7.1 INTRODUCTION

Documentarians are often inspired to share their perceptions of the world. Some may want to examine subjects dealing with environmental degradation, wildlife decimation, global hunger or child abuse. Some may be driven by politics or social issues and be compelled to expose the atrocities perpetrated by cruel despots. Others may have a mission to examine extraordinary human situations or present a biographical tale of a famous personality. It is very difficult to write a script about these real-life situations before you have been in the field, explored the subject matter and captured events on film.

As with scripted documentaries, the germ of the idea can be developed in an outline. With further research the concept can be expanded into a more detailed treatment. This will express the filmmaker’s intent, vision and how he hopes to achieve his aim. It will include potential people to interview, live situations to cover, references to archival footage that could be included and all the other elements that are deemed necessary to flesh out the story. This treatment will attract producers and persuade financiers to underwrite the production. Ultimately it will provide a useful guide to production requirements and shooting schedules. This outline and treatment, together with notes made during the shoot, will be the editor’s bible during the cutting process. There is no blueprint script for the editor to work from. The script for the show will be written during editing or after the first rough cut is complete.

Producing a non-scripted documentary is a complex task. Because of the lower cost of shooting digitally, the director has more freedom to shoot with multiple image-capturing devices. Smaller, lightweight, high-quality cameras capture unique angles and allow wider coverage of events. As in all forms of non-fiction, there may be many different elements that will comprise the final show. Interviews, live action, archival footage, newsreels, stills of newspaper articles, photographs, dramatic scenes or reenactments, artwork, graphics, B-roll, musical sequences, animation, visual FX, may all form part of the fabric of the film. With hours and hours of footage and coverage, the editor’s role is to help find the voice of the story.

7.2 WHERE TO START

The challenges of cutting non-scripted documentaries require skillsets that are even more demanding than those required on scripted docs. Firstly, you must be able to manage and memorize large amounts of coverage. Then you must be sufficiently skilled to find the story in the coverage that will best represent the director’s intentions. It can be overwhelming. Non-scripted documentaries have no defined length. They can vary anywhere from a half-hour to ninety minutes or more. It is a continuous narrative with no commercial breaks. With your input, the director will ultimately decide on the style, length and format of the film.

A story will only unfold during the editing process. You will get director’s notes and an outline or a treatment prepared before principal photography. The director may shoot additional elements like backstories and reenactments as the film evolves. But whatever the coverage, you will be tasked with turning all the footage into a film that will tell a story and be honest to the intent of the director. This challenge will test your creative skills, talents and intellect. You have to be open to handling any or all situations. As editor, the director will rely on your input. He will welcome suggestions on storyline and structure. That is one of the reasons he hired you. The story and narration is created as the film finds shape.

Greg Finton ACE (Waiting for Superman, The World According to Dick Cheney, He Named Me Malala) has worked with Davis Guggenheim on several documentary projects.

Davis Guggenheim has this line, “With documentary the first time you have a script is your last day of editing.” I think this is true. When you’re starting a documentary, you are literally starting at the base of the mountain. You are asking, “How am I ever going to get to the top of that peak?”

Greg Finton

Overwhelmed by the daunting task at hand, every editor who begins a new project asks the same question:

7.3 VIEW MATERIAL

On every production it is vital that you view all the footage thoroughly and carefully. Remember, the material speaks to you. Your first impressions are the strongest and the most critical. Trust your instincts and your visceral reactions. You can be sure that the audience will experience the events the same way. Let your emotional reactions to the footage guide your choices.

• Mark interesting, revealing or dramatic moments with markers.

• Notate dynamic or relevant bites, eye candy, story points or moments that move you emotionally.

• Highlight anything that pops out on first viewing.

• Start thinking about a storyline.

• Record story ideas on cards and pin them on a board.

• Color-code the dailies according to different characters. This allows for quick identification on the timeline. Customize your material to suit your editing methods.

• Find a system that works whereby you can remember what you have viewed.

All editors reviewing their material for the first time approach the process differently. Jason Rosenfield ACE (Black Sky, The Race for Space, America Undercover, The Kennedy Detail) and Kate Amend ACE (Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, The Case Against 8, Long Way Home) express their views.

