Directing the Documentary, 7th Edition

P A R T 5

POSTPRODUCTION

Postproduction is the extremely creative editing phase. In it, sound and picture “dailies” or “rushes” are combined with graphics, text, captions, photographs, or animation to begin weaving together the finished product for an audience. Editing is usually a long, experimental process, and often reaches so deeply and radically into the material that it’s like a second chance to direct.

Usually the major challenge is to find a dramatic structure that delivers the story in its most striking form. Some films, having a predetermined temporal spine, are easier because their subjects follow a clearly defined series of steps, such as rescuing miners after a mining accident, or an oboe student taking an all-important music ...