Post

Post Production is where the real magic gets to happen. There's a lot you can do with video editing but there are also times where you can do very little. A project is always shaped by it's source material.

While bad audio is often unsalvageable, clever video editing can have an impact on even the most amateur of shoots and save (to a certain extent) ruined events. It can be overkill, too (too many quick cuts, zany transitions, etc). At JDVS, we try and balance the editing style with the tone of the event and the clienteles' primary objectives.

We've actually been editing on Final Cut Pro since way back in the Version 1.2.5 days. A lot has changed since then and the tools included in Final Cut Studio range from sophisticated Motion Graphics & Sound Track Pro Audio, to a separate Color correction program along with Character Generator favorites like LiveType.

Editing is perhaps the most unpredictable of elements to consider in Video Production. While we prefer to work alone on projects, appointment based editing can be arranged and usually happens towards the end as a sort of 'clean up' session.

Part of the process is organizing and logging in the video tapes. Since this is not as labor intensive as editing, we charge less. But tapes are analogue and eventually have to be read in that way. So it is necessary that we charge something ($10 pr Logging Hour). You can also look at this as a rental charge for the amount of data that your project is using. For further information regarding this, please visit the "Hidden Costs" page.

Video Editing and DVD Authoring are both $50 pr Hr (which usually ends up being a pretty 'long' hour).

Non Profit rates are $35 pr Hr for Editing and / or Authoring.

For 2 camera shoots, we tend to average 2 Editing Hrs for every fully edited hour. On a 3 Camera shoot, it's usually 3-4 hrs pr 1 Hr edited (more shots to work with). While every shoot is unique and may require more or less than that, we generally aim towards a 2:1 ratio or 3:1 ratio on straight forward event shoots.

Of course, a :30 second television spot can take anywhere from several weeks of editing to just a couple hours, so there isn't a perfect formula for determining exactly how long something will take.

Another source of unknowable time anomalies involves compression. Whether it's a DVD or a web conversion, the longer the final length of a project usually dictates longer compression times (or rendering). While we do not charge for rendering / compression (it's included in the editing charges), it can throw off schedules or make it tough on deadlines. While actual editing time may only be 5-8 hours of work, some of the rendering might have taken anywhere from 5 Hrs to 2 days!

The best bet is to plan for any projects ending with final running times of 2 hours or more needing at least 1 to 2 weeks of work / digital acquisition / compression/ dealing with other intangibles.

Essentially, we want to get the product done right, on time, on budget and out of our hard drives as soon as possible. The real budget usually depends upon how well organized / prepared the client is for both the shooting and editing process.

Time Code DVD's can be made available within a week of any shoot if that helps in your planning (free of charge).