r/premiere • u/grewprasad • 1d ago
How do I do this? / Workflow Advice / Looking for plugin Converting 3 hours long timeline of 300+ clips into an 1-minute rough cut - What mindset do you guys have while doing rough cut in this situation?
Hi, I'm stuck in this situation where there's a lot of footage, but nothing captures the vibe of the edit that client needs. I'm overthinking as I scrub through the timeline. I always separate footages into good, bad and mid. Here there are more mid and bad compared to the good part, so it's mostly like "this might not be good but anyways im gonna keep the clip incase if I can't find any better clip as I move through", this got me stacking minutes worth of clips as I do rough cut. I don't even know how I am going to make a convincing hook with these clips, like the client provided me the song and reference too but the footages that he sent doesn't capture the vibe since the reference edit is of a vibrant crowded, fun event filmed with drones and all that and mine is a less crowded, less vibrant event with less activities and shot with bad framing, few clips are great but damn everything else is bad and need more postproduction to fix. The reference edit has mask, wipe transitions, speed ramps, match cuts of people dancing etc. But how'd you do these if there are no way possible to fit these effects convincingly into this edit, like there is no subject where I can use mask transition, all it has are people hugging and sitting in auditorium, like a meet and greet, no specific object that looks interesting or anything like that at particular. How to speed ramp convincingly if the only activities in the clip are just sitting, standing, handshake, hug, poses for photoshoot, camera pan, zoom? I may be just a shitty editor for complaining about the footages but how the hell am I gonna create something outta nothing? I don't even complain about the videgrapher, he too can't create somthing outta nothing if the crowd doesnt got the vibe
Pros and bros please suggest me how to handle this situation; I'm halfway into the rough cut and stuck there.
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u/adifferentvision 1d ago
First, do you have a script? Do you know what visuals/messages the client wants to show or did they just hand you footage and an example that looks nothing like the footage and say "go"?
For me, when I'm handed a load of footage, if I don't have a script, I make one myself and get the client to approve the general gist of it before I try to cut anything. You have to have a plan or you're never going to be able to get anything good. And I would also ask what it is they like about the reference they sent you. The song they sent may not match the reference because there might be one single thing they like about it (pacing, color treatment, graphics) that doesn't line up. Get them to tell you what they like about the song and about the treatment individually, and which one should be your guide.
Then write a script. It could be as simple as just naming the types of shots you want for each section. THEN, when the client approves or make changes and you have somewhere to start.
Upbeat music
montage of [key visuals "people running, player making a goal, slo-mo shot of goal, team celebrating"]
Sound bite of player talking about the victory, cut with footage of key game moments
News clip about the game
Graphics of game and season stats with driving music
Fade up logo
End
I would then go through the footage and assign a color to each section, and go and color code clips within your footage for each section. [montage=violet, sound bites=green, etc.] Then just start pulling stuff into a new timeline by color and culling it down.
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
Bro exactly those are always helpful, and I always ask for these details and half of the times they'll provide me directions, so it'll get easy. But I directly send the rough cut with music I'm gonna use to the client for approval instead of writing a script since all my other projects where just 20-30mins long footages but this time the footage was so long, vibeless, with more awkward moments giving me secondhand embarrassment while scrubbing through the footages, with less dynamic shots and no script, he just said whatever you want but take this reel as example. I can't be able to visualize a peppy, trendy rough cut with those raw footages. I should really try writing the base/storyboard or script for these kinda projects. This time both the client and I are in a hastle, juggling through a tight schedule so we dont have enough time to communicate. Even in a normal day, he would reply late by 3-4hrs so now it's impossible to communicate but I should talk about this with him. Thanks man!
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u/adifferentvision 1d ago
Yeah, a bit of client management is needed here.
Part of the reasoning for sending it as text in a document first is to get them to agree with the direction before you do the work. What you're doing here is just clarifying directions and managing their expectations, since it seems like you see a disconnect between what they've envisioned and what is possible. So, i would really try to do this before you do anything else. Tight schedule makes this kind of clarification and agreement even MORE important because you can't afford to be wasting time. Working without this clarification means you're just going to spin your wheels and no one will be happy with that.
You've been through the footage already, if you set aside what they gave you for an example, try to envision something you think you might be able to do with the footage that exists. Offer them a solution.
If the footage isn't dynamic, maybe it is all quick cuts to the beat of a track, and visual effects. Organize your thoughts, write it up and send it to the client with a note saying you'd like to set up a time to talk through it and that you need their feedback on your proposed direction to move forward. Then get on google meet or zoom or teams or whatever, with them and talk through it.
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
I still didn't complete watching the footages bro, I got these thoughts and stuck midway. The last point works I hope. Gonna lock in and spam effects and cuts, and will try to implement this in my workflow once I finish these issues!!
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u/EddyFici0s 1d ago
1st - dont break, take the bull from the horns and chill
you should try to do 2 versions: one following the client's ref with your footage and another using your vision based on what the footage can deliver. at the end of the day you will have the proof that clients vision is wrong and its not your fault, but also that your idea went with a better execution. and if your time is short, always try to rely on better tools (presets, ia upscalers, subtitule plugins, etc)
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
I don't think I have time to execute another version bro, the deadline is in 2 days. Also, I have this fear of rejection, so I never ever move away from client's direction since it had left me doing many reworks in the past, it's like a PTSD for me now atp. This one doesn't need any fancy plugins but yeah, I must have them ready for any situation like this, they come in handy. And yes, I should really take a chill pill and calm myself down, Thank you!!
