Question: Preparing to vid.

[paraka]

Hi everyone,

I have a general question about how people prepare themselves to start a vid. When I first started vidding, if I had a vid idea I'd open up my editing program and just start inserting clips (not always with the best results :S). I'm getting into the habit of writing notes now before I even open an editing program. I try to think of what the storyline is going to be, and then divide the song up and make notes about what clips/scenes as well as what story arcs go where.

I'm still new at it though, so I was wondering what other people do in preparation, and if you have any advice for pre-editing work that can be done.

Thanks!

Comments

[maidavids.livejournal.com]

Completely agree that you can build the video from detailed notes or just wing it and, even if you start with detailed notes, you often find you need to change as you go. Even my earliest videos from 20 years ago were done with very detailed notes. I had this huge bag of scrap paper, and somewhere in it were the notes for almost every vid I've done. When Caren Parnes would come to vid with me, she also brought great notes for us to start from. Once I got into digital vidding, I used the computer for all of my notes. Even if I don't put a plan up with my video, there will always be a rough one on my home computer corresponding to each video.

I tried building one video with notes on how I was taking notes, to try to show what my current process was like. Forever Knight, Dust in the Wind
http://www.iment.com/maida/keepthissecret/songvids/plans/dustinthewind.htm

Even if you don't feel you win by making notes, viewers like to know what episodes the clips are from, and notes can make that information available to them.

Working without notes makes me think of sculpting in clay. You can push and prod the video until it meets some inner vision you have.
Best, Mary