So, there’s just no cool way to put this, but I really like editing. I just do. Taking something that’s a train-wreck of confusion or waste or sloppiness and creating something beautiful. Harmony from chaos. As loyal, devoted, almost fanatical readers may recall, I’ve been working on a commercial lately, and we shot last week, so now I’m splicing it all together.
Are you seeing this image, too? Or has the editing software interface simply burned in to my retinas?
It’s funny because you’re working so closely with the images and tiny snippets of audio that it can be really confusing when you finish a section and it’s 12 seconds long. You can also start to feel insane, because you’re tinkering with little bits of audio that you’re trying to trim and sync up, and so you run it back and forth and back and forth. It begins to feel like you’re looking for satanic messages in an 80’s metal album. (note to self: hide subliminal messages in commercial to subscribe to The Byronic Man. Also, to worship Satan). Especially when you spend a long time on one tiny point, you can hear it echoing for a while after you finish. “I’ve never seen this before!… rofeeb!… before… rofeeb!… before… roff… fore… roff!… fore…”
Zuul's got nothing on Rofeeb.
So I if I have a post soon that’s nothing but me rambling, “Have you ever seen this before? Because I’ve never seen this before! Hahahahahaha! Never before! Have you? Seen this? Before? I’ve never! Rofeeb! Rofeeb! Bow to the god Rofeeb!” You’ll know it finally got to me.
I like editing writing as well, and in fact I’m pretty merciless about it. I mean that in two capacities – one, I’m one of those tedious perfectionists. I edit and edit and edit and edit and it’s never good enough so FINE I’ll just come back to this, oh, never. How’s never? That’s been one of the toughest, but best, things about this blog, because blogging is antithetical to excessive editing. Got to post. Got to feed the beast. So edit it, and post it. And, sure, editing is good, but you have to get it out there, and sometimes live with a less than ideal wording, or even the occasional tyop.
(HA! See what I did there!? It’s “typo” with a typo in it! Ah, we have fun here.)
The second way is that I get pretty black & white about editing, for someone who is “shades of gray” to a fault at times. I’m surprised to hear myself. A couple years ago I was hired to edit a book and heard myself saying things like, “This section you need to get rid of 90% of it, leaving only the 10% I’ve indicated. I know you don’t want to hear that, and it’s your book, but just know that I’m right, and if you don’t do it like this the book falls apart and you’ll regret it.” And it wasn’t even ego, it was just this clinical sense of ‘This is what must be done.’ It was TOTALLY ego, though, when he didn’t change the part in question and a couple publishers and a respected writer who read it all said that that section was way, way, way too long and lost their interest. At that point my thought was along the lines of, “Whose right and smart and right? ME. I’M right and smart and right!”
You know, Citizen Kane started out as a commercial for sleds.
So, I enjoy editing for writing, but video editing is an especially interesting format, because you have what you have. When you’re editing your writing, you can add new material, but in video? If you didn’t record it, you don’t have it. It can be hugely frustrating, but also kind of a fun challenge. Make it work. Possibly the best shot in this commercial (and please know that I realize it’s just some little commercial – I don’t pretend I’m working on my masterpiece) someone bumped the camera a tiny bit. Not even noticeable until I was splicing it together. Now? Ditch it, or make it work. It actually led to an improvement in the ad. And I just love it. I am an odd fellow.
So, there it is. I realize this post isn’t really funny. Sorry about that. Hopefully you don’t mind a little cozy chat with your uncle Byronic.
The Byronic Man 
December 29, 2011 at 8:23 am
“Citizen Kane started out as a commercial for sleds.”
Excellent. Keep deleting! My degree is in Film ::snort:: I spent many happy hours in a dark editing suite in the early 90s. I was shit at sound and even worse at lighting but by god I could edit like a mutha. Gradeeated head of class, so I managed in spite of my failings. I credit editing…and BS.
December 29, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Sound is the bane of video-making. We never should have started with the talkies.
December 29, 2011 at 9:04 am
I think your post was funny. But that might be because my never-described career relates to it. And I too am a merciless editor who then winds up with typos and just plain wrong words in her own posts. It’s taught me humility.
Totally sucks.
Well done. One question: do typos, then, actually offend the dog?
December 29, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I’ve actually revised months-old posts because of a latently discovered typo. For all those enthusiasts, you know, who read every post I’ve ever done.
December 29, 2011 at 9:54 am
I love these little chats! I bet this commercial turns out just perfect in the end. I edit so much it borders on neurotic. Nah, that’s not true. I completely cross the border into OCD territory. Blogging does help push me a bit past that anxiety I have, but I’m a Virgo so I am sunk.
December 29, 2011 at 10:44 am
There’s nothing wrong with a little perfectionism. It’s not OCD unless there’s “magical thinking” involved and it consumes more than two hours of your day. I checked. I had to.
December 29, 2011 at 3:36 pm
But did you double-check?
I get some “magical thinking” going at times, but it’s generally about more logic-based, rational things, like that if I put my shoes and socks on in the wrong order I’ll have a bad day.
December 29, 2011 at 3:35 pm
You know, the “Virgo” part would have meant nothing to me, once upon a time. Then I married a Virgo…
December 31, 2011 at 12:26 pm
You have my deepest sympathy!
December 29, 2011 at 11:00 am
A full confession and a fun post. I’m an editing fiend as well, so I can relate. Mind you, this video editing sounds like a headache and a half…. The less competent of us nerds will just have to stick to wordsmithery, I suppose.
December 29, 2011 at 3:38 pm
The cool thing, though, is with prose you can only change what you say. With audio/video editing, you can actually change what other people say, or how they say it.
December 29, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Your purportedly unfunny posts are funnier than my intended-as-funny ones.
December 29, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Thanks. Untrue, but thanks.
December 31, 2011 at 9:52 am
I second that!! And I am also totally right and smart and right, like, 152% of the time.
One of my favorite memories of all time is editing a music video I made in college in a TV Production class. I spent about 14 hours straight in a computer lab! It was awesome.
Are we going to get to see this commercial? If you’re not posting it here, feel free to send an exclusive link my way, since we’re practically best friends. And I know where you live.
December 31, 2011 at 9:53 am
I mean I second Deb’s comment. That was clear, right?
December 31, 2011 at 10:58 am
Right now I’m in the final stages of the audio – the stage where nothing’s good enough and I can’t fix the imperfections. So, right now, my plan is to post it at the bottom of a deep lake after swearing at it for an hour or so. If things improve, then yes.
December 29, 2011 at 5:07 pm
a typo within a typo, like mispelling misspell is but a dream within a dream