Film Production Thesis III with Robert Sloan
When I reflect on my expectations for this course back when I started the program I didn’t have the heavy technical jargon and acclimation necessary to enter the world of post editorial production. In mind at the time, was distribution to the masses, but this course turned out to be the how to deliver to the masses based off of workflow needs. Bowens 2012, in Chapter seven of “The Grammar of the Edit” answers the question ”What is expected of the editor?” by briefly describing the modern editors expected tasks and how they contrast from the traditional editors “straight cut” focus. We experienced what a modern editor’s work detail usually entails in our editing assessment/ fine cut assignment because we were expected not only to straight cut, but also audio mixing, and a little motion effects work.
The experience of Thesis III, I compare it to an analogy of a Pottery class shared by our course director Robert Sloan in one of the class sessions. In a pottery class the clay begins in its most “raw form.” It yields to the potter’s ideas for composition, format, process, compressions, and tools used. The shape and form of the clay in the beginning is not the same in its finished state. Several things must happen to the clay in the process before the end result is a finished creation.
Takeaways reveal an even comparison to raw data from whatever prosumer to high-grade high end footage shot, can be found in its most raw form, but understand that in order to ultimately render raw audio or footage to a target audience it must go through several processes before reaching its finished state. Based on what the production needs are ultimately help determine the type of workflow. Whether importing or exporting media, compressing files, transcoding, time code syncing, or converting files, the rendered deliverable is no longer in the original format due to the process it must undergo. Takeaways formulate questions an editor must answer to the task at hand: How will this raw data be delivered to its target audience in its finished state?;What are the workflow needs for this specific project?
Reflection takeaways include assignments and jargon (key technological terms); e.g. Codec, Raw, Acquisition, ProRes 4:4:4, HD, and 4K ;to name a few, are now ingrained as a mental default, in the order of all things being Thesis I, II, III, and IV. Going forward, where there is reflection over the lectures, I see several post editing mistakes made in previous assignments that I should’ve, could’ve, would’ve done differently had I known what I learned in this course. For example, the do’s and don’ts of credits rule of listing course directors as executive producers of the assignment given was a mistake I made on past assignments prior this course, but now the wiser, consider the value in making as many mistakes and learning from them now along the mastery journey.
The editing assessment assignment for a 30 second time slot prepared me for what to expect in an intern position or environment where you can only work with the media tools, and materials given by the advertising/production company. Given the two hours to complete the workload created a worthy challenge one can use to measure basic editing functions and mark ones progress as a reference point.