When I am watching dailies it is really a sense of discovery, of letting the story come through and looking for what speaks to me. Very often what the filmmaker thinks is happening when he shot it, is not what is working when you actually look at it onscreen.

Jason Rosenfield

I usually work on films that have been shot over a long period of time with lots and lots of footage, two, three or four hundred hours. I have spent six or eight weeks just watching all the footage. You do have to watch everything otherwise there is always this nagging feeling that you may have missed something. However, sometimes the directors will narrow it down to selects. For interviews it’s essential to work with transcripts and logs. I like to work with paper and make lots of notes, marks, stars, asterisks and underlines. Every editor that I know says they cut from the gut and I am watching to check my emotional reaction to everything I see. I laugh in dailies. I have been known to sit there and cry when I am watching footage. I keep track of that because I figure if it moves me it is going to move an audience. Those are the moments that I build scenes around.

Kate Amend

On the films where I had all the footage shot before I start, I just screen for two months. I do not speed through anything. I always say, “You have to put that time in right at the beginning and must organize the material in some way in which you are going be able to remember it eight months down the road.”

Greg Finton

In some instances the director sits with the editor and views the material together. It is an opportunity to exchange ideas and share thoughts about the story and the coverage. It gives pointers to what material the director believes is relevant and important and what material can be dismissed. These red flags help speed up your editorial processes.

Some editors prefer to view the dailies on their own and formulate their ideas without input from the director.

Every director I have worked with wants me to explore the material. Most of them do not have the patience to sit in the editing room any more. I absolutely love that. They want me to take ownership of the material. Of course that does not mean that I retain ownership.

Greg Finton

The director hired you because he trusted you. Over time as the bond deepens, you will become more independent and confident as you edit the production. This bond can also lead to years of a working collaboration between director and editor, which is applicable to cutting documentaries as well as features. Michael Kahn ACE has had a notable and extended relationship with Steven Spielberg for more than thirty years. Sally Menke ACE had a long-time collaboration with director Quentin Tarantino, having edited all of his films until she passed away in 2010.

Try and develop a good understanding with your director. This could lead to a life-long working partnership.

7.4 FIND THE STORY

There are many approaches to finding your story. Each one will be different according to the style of the film and the type of coverage. A character-driven story of a pop group performing on a nation-wide tour will present a whole different set of story challenges than a film about the complexities of the Syrian War. Be prepared to view each film with an open mind. Explore the possibilities in the footage you are given.

When you have viewed the dailies you will have gained a perspective of the coverage. A story will begin to emerge. Bring in the director to discuss the narrative, purpose and intent of the show.

• Does the footage really reflect his initial intentions?

• Did a more interesting story line reveal itself during the shoot?

• Has the story sidetracked?

• Is there a specific message to convey?

• What audience are you trying to reach?

• What is the tone of the film?

• Is it a lyrical piece?

• Does it have a strong political opinion he wishes to disclose?

There are an infinite amount of questions you could ask. Discuss storylines, approaches, style, music and the form of the film. Share your ideas and thoughts. Give your input. Get editing directives. There are a million ways to cut a show and pointers are essential.

• View potentially problematic material together to get feedback.

• Understand your director’s intentions. This will prompt your choices when you are alone in the cutting room. Filmmaking is collaborative and the more input from the director, the easier your work will become and less recutting will be necessary down the line. Editing is about re-editing until you find your story. The process will continue till the show is locked.

• If you are working on a personality-driven film, take time to understand your main character and how you are going to portray him. Find the scenes that reveal nuances about his personality or how he reacts in adversity. These subtle moments will come in useful as you start to build his screen persona. Find situations that best reveal his charisma, character or nature. Look for the dramatic arc in the dailies that will shape the story about the star and his foibles.

• Finding the story and the dramatic arc in the footage takes many paths.

After I have viewed the material I will very often make cards and figure out a structure and put them up on a board and then start at the beginning. This might not be the chronological or the shooting order but dramatically what makes sense.

Kate Amend

• Use a bulletin board with index cards to help establish a story arc.

– Is there more than one story line?

– Which is the main one?

Write notes on cards and pin them up on the board. Identify the main story and list the subsidiary stories in order of importance. The less important stories may be lifted as you tighten the structure of the show. Use different color cards to represent different elements if it helps organize ideas. If it is a character driven show, use different colors to represent different people. In long-form television and feature films a card system is also used. The cards carry information about scenes and track the continuity of the story. When scenes are lifted or shifted this is indicated and the cards are reshuffled on the board. A speedy visual reference with the card system is a handy device to keep track of scenes and story beats. Utilize this system to track your ideas.

