Whether you’re a novice wanting to enhance your online social media presence, or open doors to professional opportunities, breaking into the world of digital content creation may require a basic understanding of how these editing techniques evolved. Over a hundred years ago, the first films consisted of a single shot for an entire scene; close-up shots were considered unthinkable, beyond the experience of audiences accustomed to watching stage plays. But filmmaking pioneers often tinkered, learning to overcome narrative storytelling problems through trial and error. They turned film editing into an artistic craft, where joining shots together can expand or compress time, alternate points of view, and create tempo and suspense.
Taking cues from over 100 years of film editing examples will help make your visual content stand out from the competition. Explore the grammar of editing straight out of the Hollywood Rule Book and put these concepts into practice with fun exercises. We’ll recommend basic and affordable editing software, and we’ll even provide footage for the exercises, including a final storytelling project at the end of the specialization. Guided by a rich heritage of film editing innovations, you can learn the awesome ability to arrange raw footage strategically into coherent and engaging visual narratives that will take your content to the next level!
The Evolution of Video Editing Techniques
University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera Specialization
Overview
Syllabus
Course 1: The Foundation of Video Editing
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Explore the origins behind the techniques and crafts of video editing. Uncover the methods ... Enroll for free.
Course 2: Modern Sound Editing
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Explore the sound that comes from the narrative world of film. Understand what film pioneers did ... Enroll for free.
Course 3: Modern Video Editing Techniques
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Master the post-classical editing techniques that helped shape the MTV Style, characterised by ... Enroll for free.
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Explore the origins behind the techniques and crafts of video editing. Uncover the methods ... Enroll for free.
Course 2: Modern Sound Editing
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Explore the sound that comes from the narrative world of film. Understand what film pioneers did ... Enroll for free.
Course 3: Modern Video Editing Techniques
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Master the post-classical editing techniques that helped shape the MTV Style, characterised by ... Enroll for free.
Courses
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Explore the sound that comes from the narrative world of film. Understand what film pioneers did to use images for sound in the silent era. Learn how the advent of sound technology transformed filmmaking and how some directors found innovative ways to use sound to bridge scenes, smooth out cuts and make the editing seamless and cohesive. Understand the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic sound, and subjective sound. Explore different types of sound cuts like the J and L cuts used widely in narrative film, news and documentaries, and especially in dialogue exchanges. Gain insights into the sound innovations by directors like Orson Wells, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford and Robert Altman, and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. Understand the use of music and sound effects, how to edit them, and when to use them. Engage in exercises where you can apply different types of sound transitions, and demonstrate your newfound knowledge through quizzes. All you need is basic editing software and some basic skills to use it. Presented by CU Boulder Journalism Instructor Paul Daugherty and CU Boulder College of Media, Communication and Information Media Technology Manager Emilie Johnson, Modern Sound Editing will take you on an exploration of the sound techniques that will help you keep your viewers immersed in your video creation.
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Master the post-classical editing techniques that helped shape the MTV Style, characterised by fast, rapid cuts and non-linear narratives. Discover ways to enhance your visual stories, utilising visual effects like wipes and intentional jump cuts more to evoke an emotional response through visual impact. Delve into the psychology of editing and learn how to create tension and suspense. Learn the Rule of Six as conceived by award-winning editor Walter Murch and understand why we cut. Explore social media editing, using editing software that you can use to create engaging, short-form videos with elements like quick cuts, kinetic typography, music and sound effects to hook viewers immediately. Dive deeper into what makes a cut invisible, applying natural transitions that are created in-camera. Identify the different types of match cuts that shape meaning within a narrative. Examine some of the captivating editing techniques used by film director Edgar Wright. Understand the many uses of sound in your edits and why it’s important to get the eyelines to match. Finally, demonstrate your knowledge by editing a short video with footage we provide, and share it amongst your peers. At the completion of this course, you will be able to highlight your new abilities in a range of work and add to your portfolio.
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Explore the origins behind the techniques and crafts of video editing. Uncover the methods discovered by the old masters, from the Lumiere Brothers to Georges Melies, Edwin Porter, D.W. Griffith, Sergei Eisenstein and even Charlie Chaplin. Whether you’re a beginner or have been editing for years, enhance your skills and gain fresh insights into editing techniques. Understand what the early filmmaking pioneers discovered about editing, learning how to rearrange their footage into cohesive narratives and setting the standards for modern video editing. Engage in examples among the earliest films, demonstrations, interactive peer reviews and online multimedia resources. Showcase your newfound knowledge through quizzes and exercises, and open doors to career opportunities and connections. All you need is access to basic editing software and some rudimentary skills to use it. Presented by CU Boulder Journalism Instructor Paul Daugherty and CU Boulder College of Media, Communication and Information Media Technology Manager Emilie Johnson, The Foundations of Video Editing Techniques will take you back to where it all started, to the silent era of filmmaking, an era that inspired many filmmakers across generations.
Taught by
Emilie Johnson and Paul Daugherty
