Thread: Classical Guitar: Should I Edit?

I have been filming/recording my performances using a Panasonic HDC-SD600 camcorder and a Sony PCM - D50 sound recorder. My aim was to only collect perfect or near perfect performances. The subject of editing has come up: should I edit the sound and video to remove mistakes?

I have here three examples of the same video (edited using Final Cut Express 4.0.1).

1: the error I want to remove.

2: the error removed, the video edited into black and white to conceal the red fire extinguisher and alarm switch.

3: The entire video with a number of edits including: movement and soft focus.

In video ‘2’ a nod of the head is seen at the edit point, I used a fast cross dissolve to join the film. Would this sort of edit be acceptable?

In video ‘3’ I have tried to get the viewer used to the idea of movement and by doing so conceal the main edit (at 02:2.

To conclude: I guess the added movement in video 3 does make more of a film of the piece. Maybe if more takes had been filmed at different angles the project would improve.

Is the concept of a live static performance not worth the effort?

I have not found how to attach the videos, they are:

Video 1


Video 2


Video 3


Sorry about that.

Ah ! that worked.

OOpps, no it didn't

Video 3

Maybe I should post this all again?

I think you have done a reasonable job of hiding the error. The method you did it was fine, however, a better way to do it is to video the performance a few times from different angles and distances example long shot, mid shot, close up. Use the sound from the best recording and discard the others. Then match up the clips to the music on the time line on different tracks. You can then happily cut between the different shots you have, hiding anything you want. This will make the video more interesting for your viewers.

Hope that helps.

Hi, Midnight Blue, do you think it is better to watch a video of a guitarist in one take and obviously un-cut, or a edited crafted video?
When in 'Pulp fiction' Christopher Walken describes the watch, he gives a monologue lasting several minutes. The camera is static, towards the end of the monologue the shot moves to the kid he's talking to. I often wonder: did Walken lose the line? is this an edit?
The power of static camera and performance interests me, can you think of any good examples?
Here is another of mine all in one take, does it work better?

The point of video editing is to create an illusion of a continuous shot and I think it can work just as well if not better than one long shot if it is done properly. If you shoot the performance from various angles and take the best audio recording like midnight says and cut from one to another you'll be able to hide any mistakes and it will be a lot more interesting to watch for the audience. I don't think it'll detract from the performance at all.

So you think the viewer does not care if what they see is edited or not? Maybe I'm in a minority here, I look for the static shot, its almost as if I'm counting and thinking 'can he keep this going'?
I chuck out most of my footage, just looking for the 'take'. I wonder who the expert in static camera is?

Hi Midnight blue, I have just seen the reply tab, please find my reply above.