Some editors find it more practical to work directly with the material. Pam Wise ACE (Secretary, Transamerica, Rory Kennedy) has a different approach.

After reading everything and looking at most of it, I come up with a story—a beginning, a middle and an end in three acts. I start laying it out on the timeline. I do it roughly and fast rather than spending a lot of time on any one scene. I look at the show as a whole. I am just constantly shaping this big piece of clay.

Pam Wise

Whatever methods you use, finding the storyline is the challenge. If it is difficult to visualize the narrative through-line, try a practical approach that is often used if you are cutting coverage that happens in real time like a concert or an event of any kind.

• As you view the production footage, select sub-clips of the story highlights. Create a timeline and string all the sub-clips together so you can have a condensed sequence of all the important action.

• Go through the raw footage again and sub-clip the subsidiary story.

• Repeat the process and create an assembly for each story. These are the building blocks for creating a structure for the film. Integrate the different stories into the timeline.

• Color-code each story if this helps identification.

• To strengthen the dramatic structure you might want to rearrange sequences.

• From this long assembly you will begin your cut.

You may never use this breakdown as your starting point for cutting. The dramatic structure might ultimately require a totally different sequence of events. It is not a wasted exercise because you will now have a more intimate knowledge of your footage. Save this assembly in a bin. It is a reservoir of all the best material from the shoot and can be referenced during the editing process.

Not all editors like to be responsible for finding the story. Some prefer to work with a more detailed outline from the director or even a blueprint script. As the editor, you will have to choose the projects that best suits your talents.

Once you have viewed all the material and have a concept for your story formulated, you are ready to make your first cut.

7.5 MAKE THE FIRST CUT

In feature documentaries, editors can be brought on before the shooting has begun, during the production or after the principal photography is completed. This always begs the question of where you should begin cutting. Which sequence is the one that will set the tone or impress your director the most? Every editor has different ideas and approaches of where to make the first cut. Use your instincts to decide which sequence will make strongest impact.

I always start with the most outrageous thing I have so that people want to see the next frame. I go through, pull out and mark everything I like and then I have all the moments that I want to weave together. I try to work every one into the story. I then take the most outrageous thing upfront and start asking questions as the viewer would and then I start answering them.

Pam Wise

I will often pick what I call soft landings to get going. I start with the easier scenes. I always try to keep it as simple as possible.

Greg Finton

I love to try to cut an opening right away even if it does not end up being in the final film; something that introduces the story, the tone, the themes and the characters. So I look for footage that would work as an opening.

Kate Amend

Lillian Benson ACE (Eyes on the Prize, Life is not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story, Maya Angelou and I Still Rise) has her own take on the first sequence she prefers to cut.

If there is a scene that a director has real reservations about or fears, I do it first.

Lillian Benson

Watching dailies can be a tedious process and sometimes the temptation to make your first cut takes over.

There is a point at which you simply cannot watch dailies anymore. You need to give yourself a treat. You want to get juiced up; you want to create something that gives you a tone. Tone is really important. You will make a scratch track and throw some music in. It is just a beginning but you want to walk out of the room feeling, “You know, there might be a movie here.” You want to put everyone else’s fears to rest that you get the movie and you get the story they are trying to tell. This is important especially if you are new and the operation is new.

Jason Rosenfield

Directors are always anxious to know if their footage is going to work, if you are the right editor and if there really is a film that they visualized in the dailies.

A couple of years ago I was working with two directors who were wonderful, and after we had watched most of the footage together they said, “Ok, what should we do now?” I said, “Well why don’t you go away for three weeks or so?” They looked at each other like, “What?” But they did. I put together about twenty minutes and called them to come watch. I started rolling and within about a minute and a half I looked at them and they had tears in their eyes. They said, “You’re making our movie!”

Kate Amend

The director always gets excited about seeing his footage cut together for the first time. It reinforces confidence and allays fears. It encourages everyone to move forward in a mutually trusting atmosphere. Producers and directors are our collaborators. We spend months with them in the editing room, sharing views, opinions, discussing points and having amicable arguments over creative decisions.

