About

The last assignment of this course centres on video and audio editing software and techniques. On the external side, it also involves other skills, such as capturing high-quality footage and audio in different settings. One of the most important aspects that preoccupied my mind during this project was understanding what and when to record. Although this question does not have a definite answer—since there is no absolute right or wrong in art and design—I came to the realisation that capturing extra shots is better than missing them. In this project, I captured 30 shots, which was a reasonable amount, but I missed some key elements that had to be replaced with stock videos at times. 

Index

1. Part One: Initial Research

2. Part Two: Writing the Plot

3. Part Three: Capturing Video & Sound

4. Part Four: Editing in Premiere Pro & Audition

5. Part Five: Critical Reflection

Part One: Initial Research

Selecting the Documentary Type

The first question that is asked before a creative project is: What do I want to create?

In fact, any type of video could be created for this assignment. Therefore, factors such as deadline, tools, personal interests, and skills became major determinants. I personally have an interest for documentary-type videos due to its descriptive narrative and simplicity. Watching thousands of hours watching social and political documentaries online had provided me with a good source of inspiration. 

The next phase was understanding different types of documentaries. An article published by C&I Studios (based in Los Ángeles, California) clearly demonstrated and explained a category of six primary types of documentaries:

1. Observational Documentaries: Captures real-life events as they naturally unfold, with minimal interference from the filmmaker, offering an authentic and unfiltered glimpse into the subject’s world. 

2. Expository Documentaries: Uses narration, interviews, and archival footage to present a clear argument or explanation about a specific topic, often aiming to educate or persuade the viewer.

3. Participatory Documentaries: Features the filmmaker actively engaging with the subject matter—appearing on camera, asking questions, and shaping the narrative through direct involvement.

4. Reflexive Documentaries: Focuses on the process of documentary filmmaking itself, drawing attention to the construction of the film and challenging the idea of objective truth.

5. Performative Documentaries: Centers on the filmmaker’s personal experience and emotional perspective, using expressive storytelling to evoke empathy and highlight subjective truths.

6. Poetic Documentaries: Employs abstract visuals, sound, and mood-driven editing to create an artistic impression rather than a factual account, often prioritizing feeling over narrative (C&I Studios, 2024).

At first, I was thinking about choosing the observational documentary type, given that it relies heavily on capturing good footage, professional editing, and incorporating different layers of sound. 

After capturing the footage (which will be explained in Part 3), it turned out that doing so was more challenging in contrary to my previous thought. The footage has to intriguing enough to keep the attention of the viewer without a narrative voiceover. Therefore, I shifted to the expository documentary style, which is more beginner-friendly and more straightforward (as the voiceover guides the story).

Looking into Exemplars

Once the video type was selected, it was time to research existing exemplars. 

Part Two: Writing the Plot

I decided to write down the plot in a Microsoft Word document to avoid any stuttering and/or grammatical and lexical mistakes. Then I read the script multiple times and timed it so it would not exceed two minutes. The general storyline was written as well to stick to the main objective. 

Part Three: Capturing Video & Sound

Part Four: Editing in Premiere Pro & Audition

Adobe Audition 

Montage and composition have an important difference: while in composition the designer manipulates, combines, and enhances visual elements within each shot, montage focuses on assembling and structuring footage into a cohesive story or timeline. That said, when visual effects and typography leave the scene, montage seems really straight and unembellished — something that showcases its inner beauty seamlessly. Because of this purity, film editing gives greater weight to the process of capturing both video and audio accurately, and that made this assignment slightly more challenging for me.

As a designer who likes to create reality from scratch — such as making a brand with visual elements, drawing an imaginary scene, or modelling an environment in a digital space — the act of editing and combining existing materials required more effort on my part. During this project, I tried to capture very simple shots, mainly inspired by the movie There Is No Evil, as mentioned in the research section. However, the scenes tended to feel more monotonous than captivating. I think this explains why minimalism in design is harder to achieve.

In addition, the type of video is also an imperative factor in how engaging a scene feels: when viewers dedicate over an hour to a feature film, they naturally expect longer and slower sequences, whereas in a two-minute informative documentary, everything must move quickly to hold attention. Moreover, the age and mentality of the viewer play a crucial role. Older generations tend to be more patient, while younger audiences — especially those born in the internet era — often have shorter attention spans and are more inclined toward “consumption” rather than “observation.”

To strengthen the narrative flow, I ultimately decided to use a voiceover to lead the storyline forward, while still paying close attention to sound design. Working with different layers of sound without background music turned out to be more successful in general. Fortunately, many websites offered royalty-free sound effects ready for download. After importing them into Adobe Audition, I experimented with changing the pitch and pace, removing background noise, adjusting specific frequencies precisely (such as the frequency of the wind sound), and cutting unwanted high or low frequencies. This approach allowed me to “trick” the target audience by creating believable soundscapes that complemented the visuals.

Returning to the visual side of the project, although my hands were quite tied, I still managed to improve the quality of my work. Cutting and trimming different clips helped eliminate mundane moments and out-of-focus shots. For footage that was too dark, a slight brightness adjustment usually did the trick. When transitions felt too sudden, animating the opacity helped achieve smoother and more natural flow between shots. Creating a four-way split was another effective technique which, although it did not suit my purpose, looks highly professional when well-chosen shots are used.

To bring the project to the next level, several improvements in equipment would be essential: a stable camera tripod, a gimbal to prevent unintended shaking (unless deliberately used for artistic effect), and a sensitive audio recorder with wind muffs to minimise noise — especially in coastal areas (like the location in this project).
Some of these tools are quite expensive, so borrowing them from the university AV Dispatch might be a better option.

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