Editing workshopEditing can make or break your animation film.
There are many software for film editing. The Windows Movie Maker is good enough. But if you really want to have fun, you should try Adobe Premiere for PC and Final Cut Pro for a Mac computer.
All editing software will have multiple video and audio tracks. They will have a sissors or cutter to cut the footage and eleminate the empty space in-between. They will also have some transitions like a cross fade, in which one footage dissolves into another.
To edit your film:
1. Import all footage and sound files into the software's project window.
2. Place the animation footage in the video track.
3. Cut and delete all errors in the footage and place it sequentially.
4. Add a title and end credits.
5. Import the sound files into 4 audio tracks and syncronize them with the visuals. Tweek them, increase or decrease their volume to make one composite sound design.
6. Render the animation film as a .avi or .mov or .swf file.
7. Play it through the Windows Media Player or Quicktime Media Player
Enjoy! Show it off! Send us a copy.
Graphic User Interface of a typical editing software
All editing softwares are made of similar features. Names and positions of the graphic user interface may change but the work they do is the same.
In most editing software, the top right is the "Project window". It contains all the files required for the film. The titles, film footage, music and sound effects will all be imported into this window. Next to it will be thumbnails of the footage, effect or transition you want to use.
At the top right corner is the stage or the monitor. All changes made in the film footage can be viewed in this window.
At the bottom is the Timeline". This can have 2 or more video and audio tracks.
The basic process is to drag the footage or file from the project window into the timeline; to cut the footage and place it in a sequence on the time line.
Synchronize the visuals with the sound tracks and play the film to correct and make adjustments.