It is important that from the time we make our first cut to the time we deliver the locked show we maintain a cheerful disposition and cooperative attitude. Respect your director’s voice. Be firm but not unpleasant if you disagree with his opinions. Always be open-minded about alternatives. Experiment with choices and save all versions. It is only through trial and error and an amalgamation of everyone’s input that the final cut will be agreed upon. Eventually you hone the best version you can from the footage. It is at this point that you release the material even if the show ends up not representing what you believe is the best cut.

7.6 DEVELOP THE CUT

The biggest challenge for any editor is the schedule. Deadlines for the first cut loom large as you make your way towards the light at the end of the tunnel. There is never enough time or budget in post production schedules to allow the editor unlimited time to produce a cut. Some productions with large budgets and huge shooting ratios allow up to two years for the editor to deliver the final cut. Smaller-budget shows allow only a few weeks. Time is money. Deadlines are the goal. Speed and efficiency are the method. Be prepared to work around the clock and on weekends.

Is there a secret to being able to create a great cut and still meet the deadline?

I think efficiency is a big part of being quick. I’m not like physically fast. I don’t push buttons with my elbows and fingers all at once. Working in the unscripted world really helped me build confidence and as I work more and more, I find that I work more efficiently.

Greg Finton

The editor has to be familiar with every frame in order to make the best choices quickly. In addition, he has to acquire a method of working that will maximize his speed. Can an assistant be an aid during this critical period? Again, every editor has a different take on utilizing the talents of the assistant editor.

I often will enlist my assistant to cut scenes. Or if it’s a film with multiple characters I will give them a character to explore and develop. That’s one way to speed things up when there is lots of material and pressure to get a first cut together. And I always make sure to acknowledge their contribution to the director and to audiences.

Kate Amend

One of the key elements to working efficiently on non-scripted documentaries is to master the organization of the material to enable access to shots quickly. A tremendous amount of how you work faster is dependent on the assistant and how well they organize all the elements.

Jason Rosenfield

However, there are times when the assistant can be over-ambitious.

One of the things that slow you down is when your assistant over-organizes or over-engineers your project. They take reams of exteriors, driving shots, beauty shots or night and day exteriors and they try to break it down to such a fine point that you have to look through eighty different bins to find the shot. A tremendous amount of expediency is really the assistant.

Jason Rosenfield

Initially you will include everything you believe to be important into your first assembly. When all the selects are placed together on the timeline the strongest and most relevant moments will reveal themselves. Focus on the highlights and whittle away material that is not relevant. The story will slowly begin to emerge and as you continue to eliminate material, the storyline will become clearer and stronger. Concentrate on building the structure with a dramatic arc. Find your acts. As you hone down the assembled material, the editor’s cut will begin to emerge. If time permits, review your coverage again. This allows you to double check that you have included all relevant material for the story that you may have gleaned over during the first viewing. You may come across some small gem that may now be relevant to your story that didn’t seem important at first viewing. These are the moments that elevate your cut and contribute to a fine polish. What follows is sound advice.

When I work in long-form I work very quickly and very roughly. It is not expedient to spend time on scenes at the beginning. You don’t want to refine sequences that you think might be thrown out. Far less than twenty percent of the overall of what we cut makes it into the film.

Greg Finton

I agree with Greg. Many sequences will be lifted from your timeline as you work through the first editor’s cut. It is advisable to find your story before you start creating a finished soundtrack to individual sequences. Sometimes it might be necessary to work with a piece of music or a specific SFX to make a sequence work. Include this but do not opt for a completed soundscape on your first pass.

During the editing process do not hesitate to call in the director to discuss any issues. Cutting in isolation without screenings and input from the director is definitely not advisable. You can get too close to the material and cut yourself into a corner. It is better to get feedback early on and know you are on the right track. Reworking large chunks of the show will result in many more hours in the editing room. If the director is still shooting on location, try and set up a video conference call and run cut sequences by him. Discuss any editorial problems you might be having and collaborate in trying to solve them. Nothing is more humiliating than completing many segments of a show only to discover they are not what the director wants. You are there to bring his vision to life. The more you collaborate, the more successful the outcome.

