Question via Twitter from Catty Chan (@coldcatt): Sometimes I wish I could remain as editor for the day when we do SDEs…I was wondering what your process and workflow was like?

I’m only just beginning my Same Day Edit adventure, so it will interesting to see how my perspective changes in a few months. But here’s how Spinning Leaf Films and I have it worked out now:

The night before, I always listen repeatedly to the song we’re going to use, and I take notes using timecode. I jot down any ideas for what should go in the peaks and valleys of the song (“1:33- BUILD starts, dancing and ceremony. 2:02- CLIMAX: Bride walks down aisle. to 2:13 – slows down, love messages”). This of course can change once I see the footage, but it helps get me in the right SDE mindset. And when I begin my edit the next day, I have a mapped out plan for the Same Day Edit and the song already stuck in my head.

We usually have 3 shooters. One will definitely film bridal prep, and one will definitely film groom prep. The other shooter helps out one of the other shooters, films venue prep, and/or delivers the others’ footage to me. I’m usually camped out nearby bridal prep with my laptop, headphones, and printed schedule for the day covered in my illegible scribbles. LeVan always sets up the Adobe Premiere project for me the night before, so the (edited) song and Spinning Leaf logo are all ready to go. He also populates the sequence with highlights from any footage they shot before the Wedding Day (such as the timelapse and the Barber Shop footage from Jason and Accala’s SDE).

When someone brings me a card from their DSLR, I import it into a folder on the Desktop labeled with the wedding couple’s name. The shooter will usually give me a verbal list of shots to find that are note-worthy. Often, they’ll wait until I import the footage into my project and then we’ll quickly scan through some of the clips. When they point something out to me, I immediately throw it anywhere on the timeline. This is also the time for me to communicate with the shooters about anything else. Communication between the editor and the shooters is key. I can request coverage to fill in a hole in my edit. We can go over what and how they’re filming upcoming events (ceremony, dancing, cake, etc.), so I can decide if I need to waste time importing everyone’s footage. They can update me about how the wedding schedule is evolving (2/3 SDEs so far have been bumped back on the day — I hope to never experience a bump FORWARD). Communication is vital to a successful Same Day Edit.

In. Out. Drag to timeline. That’s the strategy I’ve found works the best when I’m looking at all the incoming footage. Anything that looks useable, throw it on the timeline, right now. I oscillate between pulling clips from the footage to the timeline and organizing that footage on the timeline. I’ll think, “I’m going to sort through all the first look footage,” then “I’m going to finish this groom prep section.” Organization and time management are your best friends.

Speaking of time, I aim to finish the edit at least a half hour before we plan to show it. Our 2-2.5 minute videos have been taking about 5-7 minutes to export. This gives me time to make last minute changes before showing it on the big screen. The half hour is just a guideline; I have no qualms about finishing early!

I edit on an Alienware Laptop with Adobe Premiere 5.5.

If you’re an SDE videographer or editor, what’s your team’s workflow? All suggestions are welcome!