Computer Editing: Making the Most of Bad Footage

If you're like most video editors, you'll have occasion to edit footage that someone else shot. For many editors, this can be a harrowing experience. After all, your reputation as an editor is on the line. You have no control over the quality of the footage you receive, but you're committed to putting your name on a first-rate finished product. You may get lucky. Maybe you'll receive footage that looks and sounds pristine. But, come on; let's be realistic. When you agree to put together a video yearbook for a junior high basketball team using nothing but clips of home video, you shouldn't expect stuff that looks like it was shot for ESPN.
So what do you do when turning out a crummy-looking video isn't an option, but all you have to work with are... crumbs? When handed shaky, sloppy, poorly-shot footage, apply the following time-tested post-production tips and tricks. Let's use the video for that junior high basketball team to illustrate just how they can work.

Shake it Up, Baby

One of the most common problems with editing amateur video is shaky, handheld footage. Most of our basketball game footage, recorded from the top of the bleachers, incorporated a telephoto setting. Other shots were taken at floor-level, where the camera operator zoomed-in to the far end of the court for a series of close-up shots; the camera swooping left and right to highlight each player as she ran up and down the court. The footage from both locations was shot slightly off-level, adding a precarious tilt to the floor.
One of the best ways to smooth out shaky shots is to add a strobe effect when you edit. To create this effect, add a strobe filter (called "Posterize Time" in Adobe Premiere 6.0) in your editing program, or run your footage through an external time base corrector (TBC) with a strobe feature. The strobe essentially holds some frames on the screen longer and skips over others. This reduces the impact of the jarring shakes and creates an artsy effect. Often, the shakier the raw footage, the better it looks when strobed. This works extremely well when editing montages and highlights set to music. So, don't throw away that shaky footage. Strobe it and use it to create a cool music montage. I've even used this technique on a commercial or two shot by "professional" camera operators.
A slow-motion effect can also smooth out shaky shots. Simply apply a speed effect in your editing program. The slow-motion effect does not eliminate frames, however, so your viewers will still see all of the camera motion. And bear in mind, speed effects will alter the speed of the accompanying audio. This is not a problem with strobed clips. Don't discard the slow-mo altogether. There is a better use for it as a patch for bad footage.<…