If you have a long post production schedule, there will probably be many screenings along the way to ensure the material is working. The process of completing a first cut is long and tedious but it is challenging and exciting. Eventually with experience you will be able to make good decisions faster, find the stories quicker and meet those deadlines with ease.

7.7 COLLABORATION WITH THE DIRECTOR

Knowing the preferences of how the director likes to manage the editing process will eventually dictate the projects you choose to work on. Many editors prefer to work alone in the cutting room. Without anyone in their space they have the freedom to zone in on their thoughts and keep focused on their cuts. They will call in the director when they are ready to screen cut sequences and take notes and share ideas. Others rely on the collaboration with the director who sits beside them directing each and every cut on a daily basis. You will choose the projects to work on that best satisfy your methods of working.

Most of us do not want the director there all the time when we are cutting. Some of the most productive sessions I have had with my director have been when we decide, “Let’s take a fifteen minute walk.” The physicality of being out of our cutting room and out of the office frees you up.

Greg Finton

Be aware that screening unfinished cuts, which are still very much ‘a work in progress,’ can be misleading. Sometimes it is hard for a viewer to visualize how the cut will work without the right MX and the right SFX in place. If you trust your director you will be able to explain to him how you intend to enhance a scene. If not, it is better to spend the extra time completing your presentation with the full sound track.

The confinement and pressures of an editing suite can be overwhelming. Personality clashes with the director must be avoided at all costs. Be respectful of your collaboration with the director no matter his level of experience. You are there to serve his vision. Problems and pressures of getting the film realized can be disruptive and destructive. Keep a cool attitude. Seek out co-workers who will be great team players and who will look out for each other. Self-restraint, good judgment, patience and even simple humility are essential. Always be cheerful and never complain. Be cooperative and always be open to criticism. Encourage a supportive environment. Never allow your ego to get in the way of your professionalism. It is through working closely in the editing room that trust builds and a strong bond is formed. In this atmosphere you will thrive, create your best work and produce a fine end product.

7.8 NARRATION

As you are shaping the story, a narrative track will become necessary. Narration or VO is about writing in sync to the visuals to tell the story. It is the hook that unifies the show and grips the audience’s attention. Make every word count and keep it conversational and easy to listen to. It needs to be compelling, informative and serves many functions.

• It imparts information that can guide the audience into viewing important features.

• It sets the scene or gives background information that brings the action into focus.

• It clarifies details that are not immediately obvious to the viewer.

• It foreshadows events about to happen.

• It summarizes the purpose of the film.

The writer, whether he is a hired hand or the director himself, becomes the most important contributor to the finished film. He has the task of writing the narrative in the most concise and relevant style suited to the story of the film. It will often take several rewrites to make his words fit the visuals of the film while making the point that drives the story.

Every film is unique and will offer a different approach to creating the narration.

• If a writer is assigned to the show he may be brought on to start creating the VO as you complete a sequence.

• When the director is the writer, he will work closely with the editor and create narration as the cut progresses.

• If the director has confidence in the editor’s writing talents, he may leave it to you to create a rough working script. Use his notes if applicable and write to the visuals.

• Record a scratch track. Lay it in on the timeline as a guide.

• Collate the script and keep track of changes as you go along. The temp track will be rewritten many times before the show is locked.

• The designated writer will be brought in when the film is cut and will rewrite and polish the script that was created during the editing process.

The narration itself can take many forms.

• The most common is a single narrator reading the commentary for the whole show.

• Sometimes the narrator is a character from the show and the narrative will be told from his point of view. During the edit, you may suggest further lines for the character to say which will strengthen his story. Email him new lines for temping in. He can record them for you on his smartphone and email the audio track right back. You can drop in improvements as you work. This will ensure you have a clean and smooth narration for screenings. Nothing is more jarring than listening to a narration with different voices on the scratch track. Clean recordings can be redubbed in a sound studio once the show is locked.

• In other instances, the narration could be an amalgam of many characters, a tapestry of interwoven voices telling the story. Visual titles will help identify the characters speaking.

• Another format is to have an onscreen host who presents the story. His voice will carry the commentary. If you require fixes, record a scratch track with him as you work.

• A popular device used in historical documentaries is to have famous actors record quotes from personalities portrayed in the show. It helps dramatize the story and bring the character to life. This all forms part of the fabric and texture of the narrative. You will replace your scratch track with professional deliveries once the show is locked.