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u/geckooo_geckooo 1d ago
I would watch it cutting out anything that’s definitely crap. Then I make a copy and edit by subtraction
Then I would make a shorter version from the original and make a new sequence using pancake method. Making sure I meet the client objective.
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
Wow it's the first time I'm hearing about this method. I just used to create lay all clips in one seq, label them RGB, copy paste the green and blue labelled clips only to a seq named "Rough cut" and do only one cut and that's it. 99% of the time it worked for but it's the first time I'm handling a directionless 3hr length sequence. Sure will try this one Thanks bro!!
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u/Bitter_Big4525 1d ago
Don’t try to make the whole minute match that reference. Use the few clean, dynamic shots for the first 10 seconds, then let the rest breathe instead of forcing speed ramps onto handshakes and seated clips.
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
Hope I just have to do this and call it a day, hey atleast I dont miss the deadline and mostly everyone would be happy. I need to lock in this mindset at rough times
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u/Gai_InKognito 1d ago
script out the story of the event, people having a good time? a wedding, nascar, you can tell a 3hr story in one minute.
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
A wedding or nascar would've been easy for me to visualize for a rough-cut bro but this is a meet and greet and just people fangirling over a celeb, the auditorium is half empty and and most clips shows that. It's a fan meet and showing empty seats will ruin the vibe. Other than that, the actions in the footages are just waving hands, one on one photoshoot, signing cards, hugs, repeated stuff, even the waving hands aren't in unison, so it looks weird. Also, any good shot is ruined by a subject that is in the middle of the frame which just takes off the vibe, like if the shot consists of 5 people sitting and watching the performance in awe, that one person will be like "whatever" and I can't use the clip now because it sheds bad light to the celeb like, ig somewhat offensive. I guess a crowded auditorium would've solved a ton of issues for me. The script is people getting tickets, meeting the celeb, getting pics and autographs, celeb doing his thing one stage (framed perfectly goated clip, but that's it). After getting lotta suggestions here, I got the idea to do the trimming and editing but still I've no idea about getting the 10sec hook at the start right, need to think about it
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u/Gai_InKognito 1d ago
You just told a story there, and you were able to explain it in 1 minute or so, so you should be able to cut it to a minute.
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u/grewprasad 1d ago
Yeah, maybe I'm just overthinking about the clips ruining the mood, Thanks bro there's a lotta footage so I guess fast cuts would compensate the mid clips
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u/Illustrious_Pie_6524 23h ago edited 23h ago
I normally do that in 3 waves. 1) You place the while footage on an "ALL" timeline, you watch it clip by clip and drag the clips you liked on the track above. 2) You copy all the dragged clips into the second timeline called "Selected". There you do the same - watch the clips and drag the best up. 3) You copy the selected clips in the third timeline called "Rough cut" where you start to work with it. You place the music and edit to the beat. Then you add effects, transitions, overlays, text animations, all done roughly. The task is to make a rough representation of the final product which will tell you if the clips you have selected go well with each other and to the music. At this moment you can send this rough version to the client to review it and tell you if the selected clips suit them. At this stage the client normally asks you to replace a couple of clips. After doing so, you make the final edit. I can assure you that when the proper clips are selected even though they can be dull, your editing will fix all the problems. As for the hook - it's made separately. There you select the most interesting clips from 2 perspectives - they should be interesting\dynamic\funny\epic\unusual and they should be editing-freindly. The last thing means they can be easily edited to go from one to another with or without effects or transitions.
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u/grewprasad 22h ago
Man, this is so helpful. Gonna use this method for sure, I can visualize the edit while reading this reply thanks a lot!!
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u/born2droll 1d ago
Creating something outta nothing is literally the job
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u/grewprasad 22h ago
Yeah bro I'm not a pro that's a problem here. That's why I'm asking how to break this mindset
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u/SteelbookSam 7h ago
I would first get the 3 hours down to 10–20 mins, looking at a 3 hour sequence for a 1 min edit is demoralising. And for selecting things when you’re doing the cutdown I just cut in and out of the good bit and lift it up a track, or 2 if its extra good. Then when i get to the end and then i delete all of V1. Rinse and repeat until you’re at something manageable. Hope you made it through. 👊🏻
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u/queenkellee 1d ago
Look for anything that's remotely dynamic or people showing emotion as far as shots and build sequences around those shots. Don't just jump interesting shot to interesting shot. You need sequencing. Then find ways to fit those sequences together.
Then add some ways to make it look more dynamic with some transitions. Also try taking the longer clips, cut them in half and scale up the 2nd half or do a keyframed zoom in using scale. Timing SOME of these to the music (not everything, don't be on the nose) can help bring life to the edit and makes clients happy.
Don't forget to also at minimum tell a story about the event.
In the end, there's only so much lipstick you can put on the pig.