Editing Lesson Blog

Today in class, we learned about editing. We first talked about the camera procedures and how to edit and import/export footage. The teacher taught us that when working the camera, we must be very careful with it and understand all the steps in order to not get confused while filming. It is important to shoot as much footage as possible to avoid any retakes once in the editing stage. Additionally, it is essential to remember to charge the camera before filming, and keep in mind it takes a while to charge. Next, to film, you must press the red button to start and then again to stop. Also, we learned about the SD Card, and how no filming can be done unless it is in place. To assure the SD Card is in properly, the side that says SONY should be facing you. Without the SD card, the camera is unable to record any footage, so it is pertinent to know how it works. The tripod is also a key component in filming, so you should know how to work the legs and the movements. The legs are simple to understand. To adjust the height of the tripod, you must remove the clips from the stands and pull them out to make it taller, or push them in to make it shorter.
Moreover, once we had finished discussing camera procedures, we moved onto the first part of the editing process, which the teacher discussed for the majority of class. To dump footage, you must remove the SD card from the camera and place it into an SD card reader (which should be plugged into a computer). Now, it is important to create a folder on your desktop with a distinct title to put your footage into. Next, you should check for your footage in the DCIM folder on your computer. If it is not here, then you can check in the private folder, once there you press on AVCHD, and then stream. From here, you should highlight all your footage and move it into your previously-made folder. Now that the footage has been dumped, it needs to be imported. It is imported by opening up Pinnacle Studios, and then locating your footage folder in the pop-up screen. Once it has been selected, pinnacle studios will scan for media, and import anything you select.
Lastly, we went over the second part of editing. After importing all footage, it should all be available to edit by pressing the edit button in Pinnacle Studios. This is now called your raw footage. You can now drag this footage to the bottom of the screen onto your second track. The teacher explained to us the various tracks; One is for titles and words, two is for footage, and three is for sound. Next, out teacher taught us how to cut footage. There is a red line that shows where you currently are in the footage. This should be dragged to the cut-off point in your footage, and then adjusted until you are satisfied with what is left-over. We then learned how to create a title, which is done by simply pressing the "T" button, and typing your title. This should be moved on the first track. Lastly, we went over how to add music, which is added the same way footage is added. It is important to know that sound should be shut off in your original footage, so background noise is avoided. The sound should be imported in the best quality, and in MP3 format. Finally, after all this is done, the final product should be saved to the desktop by pressing the Save As button.