editing your film
So, you've written it, you've cast it, you've shot it. Now what? Now you need to edit it. This is where your film really takes shape, so it pays to do it properly.
Before you do anything, make a list of all your takes and work out which ones you definitely don't want.
Remember, you don't have to show characters on the screen at the same time as their dialogue - cutting away mid-dialogue keeps your film interesting, and can help with transitions to new scenes.
Try different editing techniques. Here are three main ones:
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the 'fade'
Where a scene either comes in from black and white, or fades into black and white
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the 'cut'
Where the action switches from one shot to another
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the 'dissolve'
Where one shot overlaps and dissolves into the next
Don't forget the credits - put them at the end, and make sure your name's nice and big.
software
That's all very well, you're probably thinking, but don't I need special software to edit my film? You do, but the good news is it's easy to use, and it's free. You can edit your film using the free software below:
Windows Movie Maker v.2.1
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx
Apple iMovie
www.apple.com/imovie/
Video Edit Magic v4.34 (30 day trial version)
www.deskshare.com/vem.aspx
You might also want to put a soundtrack on your movie. Here, you need to avoid copyrighted music as unless you’ve been given permission to use it, we won't be able to put it on the site and it won't be eligible to enter. Whenever possible, try and use original music.
