SD card in mobile, CF card in mirrorless cameras or a SSD in a cinema camera, e cards ali store agodhu 1’s mathu 0’s (digital data). Idhu yake andhre yela cameras alu optical sensor antha iruthe, the sensor capture the light that falls on it and converts to digital data (technically avu just photons indha electrons ge convert agi ondh signal aguthe, a signal na sample madi digital ge convert aguthe) e sensor reading na digital convert madake ondhu processor iruthe hence the name digital cameras, ivaga e processor yesht speed ali sensor ina data convert madi store madutho ashtu large data storage nimge bekaguthe, for example nimma normal phone sensor size 6.17mm x 4.55 mm iruthe but ondh cinema camera sensor for example Arri Alexa LF (KGF 2 shoot madiro camera) 36.70 mm x 25.54 mm idhe 

https://preview.redd.it/46ouic5n2i2h1.png?width=1389&format=png&auto=webp&s=8b3a1a99f28065f7f1a14f90728cdd77594ccfef

But Yerdu sensors ali 4K or 4096 x 2160 pixels  iruthe, so output difference hege idhe ?? phone sensor mathu cinema camera sensor al iro “photo sites” indha . Photo site bage neevu il nodbodhu (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyeUP1Q0QDM).

https://preview.redd.it/24vidf5n2i2h1.png?width=994&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4dd59933e836bc8bb19371187c62857c2767f64

(Picture credit: https://silentpeakphoto.com/gear/camera-guides/how-do-camera-imaging-sensors-work/)

So ondhu image phone sensor al thegdhaga assuming 12 MP camera (andhre 3000 Pixels horizontal mathu 4000 pixels vertical) idhaga, namage yerdaralu same data barbek alva ? so ondhu cinema camera ge ondhu sanna SD card haki shot madbohudha ? 

Agala, yak andhre cinema camera dha Photo site thumba large iro karna per pixel data higher irtuthe, ivaga nimge swalpa media touch idhre RAW photo or video antha ondh term kelirbodhu, a RAW andhre e photo site ina data na collect madoke navu “sample” madthivi a photo site na yesht jasthi sample size itkothivo ashtu jasthi information siguthe, so “RAW” andhre each Photo site ina information na capture madiro RAW data, in case of smaller sensors we use 8-bit, 10-bit/channel or 12-bit/channel RAW (andhre ondh photo site data na navu 12-bits per channel andhre Red channel, Green channel, Blue Channel agi convert madi save madthivi) (read more about RAW bits here:https://www.instructables.com/RAW-8-bit-16-bit-and-32-bit-explained/ ) but imagine for a normal 4K video of one minute footage at 24 frames/second yesht aguthe antha

• Data per Frame: 12,000,000 pixels * 12 bits = 144,000,000 bits
• Data per Second (24 fps): 144,000,000 bits * 24 = 3,456,000,000 bits per second (3.45 Gbps)
• Data per Minute (60 seconds): 3,456,000,000 bits *60 = 207,360,000,000 bits
• Convert to Bytes (Divide by 8): 25,920,000,000 Bytes or 24.14 GB per minute

So namma phone hege just 300-600 MB/minute file madtha idhe ? its because of compression and codec selection.

Compression and codec bage delivery phase al continue madthini, so just know that a 4K uncompressed one minute footage takes about 24GB space so one hour total uncompressed 12-bit (13-bit float in case of Arri) footage approximately 1.57 Terabytes or ~1.5 TB iruthe, so data storage and management thumba ne important aguthe.

Data Storage:

Probably neevu SD card nodirthira, Hard disk nodirthira and maybe you know SSD as well (idhara theory ge nan hogala already bore agirbodhu nimge but interested idhre idhana odhi: https://share.google/aimode/n9zLoiiJaAAPKJP62), ivagala major difference is reliability and speeds, HDD are slowest and SSDs are the fastest but 3 kuda same size storage maduthe(example 512 GB) so yavag yavdhana use madbeku anodhu prashne and more importantly what should you use as an editor ? 

Neevu shoot dslr/mirrorless al madtha idhre SD cards beku (yes cards not card) or alternate is a faster and better CF express card (https://share.google/aimode/zLJN9DehsyxR1j8Yg), neevu SD card na safe agi 4K 10-bit compressed ge use madbohudhu (again ili odhi https://share.google/aimode/CdZR51yRtDYDyVz5Z , in case detailed explanation bekidhre comment haki bere post al cover madthini) but professionals use CF express cards with SD card for backups.

Neevu system al edit madbekadhre 4K footages ge thumba high data bekaguthe hence SSDs are preferred (internal agidhre they can do about 6GB/s external adhere about 1-1.5 GB/s) but long term storage ge HDD are better but avu maximum 600MB/s achieve maduthe (SSDs ali over period of data degradation aguthe).

So as an editor if possible have an large internal SSD for editing (1 TB minimum) and a backup HDD for long term storage. HDD al files store madi edit madak agala you will face a lot of issues, is internal SSD agila andhre external SSD indha kuda edit madbodhu.

