[Imc] Workshop Proposal

[Paul Kotheimer]

hi all

At Brian Hagy's invitation, I'd like to propose a workshop for next
weekend's Regional IMC pow-wow.  I hope that it'll be salient for all
audio and video producers, regardless of the gear they use to turn out
broadcast-ready product.

It's tentatively entitled: "SO YOU'VE GOT 3 HOURS OF FOOTAGE FOR A
TEN-MINUTE PIECE...NOW WHAT??!"

listed below is a run-down of the section headings.  i invite input. also,
i'm thinking that it might be best to offer a workshop like this only ONCE
during the weekend, but i'm open to advice from all sides.  check out the
headings below and let me know what you think...

******

1. START WITH your own interest in the subject matter, plus your
intellectual curiosity and intuition for well-phrased statements on the
topic at hand.  ADD TO THAT a clear statement of what the piece will say
or narrate and to whom.  WRITE THE STATEMENT DOWN!

2. ROLL THROUGH your footage in real time or less. (I'll tell you how I do
it...)  Document quotes/content and their location on the tape/disc.  Let
intuition be your guide as to how complete a transcript, as necessary.
(I'll tell you what I mean by that...)

3. Looking at your transcript, DIVIDE YOUR FOOTAGE INTO A MANAGEABLE
NUMBER OF SUB-SECTIONS (ex.: speakers, by name; times, locations;
"chapters" of an event--i.e., before, during, after--etc.).  Then ask the
question:  "What clip best illustrates this sub-section?"

4. THINK IN TERMS OF QUESTION AND ANSWER, even when your footage is not
necessarily structured that way.  (I'll tell you what I mean by this...)
Then ask, "Where are my questions best answered by the footage?"

5. As you read footage into your editing software, FEEL JUSTIFIABLY GREEDY
ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTION TIME-BUDGET.  Ask "Is this footage worth the time it
takes to read in and tweak?"  Use this feeling to guide your
wheat-from-the-chaff decisions.

6. Once footage is loaded into the editor, CHECK LENGTH AGAINST FINAL
ASSIGNED RUNNING TIME.  Do the math and figure how much will still need to
be cut out.

7. DO FINE-TUNING EDITS.  Go for splices which are "natural-sounding,"
not phony or abrupt or machine-like.  I'll tell you how.

8. LISTEN TO ALMOST-FINAL version and ask "What won't the audience
understand without some set-up?" then script and record voiceovers.

9. VOICEOVERS AND TWEAKING... Sorry, but that's a whole 'nother workshop.

---hope this is what folks will want from me.
paulkotheimer:) 
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