Editors are used to having to make do with what they’re given; it’s part of the gig, but it’s problematic when a piece of footage that’s planned for is nowhere to be found in the edit bay. There’s numerous causes; the media is corrupted in camera, a drive goes bad, not all the footage gets transferred, or the videographer simply didn’t get the shot. There’s no need to point fingers, there’s only a need to solve the problem. That’s where having a general contingency plan ahead of time will save you.
The problem
Let’s say you were given the footage for a touching profile piece from a local hospital. A story about how the hospital’s services changed the course of one man’s life. It’s a beautiful tear-jerker about second chances. As the edit unfolds, it’s clear the story’s climax is when the man talks about his young daughter’s reaction to his new health. There’s only one problem, there’s no footage to support this outside of the interviews.
In the edit bay there’s interview footage of the patient who tells the main narrative, interviews with his family, B-roll of the hospital experience and individual B-roll of the main character that highlights his new health. The production crew is sure they got some footage of the man coming home and his young daughter running into his arms, but the footage is nowhere to be found.
In order for there to be an emotional pull and for the edit to set pace, you’ll need more footage.
The footage for the climax is a sequence of interview shots of the main character. In order for there to be an emotional pull and for the edit to set pace, you’ll need more footage. Here’s five ways you can replace the missing footage.
Reshoot
Sure, it’s an easy out, but when possible, there’s no better solution than getting the exact footage the edit needs. In this case, the editor won’t be able to recreate the magic of the patient arriving home, but there’s the possibility of capturing an endearing moment between the father and daughter. While you can fix many things in post-production, it’s always best to reshoot the scene before you hit the editing room. This will cut down on production time and ultimately result in a higher-quality outcome.
Additionally, reshooting gives you the opportunity to correct any technical issues that might have existed in the original footage, such as lighting or composition. You might even choose to shoot at a different time of day or location that better suits the mood you’re trying to convey, which could result in an even better scene.
However, it’s not always preferable or realistic to do a reshoot. You have to coordinate with talent and crew, secure the same location and ensure continuity in wardrobe and props. Ultimately, it may end up taking more time and resources than a fix in post-production in certain cases.
Stock footage
It might not be the real thing, but stock footage can provide a solution that hits the allegorical need of the story and pulls on all the right heart strings. A simple slow motion close-up of a child’s hand reaching up to her father’s may sound cliche, but it can work in a pinch. One way to take stock footage into the conceptual realm is to stylize it. This tells the audience you know the footage isn’t the real thing and the goal here is to hit on emotion.
When it comes to sourcing and stylizing stock footage, there are several software options available that can help you seamlessly integrate it into your project:
- Envato Elements
- Storyblocks
- Adobe Stock
- Shutterstock
- iStock
- Pond5
- Vimeo Stock
- 123RF
Outtakes as B-roll
It wouldn’t hurt to scrub through the interview bins and see if there are any shots of the main character or his family that are simple reaction shots, not speaking segments of the interview. There’s a good chance that one of these reactions carries the right emotional weight for the scene, or at least conveys the desired emotion when carefully cut into the context of the interview.
For instance, a brief shot of the main character’s eyes welling up with tears, a deep breath taken by a family member or even a subtle nod of understanding can speak volumes without a single word being uttered. These non-verbal cues can sometimes communicate more effectively than dialogue, as they allow the audience to feel the emotion rather than simply being told about it. The key is to find those authentic, unscripted moments that might have been overlooked during the initial review. In some cases, you might even consider slowing down the reaction shots slightly to give them more emphasis.
Moreover, moments like this are greatly enhanced by using a well-chosen musical score. Music is a powerful tool in filmmaking, capable of amplifying emotions and guiding the audience’s response to a scene. For example, a soft, melancholic piano melody might elevate a scene of reflection, while a swelling orchestral piece could intensify a moment of joy or relief.
Carry it through
Transitions are best left invisible, as something that goes unnoticed to the general audience. However, there are times when a transition can be used to make an exclamation. In this case, you could consider the entire edit and establish a transitional device, such as a dip through black, to signal emotional beats throughout the story. The pacing of the transition is important here. If done correctly, you’ll build an expectation for the length of the transition and the audience will pick up the emotional meaning behind it each time it’s used. When you get to the final beat, the climax of the story, you can hold the transition slightly longer to build the audience’s anticipation. Then, when they’re on the cusp of the moment, you can fade out of black into the final interview statement, and it will resonate with the audience.
More than words
Although it’s a reach, one thing you will want to do is go through the shoot logs and the interview footage to see if there’s a quote in the interview that reflects the emotion of the video’s climax. If there is, find a way to cut that clip in earlier to the story and highlight that quote with a text based motion graphic when it’s stated in the sequence. Then, when the climax of the story hits, you can cut back to the motion graphic and it will look like that moment was foreshadowed earlier in the edit.
An editor’s job is to take what they’re given and make something that’s greater than the sum of its parts. There will always be edits with missing footage, some will be easy to fix and others will be a true challenge. If you have an idea of what you can do to solve a problem before you encounter it, you’ll never miss a thing.