Data Organisation:

Once you have the footages adhana neat agi organise madi use madodhu important, neevu nan use mado folder structure na use madbodhu (thanks to filmakeranto for this folder structure 🙂) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LocqQbz-a7Mjx-Nqe8cPwbeztara6rYA/view?usp=sharing

https://preview.redd.it/hcdqsc5n2i2h1.png?width=414&format=png&auto=webp&s=947dce26b085cd2740198921289abb2bfb3e5e6d

Idhu thumba complex ila unnecessary ansdhre neevu basic structure kuda madkobodhu just footages, music, images and output antha 4 folders madkondu use madbodhu.

Tips:

1. Always “copy from your card/SSD to your folders donot cut-paste, if it gets stuck in the middle you will loosed footage.
2. Do not rename imported footage names (especially neevu larger teams al kelsa maduvaga you VFX and colorist will need the exact file names).
3. Always connect your external card reader/USB/ SSD to the fastest port (nimma laptop ali USB C idhre adhike or a blue USB port idhre adhike)
4. If you have an earthing problem, please donot use usb or SSD with metallic body, a current flow will kill the USB, SSD or you !
5. Yav cameras al shoot madtha idahre, formats and file format note madkoli this will be important.
6. Footages dhu formats nodkoli, geneally .mp4, .HEVC (for iphone footages) iruthe but cine cameras will have .braw, .arri etc.

 

Once you have all of this and arranged into your folders we can start organise it inside Da vinci which we will cover in the next post, meanwhile yenadhru miss agidhre or feedback idhre comment madi.

Also neevu r/kannadamovies page sub ali editing 101 kuda check madbodhu https://www.reddit.com/r/KannadaMovies/wiki/editing101/

Namskara

Everyday.kannadiga 🙂

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It starts with the script, not just the lens. Both story mate cinematography and colors tumba flat ansute.

been observing a issue in current Kannada film productions, enemadreya there’s a persistent flatness to both the shooting and the storytelling that compared to others feel amateurish.

it’s clear navu missing the technical fundamentals. This not just the camera adre it starts on the story.

* Many screenplays lack the disciplined movement of an effective narrative. We often substitute character development with repetitive dialogue, causing the story to stagnate rather than progress through defined plot points. The result is a 'flat' pacing that feels like it’s waiting for something to happen.

* Visually, everything is lit too evenly. We lack the courage to let shadows exist, which kills the narrative. Rowdyism movie nuve full bright light. If the lighting is flat, the audience disconnect age agtore.

* Color grading thumba weak.

Why is it so difficult for our industry to prioritize these technical and structural basics? Is it a lack of time during development and pre- production, or are we simply failing to treat cinematography and screenwriting as talent development?

I’m curious to hear from other editors, writers, and DPs working in Kannada.

Hello all, I am 22, doing my masters, and recently I got an opportunity to work as an Assistant Director. So I am thinking of taking a one-year drop from college and completing the course with my juniors. The director has assisted on two major hit films in Kannada in the past years. I’ve heard a lot of inside issues happen, so I want some info and guidance. Experienced people, please help.

Hi, so I was watching some YouTube interviews of Hindi and Tamil actors and directors. The quality of majority of the questions are way too higher. Also the answers become more profound followed by an equally good question.

So I’m just curious to know what is it that a director should speak about to make the interview memorable. What are the areas you want to know? Scripting process, planning, politics of the film, screenplay related etc.

Let’s discuss.

What are a few good Horror-Comedies that you recommend.

I absolutely love " Ssshhhhh... "

Looking specifically for kannada movies.

TL;DR
“Horror is not about what happens. It’s about what the audience fears might happen next.”

Most effective horror endings are not because of the twist but the ate the emotional pay-off. It is the psychological residue of what is left behind.

The ambiguity is not randomness, but the best unresolved endings or open endings resolve the emotional arc of the characters. Best example here is "The Sixth Sense". The arc of Bruce Willis character is complete but a lot of questions are unanswered about the kid.

The plot revelation is ambiguous only for the audience temporarily.
The emotional arc is completely resolved.

The twist and the ambiguity is Malcolm was dead the entire time. But the real emotional story was never:
“Is he alive or dead?” because that was the twist.

It was:

Why is Cole terrified? Can Malcolm help this child?

The ending resolves all of those emotional questions. That’s why the film still works even after the twist is known.

A weaker version of the movie ends with "OMG.. Dam.. He DEAD!!" roll credits.

The actual climax continues on as he understands and helps cole gain confidence and acceptance, his emotional arc is completed when he lets go giving the audience an emotional closure and the twist works.

Another important thing is the scenes upon rewatch become emotionally impactful and retrospectively reorganizes the experience of the viewer. His unfinished work and isolation becomes a existential question fuelling the narrative engine.

Sustaining tension across 090-pages at the same intensity is next to impossible unless you are Hitchcock or Kubrick or Flanagan. WILLIAM FRIEDKIN is the master of it. But what we can learn from them is

1. 1. Fear works in the escalation cycles
   • tension
   • false safety
   • information is controlled or hidden from audience/ character
   • Escalating stakes
2. THe audience should constantly feel:
   1. things getting worse without any help.
   2. characters are intelligent but they lack the understand or the knowledge. (dumb characters break the movie.)
   3. Evolving danger with each beat.

There also needs a promise or a hope of escalation early.

A few Examples

it Follows: The entity never stops.

The Ring: there si a deadline.

Once the audience undestand that the fear and anticipation becomes more powerful than te scare itself. Mystery is creating tension so let the characters learn and keep them in the dark. Mastery is obtained through trial. The James Wan movies do this really well.