The Magic of Post-Production

The director guides the talent on set to get their best performances. The magic of post-production is that your video can take on a new angle in the edit room. The editor is a second director whose job is to craft each individual shot into a story.

Good B-roll Tells Its Own Story

When used well, b-roll tells its own secondary story line that aligns the main message with strong visuals. Depending on the topic, your b-roll might be new footage or archival shots. If your subject is speaking out the strong coworker relationships at your company, you might show footage of a collaborative team meeting. If your video is announcing a new leader, you may weave in shots of the executive introducing themself to members of the staff.

A few years ago, Tribe made a series of executive profile videos for UBS. For our profile on Alli McCartney, Managing Director of Wealth Management, we wove together shots of her commute through New York City and meeting with coworkers. The story that she tells through narration matches her friendly body language to enhance her message.

Frankenbiting Audio for the Perfect Performance

Executives who are nervous in front of a camera may feel pressured to get it right all in one take. In reality, the editor can stitch together several takes to get your delivery just right. This process of hacking and recombining words is nicknamed “Frankenbiting.”

The term was coined by “reality” TV producers who use editing software to make people say things they really didn’t say. Instead, we use the process to allow you to say what you wanted to say, but somehow flubbed.

The Editor is the Visual Poet

We also like to call the editor “the visual poet.” Vern speaks more to this concept in this short video with PBS’s David Brancaccio: