Context
For this week we began and completed the Matthew Gamble golf interview. the original inerview was around 20 mins long and the aim was to condense this into a shorter 5 min piece that told a clear and impactful story.
Matthew is a golfer who plays with one hand, so rather than simply creating a shortened version of the interview, I wanted the final edit to focus on his story, the challenges he has faced and his experience within golf. The main challenge was deciding which parts of the original 20-minute interview were actually necessary to tell this story while still allowing Matthew’s personality and experiences to come through.
The target audience for the piece was primarily people interested in sport and human-interest stories, particularly audiences who may not necessarily follow golf but could still connect with Matthew’s story.
Research
Technical
We did this piece on Adobe Priemere Pro as it is generally the industry standard to edit highlights packages on, we also researched different editing applications such as final cut pro which we could not use due to its exclusivity to apple branded products, and divinci resolve. Premiere pro was really useful because I needed to work with multiple video and audio tracks, as well as broll, music and sound effects.
One technique I used more heavily within this edit was the J-cut. Instead of always cutting the audio and video at exactly the same point, I allowed the audio from the upcoming section to begin before its corresponding visual appeared. This helped connect different sections of the interview together and made some of the transitions feel less abrupt.
I also organised downloaded sound effects into a separate SFX library before bringing them into Premiere. This meant that I could find and reuse sounds more efficiently rather than having individual files spread across different folders.
Story
The story was the most important part of the edit becuase I had around 20 mins of matherial but 5 mins of a finished piece.
Instrad of simply taking 5 mins of the original interview I listened through the questsions and answered that proved to be the most impactful parts, I wanted the audience to understand who he was and his relationship with golf.
This meant that some answeres had to be shortened considerably or removed completley.
I also used B-roll to support what Matthew was saying rather than simply covering cuts. For example, when he discussed some of the social challenges he had experienced, I selected relevant footage of him that kept Matthew visually present within the story.
Stylistic
For the style, I wanted the piece to feel calm and reflectiverather than the fast paced sports highlights we had previously done.
I layered the music underneath setions of the interview to establish this atmospehere. The music kept under the dialouge rather than overpowering it because Matthews story was the main focus. This gave the audience something visually relevant to watch while still hearing Matthew tell his story.
Problem Solving
Problem: The original interview was approximately 20 minutes long, but the finished piece needed to be around 5 minutes.
Solution: I identified the strongest sections of Matthew’s interview and prioritised answers that either introduced important information, revealed something about him or progressed the overall story. Repeated or less relevant sections were removed.
Problem: Cutting heavily between different parts of the interview sometimes made the edit feel abrupt.
Solution: I used J-cuts and allowed audio to overlap some visual transitions. This meant the audience could begin hearing the next section before seeing the corresponding footage, creating a smoother transition between ideas.
Problem: A five-minute interview using mainly the same camera angle could become visually repetitive.
Solution: I used relevant B-roll of Matthew and the golf course throughout the piece. I tried to make the B-roll relate directly to what Matthew was discussing rather than adding footage purely for visual variety.
Evaluation and Reflection
What Went Well (WWW)
- I think I successfully condensed approximately 20 minutes of interview footage into a 5-minute story without simply making the interview feel shortened. I focused on selecting the moments that contributed most to Matthew’s story and removed information that did not progress the piece.
- I improved my use of B-roll as a storytelling tool. Instead of placing random golf footage over cuts, I tried to select footage that related to what Matthew was discussing. This made the visuals feel more purposeful.
- I also developed my audio editing within Premiere by using music, natural sound, separate audio tracks and J-cuts. This helped transitions between different sections feel smoother and gave the final piece a more polished and cinematic feel.
Even Better If (EBI)
- I could improve my workflow by creating a paper edit or transcript-based rough cut before beginning the main timeline edit. With around 20 minutes of interview material, identifying the strongest quotes beforehand would make it easier to construct the 5-minute narrative.
- I could experiment more with the pacing of the B-roll. Some sections could potentially hold on a shot for longer during more emotional moments, while other sections could use quicker cuts depending on what Matthew is discussing.
- I could also develop the sound design further by recording or using more natural golf-course ambience rather than relying mainly on downloaded sound effects. Sounds such as wind, birds, footsteps on grass and golf shots could help establish a stronger sense of location.
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