• Sometimes shows will be an amalgam of narrator and VOs of many characters portrayed. These choices will be made in accordance with the style of the show.

• Keep the language used for the VO simple, direct and easy to listen to.

• Sometimes a story is told from a specific person’s POV. Make sure you temp the appropriate male/female age-appropriate voice into your scratch track.

Maintain a good balance between the narration telling the story and allowing the visuals to speak for themselves. Wall-to-wall narration is a death knell. Use commentary judiciously where and when it is needed to further the story. Allow the visuals to play with music or SFX. Let the show breathe. Allow the audience to be entertained and have a moment to absorb the information. Don’t bombard them with too much information that they cannot take in.

Sometimes a writer will rework the lines said by a character in the film. This will be with the intention to replace bad sound, character fluffs or labored statements. There are many reasons to write a narration rather than have someone in the show say it. Mark Andrew ACE (Beyond Scared Straight, If You Really Knew Me, Access Hollywood) found he was fighting for authenticity in a film he was editing.

When I was doing a biographical two-hour piece on the Bee Gees I would have a constant argument with the director saying, “Who do you really want to hear tell the story at this moment of their life—the narrator or Barry Gibb? You might be able to write flowery language, but don’t you think you want to have Barry’s voice in here telling his own story?”

Mark Andrew

These are the creative choices that influence the outcome of the show. The commentary is vital and needs to be correct on every level. Narration and writing is about rewriting and tweaking as you create the film.

Decide on the type of voice required to read the narration. In selecting a voice make sure it is pleasant enough to listen to for the duration of the documentary. A poorly narrated commentary can significantly detract from the audience’s viewing experience. Many actors may perform well onscreen, but cannot read a narration that is credible and convincing. To deliver a pleasing narration requires a special talent. As in scripted non-fiction, the final VO will be re corded with precise timings matching the scratch track after the show is locked.

Sometimes a documentary is constructed and formatted so that no narration is necessary. The characters and the situations reveal the drama and carry the story. There are no interviews and no VOs. Such shows are hard to construct and difficult to pull off successfully but, when well edited, they are totally absorbing. Remember to keep this option in mind when determining the format of your show.

7.9 MUSIC

A film score serves the same purpose in fiction and non-fiction productions. The question arises:

Is there a right time to bring in the music when you are cutting?

Every editor has his preferences.

As a rule, I do not like to start cutting with the music because you end up cutting on downbeats and the music starts dictating the rhythm of your cut. If I find a piece of music that I think will work for a scene, I dial that track out and continue to cut and then bring the music in. Ideally that music becomes another voice in the scene. It becomes the subtext or part of the subtext. I think it is usually a mistake if you decide to cut to a piece of music that becomes the driver.

Jason Rosenfield

I end up working with a scene cutting with a rhythm in my head and then I will go back and start putting in music. Somehow the music makes the cut exactly where it was supposed to be. It is amazing! My rhythm was right with the cut of music I chose. It was like they were married to each other.

Mark Andrew

I do not use much music at all. On the narrative films I like to use it as transition, as a comment at the end of the scene and to take you into the next scene. Sometimes I use it to pick up the pace. I do not think I have ever used it throughout a scene in a narrative film and not much in documentaries.

Pam Wise

While editing it is up to you to decide when and how you introduce music into your cut. Pay special attention to all cues if you are using a music library and needle drops as these cues will become your final music track. If a composer is assigned to compose an original score, then the final spotting of where the music cues will begin and end will be done in collaboration with the director and often the producer as well. An output of your cut with visible time code and the music on separate tracks will be given to the composer. When the final score is delivered, you will insert the cues and make any visual adjustments necessary.

If you are using library music, you may be responsible for drawing up a music cue sheet for the producer. This indicates the exact amount of music used from various libraries. This information is necessary for the royalties that will become payable to the musician’s performing rights organizations in the United States and abroad.

• Keep track of all your cues and make sure you have the necessary information correctly listed. Check with your producer if you are missing details.

• If the movie uses scored material, the task becomes relatively easy.

• If you have a music supervisor or a post supervisor assigned to your film, he will perform this duty.

Here is a sample of a music cue sheet for use of library music.

