Introduction
What is video editing?
Here's where you can find information regarding the fundamental principles behind video editing. Below you can find summarized definitions of elements relating to the field as well as brief summaries regarding their function.
Basic Editing Terms
Editing
Editor
Linear editing system
Non-linear editing system
Edit transition
Capture
Split
Clip
Bin
Trimming
Edit point
Export
Editor
Linear editing system
Non-linear editing system
Edit transition
Capture
Split
Clip
Bin
Trimming
Edit point
Export
Linear Editing vs. Non-linear Editing
Linear Editing
"Linear editing systems are simply based on videotape. Raw footage is placed in a playback VCR, or source VCR, with a blank videotape in the record VCR. Good takes of the program footage are copied to the record VCR in the order the audience will see them. Using this process, the program is assembled in a straight line, or 'linear' fashion. Simple linear editing systems only perform cuts while editing the footage. Linear editing systems have been in use for several decades. These systems require a minimum of three pieces of equipment: a source VCR, a record VCR, and a monitor for the record VCR."Source: Harris, Phillip L. Television Production & Broadcast Journalism. Tinley Park, IL: Goodheart-Willcox, 2012. Print.
Non-linear Editing
"Raw footage is converted to a digital format and copied to the computer's hard drive. Scenes can then be properly arranged, with special effects and transitions added during the process. Once a program is complete, the video and audio can be recorded onto a blank videotape, DVD, or other media format. Arranging scenes on an NLE is similar to the cut and paste or drag and drop functions of a computer word processing program. Instead of moving text within a document, scenes are arranged on a timeline."Source: Harris, Phillip L. Television Production & Broadcast Journalism. Tinley Park, IL: Goodheart-Willcox, 2012. Print.
The process of selecting the best portions of raw video footage and combining them into a coherent, sequential, and complete program. Editing also includes post-production addition of music and sound effects, as well as effects used as scene transitions.
A collective term that refers to the systems and equipment used to edit program footage.
Videotape-based editing equipment in which the best takes from the raw footage are copied in the order the audience will see them to a tape in the record VCR.
Video editing equipment that is based on digital technology and uses high-capacity computer hard drives to store and process video and audio. The raw footage is converted to a digital format, copied to a computer's hard drive, and may then be arranged and otherwise manipulated.
The way in which one scene is edited to end and the next scene is edited to begin
Non-linear editing process of copying all the good program footage to a computer hard drive or to a server. Also called digitize.
Non-linear editing operation in which program footage is separated into individual clips.
A captured scene or piece of video that can be used when compiling the completed program.
A folder on a non-linear editing computer that contains all of the captured footage for a program. A thumbnail icon of the first frame of each video clip contained in the bin may be viewed in a window on the computer monitor.
Non-linear editing process of determining the exact place an edit should occur and cutting the clip to remove unnecessary footage.
The exact location in the footage where an edit should occur. The edit "out point" is the edit point at the end of a scene. The edit "in point" is the edit point at the beginning of a scene.
The process of copying the completed program for duplication and distribution.