Footage preparation

Footage preparation video editing guides

Find ideas, shot lists and editing prompts for your next footage preparation video.

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Start with a small set of source clips that can tell the whole story. Remove irrelevant takes before you ask for an edit.

Select takes for complete actions, clear sound and useful framing. A technically sharp clip can still be the wrong shot for the story.

A scene-based source set helps you describe the sequence without listing dozens of unrelated filenames.

Write the shot list around what the viewer needs to understand. Each shot should establish something, show an action or provide evidence.

Choose the intended canvas first, then decide which clips can be reframed without losing the subject.

Choose the clearest low-light takes and preserve the atmosphere. Editing cannot guarantee recovery of details that the camera did not record.

Build around stable moments within the footage and use supporting shots where movement becomes distracting.

Use supporting shots that explain the specific action or idea being discussed. Attractive but unrelated footage can make the story less clear.

Give repeated shots different jobs or remove them. Repetition is useful when it demonstrates a change, not when it only fills time.

Change the sequence, use another relevant source or record the missing shot. Keep the brief tied to material you can supply.

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Bring the footage. Tell us the idea. Shape the edit.