Always make sure you are using music that can be licensed. Do not include a Beatles’ song only to discover a week before the mix that you cannot clear the rights. If you are unsure that a piece of music is in public domain (PD) ask your producer to help investigate for you. You do not want to spend extra hours recutting sequences to a new cue especially before the dreaded deadline.

7.10 REFINE THE CUT

Be fearless in your choices and decisions. Take risks. If your cut is not working structurally, experiment. You might find that the end sequence of your show could make a fantastic opener. This could be the hook you were looking for. Reshuffle the sequences and see if it works. Be inspired. Be resourceful. There are countless obstacles to overcome as you create your cut. Keep the material at your fingertips. Try solutions and create and save alternates so you can compare versions. You must be confident that in the end you have made the best possible film from the material you have been given.

Over the years cable executives developed a common mantra: “Tell the audience what they are going to see, tell them what they are seeing and then tell them again what they saw.” You might not agree with this philosophy but remember audiences are easily distracted. Your job is to keep them watching your documentary. Be wary of showing scenes that overstate their purpose. For instance if you are cutting a battlefield sequence, be aware of how many killings and dead bodies you include. Watching too much violence on the screen can cause the audience to change channels. Assess how far you want to go to shock your audience before it becomes distasteful. Use all the tactics you can muster to keep your viewer engaged. Create an elegant film that will inspire, educate and entertain—a film that everyone will want to watch. Implement your ideas with care and good taste as you leave your imprint on every frame of the show.

7.11 MIXING

The technical steps for completing a non-scripted feature documentary is much the same as for scripted non-fiction, dramatic episodic, features or MOWs. Editors working in long-form documentary have spent many months birthing their baby and want to oversee the final delivery. They choose to supervise the completion of their films to ensure that color correction is perfect and that every detail on the timeline is mixed to their satisfaction.

Each documentary will demand a specific focus. A film featuring a rock musician in concert will command many more music tracks to provide the multiple choices necessary to create a multichannel music experience. A film with many battle sequences will be FX-heavy and will require multiple SFX tracks enabling every gunshot and cannon blast to create a realistic ambience in which to immerse the viewer. As editor, you manipulate where the music level will rise slightly between the VO and where the SFX will play prominently; where you want the music to grow out of the FX; where you wish to fade the production track into the music. You manipulate how the audience will react emotionally to your story by controlling the levels of sound and blending it all into a harmonious and exciting audio experience.

Here are some of the post production duties that you might be responsible for as editor on independent documentaries:

• To prepare for your mix, ensure all your elements have been reassigned on the correct tracks as described in scripted documentaries (see Chapter 6.16 and 6.17).

• Don’t cut one sound element onto another. The re-recording mixer has to set levels on each sound clip so split and checkerboard each element on a different track.

• Some clips may need head and tail handles to cross-mix to prevent the cuts bumping.

• Mark all the tracks with a pop at the 59.58 mark to coincide with the 2-second mark on an SMPTE leader cut onto the head of the video. This allows the mixer to align the sync on all the audio tracks with the video track.

• The tracks are transferred as AIFF files.

• An accompanying output of your cut as a QuickTime file will be used for referencing during the mix.

• Watch the cut with the re-recording mixer beforehand and discuss the overall design as well as the potential problem areas.

• Let him make the first pass so he has a chance to bring his own creative ideas to the film. In the process, he will clean, filter and equalize the tracks and solve all audio issues as they arise.

• It may be essential to add extra ambience and sub-mix music or SFX tracks to smooth out all the sounds.

• The mixer will first create a composite track called Music and Effects (M&E) combining all the production or dialog tracks, music and SFX without the narration. This M&E can be supplied to a foreign distributor who may want to add VO in the native language of his territory.

• Generate a final mix from combining the M&E with the VO track.

• The director and the editor will listen to the final mix with the picture and suggest improvements where necessary.

• When the last tweaks are perfected, the final mix will be married to the color-corrected online with all the completed graphics and visual elements in place.

When all of this has been accomplished, you will have undergone an intense but deeply satisfying experience. There will be many months of blood, sweat and tears. But there will also be countless memories of moments of intense joy and fun that was shared during the show’s creation. And there is that wonderful feeling of gratitude when an appreciative audience applauds the final outcome. You will feel proud to have been a part of the team that produced a production that will live forever.