At 522, we have a common system between all our editors on our editing process. This helps keep everyone organized, and allows multiple editors to work on the same project if needed. Even with this system, each project requires new techniques and in result, pushes us to constantly learn and improve. The Maryland Baseball promo was a fun project and I had the opportunity to chat with Phil about the post-production phase.

If you haven’t seen Phil’s post, “What it Takes to Cut a Video“, I suggest checking that out. He puts a lot of good information (including a video) on the editing process. For this post, I wanted to focus on the video we did for the University of Maryland’s (College Park) baseball team, by asking our Editor Phil a series of questions.

Talk to me a little about day one of editing for Maryland baseball, anything unique at this point versus a typical edit?

One of the first things that stands out in my mind about this edit, was that the majority of the footage was in slow motion. That, coupled with the shear volume of footage we shot over the three-day shoot, took me about 4 times as long to sift through. Having only briefly worked with the FS700, I was very curious to see how the footage turned out. Needless to say, it was exciting to see what we were able to accomplish.

Did you choose music or VO first and why?

Typically, music is something I will also search for before beginning an edit. Since the tone of the piece is something that is determined during the concepting phase, I will already have an idea for the type of music I want to use. For this piece in particular I wanted something dramatic, which would crescendo throughout the video, before reaching it’ climax at the end.

What was the process of choosing this song? Did you have something in mind already?

In searching our music library I will “favorite” tracks that stand out to me, or that I feel will work for future projects. So, naturally, the first place I go to search for music is my favorites list. There, I’m able to find a track that matches my criteria. Coincidently, Chad, our Creative Director, also had the same track in mind.

What is the process of finding the right VO?

-How many VOs did you listen to before choosing the VO artist?

Finding the right voice-over artist was another big consideration for this project. The look and feel of this video was going to be similar to that of an epic movie trailer, so we knew whoever did the VO had to have “that voice”. Much like we searching through our music library, we also have a database of voice-over artists. We settled on Rich Park, a local voice-over artist and friend of 522. He nailed it!

Challenges of editing this project (time, resources, etc.)?

We had three cameras rolling for three days, so as you can imagine, we had a ton of footage. This is where it helps to be extremely organized. Having shot the majority of the slow motion footage, I knew what I would have to work with. Finding the shots I wanted was not difficult. The most challenging part was determining the best footage to use because it all looked so cool!

What did you like about editing this project?

Getting to work with the slow-motion footage from the FS700 was a lot of fun. Speed-ramping was something I always wanted to play with, and this project gave me that opportunity. I’m also a huge baseball fan! Combining my skills as an editor with my love of the game seemed almost like a dream-come-true.

What are some things to consider when editing slow motion footage?

The important thing to consider when dealing with slow-motion footage is the extent to which you use it. Slow motion video is cool but it can be overdone. Finding that balance can sometimes be tricky. Using it too often can make your video drag, while only using it sparingly may seem odd and out of place. In this instance, I felt the slow-motion would help accentuate some of the more subtle aspects to the game of baseball, as well as help create an element of excitement for the viewer.

How do you think this project turned out?

Being such a big fan of the game, I have a deep, personal connection with this project, -my thoughts on it’s success may be a bit biased. That being said, I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

Be sure to check back to see the final product. We are in the final stages in the editing process now so it shouldn’t be too much longer.