Loggjammin'

Today I started the process of going through the footage and logging it on to the computer using Final Cut. It takes a lot of room on the hard drive, especially now that I'm using standard def rather than my sub-standard camcorder. So I'm only logging what I need. This is my first time using Final Cut to edit a project, I've only been playing around with it before. The logging is really easy to use and understand, and although the software bamboozled me the first time I loaded it up, and I mean utterly bamboozled me, I have since read through a good user guide I got and am now getting the hang of it.

In my iMovie days I'd upload the entire tape to the computer and have a huge wad of video footage through which I would wade through and find the little bits I need. Because I'm trying to be better at this, and because hard drive space is a precious commodity, I am jumping in with both feet to the proper logging procedure on Final Cut, and am labelling my files with lots of info and storing them in folders and bins for easy access. I have small snippets of footage, some only a few seconds long, some several minutes, but it is from these that I will be able to get all my scenes. One thing I need to think about is that I will be taking several small chunks from one file, so I might need to do some duplication because I think that once I've marked a file with an in and out point, then I can't change it for subsequent uses of the same file. I could be wrong. Apologies to anyone who just read that as gibberish.

Footage is looking good, we hired some 300 watt lights as well as the camera and tripod, and I have to say, the one thing that will make the biggest difference to the look of your video is not the quality of the camera, it is your use of lighting!!! This looks like such a step up from previous efforts. If you can get your lighting right then it will look great even on a consumer camcorder like mine. I tried filming scenes with both the big Sony camera and my little panasonic and of course, the Sony looks better and sharper, but now I understand the step up in quality. Even on the expensive camera, a poorly shot/lit scene looks crappy. Even on a cheap camera, a well shot/lit scene looks good!

I'm looking forward to really getting stuck in with editing this video. I'm halfway through the footage I need from the first tape, 3 more to go once I'm done!