When directing and filming a production it is crucial that you consider the editing process. When editing, you will learn many mistakes that are made in the production stage. There is nothing more frustrating then being in an edit suit with dud, unrecoverable footage. Thats why, when you see the mistakes as an editor, you will be sure to never make the mistake yourself.

Here are common mistakes that editors find:

Not enough coverage

Its very hard as an editor to work on a film with not enough coverage. Make sure you cover shooting all the shots you need. Make sure you don’t forget the crucial close ups. It is sometimes very appealing to not do close ups due to time restrictions, but you will need them, trust me.

Wrong coverage

Okay, thats great that you have the time to film the close up of the flower, but ask yourself these questions.

Is it relevant?
Will it enhance the story?
& Am I ever going to use the shot?

If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, I would strongly re consider shooting it. Remember to keep the coverage relevant. Make sure you are doing extra takes that you can use. One mistake that many student filmmakers make is getting numerous takes of one shot ( that looks horrible ) and only one take of a nicer angle. Ask yourself if the time you are spending on a particular shot is worth it.

Bad continuity

Make sure that all your angles match. If there are extras in the background, make sure they don’t just disappear after an angle change. Consider what hand the actor is holding the water bottle in. Professional actors take continuity in to account, but your friends won’t.

Don’t stop that camera yet!

The MOST annoying thing you can do is press record a millisecond before the action starts, or end recording a millisecond after the action finishes. When editing footage with minimal ‘handles’ (the footage before and after action), it makes it extremely hard for the editor to cut.

TIP: Instead of just rolling the camera and saying action, use these steps.

Director: “Roll camera”
Telling the cinematographer to press record.

Cinematographer: “Camera Rolling”
Letting the director know that the camera is rolling.

Cinematographer: “Frame”
Telling the director that the camera is set to first frame.

( wait 5 seconds )

Director: “Action”
Letting the actors know to begin.

Now it doesn’t matter if you are filming as well as directing. Try to incorporate some of the steps.

It is very easy to excitedly press ‘stop record’, after a great performance. But wait! Give it at least 3 seconds after the performance before you even think about pressing stop.
?So when you begin to schedule your production, make sure you leave enough time to get all the coverage you need, because the worst feeling in the edit suite is regret.

REMEMBER: LABEL YOUR TAPES!!