Avid Community Forums by dvasquez

Editors are always being asked to do more in less time.  But the answer isn’t to just work faster; we need to find ways to work more efficiently.  Sure It helps us meet deadlines, but more importantly, working efficiently gives us more time for creative exploration.

Here are 7 quick tips to make you more efficient:

­­1 Get Organized

“A place for everything and everything in its place”, right?  We’ve heard that since we were children, but like it or not, it’s true.  Taking the steps to get, and stay, organized pays rich dividends.  It certainly saves time, and perhaps more importantly, it’s easier to maintain your focus and flow if you’re not distracted trying to find that shot, or running constant searches.

In Media Composer, you’re forced to put everything into a bin. That’s a good start.  Now take the next step to create more bins – lots of them!  Name and fill them appropriately.  

It’s best to establish a standard set of bins you use in every project:  Sequences, Music, Sound Effects, Effects Templates, Graphics, Titles, Output Sequences

For your dailies (raw footage), create dedicated bins per source (card or tape), scene, actor, topic, location, etc.  Not sure which bin to put a clip in?  Put it in both. That way it’s easier to find.  (See Tip #3)

Finally, organize bins of similar types into folders. 

2 Good Names, Good Info

Having a good name is everything – well, at least when it comes to finding that clip you’re looking for.  If you’re naming your own clips, establish a consistent naming convention.  There are some common naming conventions – MS for Medium Shot, WS for wide-shot, etc.  But what about the name of the interviewee, the location, keywords, etc – does all that go in the name? read more...