How to Edit a Documentary Film

[@johanssonfilms]

If you have any questions on how to make documentaries, leave them here! I can’t promise I’ll have an answer but I’ll do my best!

[@JR0th1]

Fun to be here before this channel blows up

[@johanssonfilms]

Haha too kind! Glad you found the video helpful! 🤘

[@gregoryj.martell4879]

Thank you very, very, very much!!

[@johanssonfilms]

You’re welcome! I hope this system helps you as much as it’s helped me!

[@birtarb07]

I'm a DoP and a camera operator who also edits (mostly editing lower budget stuff or my own YT videos though haha) and it's nice to see how you think and work, thanks for sharing! Have had Milanote downloaded on my phone for a while and not found the right (?) use for it just yet so I may try this!

[@johanssonfilms]

Happy to help! Starting an edit I find is the most daunting part of editing documentaries, and I’ve found comfort in this process and it’s helped me escape that existential dread of an empty timeline… many times 😂 Good luck with your future projects! Would love to hear what you think of the process once you give it a go!

[@birtarb07]

@@johanssonfilmsOh how I know it! I have literally videos that I could have posted ages ago if I had just sat down, edited and uploaded them. I think that's the main reason I actually clicked your video as to get some inspiration to actually go do it! Just gotta boot up DaVinci and get my ass to it now

[@johanssonfilms]

Hell yeah! Crush out some edits! 🤘

[@davidalgermissen]

Wow your channel is absolute gold. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I am just starting out wanting to shoot documentaries and this is amazing

[@johanssonfilms]

Cheers David! Happy to help. I remember starting out and having so many questions about absolutely everything. Good luck with your future projects!

[@jonathangardn]

Wow this channel is a gem ❤ Instant sub. Just started watching Mountain Turks and the first 2 minutes already glued me to the screen!

[@johanssonfilms]

Wow, thanks Jonathan! Really appreciate it and I'm happy the video helped :)

[@smggroup-l3c]

This is amazing. Hidden gem nice work Mark! Such high quality.

[@johanssonfilms]

Thanks Lachlan! Really appreciate the support!

[@ajnyc22]

Thanks, Mark - this was awesome!! So happy to have found your channel :)

[@johanssonfilms]

Thanks for subscribing! I'm stoked you found the video helpful! Let me know if there's any burning questions you have about making documentaries! Would love to help answer them as best as I can!

[@lawdak6489]

This just simplifies things big time. Thank so much.

[@johanssonfilms]

You’re welcome! Glad it helped!

[@takuyamats]

This is amazing, I will definitely give this a shot. Thanks Mark!

[@johanssonfilms]

Let me know how it goes!

[@deepcutsoundtracks]

Mark, thank you so much! These are great insights!

[@johanssonfilms]

Happy to help!! Thanks for watching!

[@yili1467]

So good, just what I needed, thank you

[@johanssonfilms]

Happy to help!

[@pradeeprana2707]

Can you make a explainatory video about to transitons from 1 scene to another in way that feels right and smooth.

[@stonexlab]

I hope you get a million views 👏🏽

[@johanssonfilms]

Thanks! Happy to hear you dig the video 🤘

[@stonexlab]

@@johanssonfilms high-quality content 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾 you deserve the shine.

[@theviewer4828]

great video, What software were you using to do the diagramming? you left out the important part

[@johanssonfilms]

Sorry I totally thought I mentioned it! Must have been thinking about a previous video. It’s called Milanote. Super useful!

[@NativeKey]

@@johanssonfilmsthank you 🙌🏾

[@SquareDealProd]

Looks like Rev you were using. What was the other software where the quotes were colour coded and in bins? Thanks! Great way to edit.

[@johanssonfilms]

That was Milanote! It’s got quite the buzz around it right now, but it’s a great software for getting ideas out or in my case organizing quotes!

[@martintrippen4855]

Phantastic!

[@johanssonfilms]

Thanks for watching! Glad it helped!

[@blakely555]

All great advice, but after you have the text / storyboard laid out on what is essentially a Kanban board, how do you tie that quote to the source clip? Especially down to such granular level as paragraph, sentence, phrase or word? I understand the importance of creating the text edit, but I’m unclear how you translate that to all the source clips.

[@johanssonfilms]

That's where the timestamps on Rev come into play. You can even go through rev, highlight the various paragraphs and export an "EDL" file which you can then pull into resolve. Otherwise if you don't want to pay to use REV and you're a Davinci resolve user, you can take advantage of the transcribing feature to convert your interview timeline into text. Now you can search for the paragraphs you have in your text edit within your timeline. I hope that makes sense?

[@CinematicAerials]

Amazing channel

[@johanssonfilms]

cheers dude! Plenty more to come!

[@reggielj]

Hey, interesting concept! Do you think it's worth working this way for shorter videos under 15 minutes? What software were you using to do the diagramming?

[@johanssonfilms]

Hey Reggie, I think it’s absolutely worth it for shorter projects. It ultimately depends on how many interviews you shot for the film. Working in a text edit can be extremely useful to identify themes that were touched upon across many different interviews which then can help you thread those interviews together to tell the broader story. I’ve found that with shorter documentaries (under 15 minutes), this technique helps you narrow your focus and simplify your story. The simplest form of your story is often the most powerful especially when you are making shorts since you don’t have much screen time to really dive into the weeds. Hope that helps!

[@Milan-cf1xe]

​@@johanssonfilmsOn a mini doc of 3-10 minutes you wouldnt use the Beat Sheet right? How would you approach this differently? Is there a simplified version of the Beat Sheet for shorter stories which is a bit more in depth than just beginning - middle - end?

[@corwingarber]

Solid. Subbed

[@johanssonfilms]

Thanks Corwing! Glad you found it useful! And welcome to my little corner of the internet :)

[@bisemwabernadette]

help me.

[@johanssonfilms]

Stuck in an edit?

[@closetotheedit1561]

“Paper edit”

[@johanssonfilms]

E-paper edit 😏

[@llMick]

Hell to the freakin' yeah!

[@johanssonfilms]

cheers Mick! Based on your thumbnail, are you a climber? You making sweet climbing docs?!