Before you watch: know what the film is for
The story you're looking for is the one your client has in mind. Before I open any footage, I make sure I can answer three questions. If I can't, I ask.
- 1Who is it for?Customers, a corporate team, family, people at the next event? The audience decides the pace and the tone.
- 2What should they feel or do?Book a call, trust the clinic, feel proud, remember the day? That's the ending you're building towards.
- 3What must be said?The two or three points the client can't leave out. Write them down, and find where they're said.
The video has to speak my client's mind, not mine.
From hours to minutes
Every project goes through the same narrowing. You don't jump from six hours to four minutes in one go. Each pass keeps the best of the last one.
- Raw footage6 hoursEverything that was filmed
- Marked moments90 minWhat moved you on the first watch
- String-out25 minYour best selects in one sequence
- Rough cut8 minThe story in its shape
- The film4 minEvery line earns its place
Step 1: Organize and transcribe everything
Put interviews, talks, b-roll and audio in their own bins, as in the event-video tutorial. Then transcribe every clip where people speak: select the clips, open the Text panel and choose Transcribe. Hours of talking become text you can read and search in minutes.
Premiere's Search panel goes further. It analyzes your footage on your own computer, so you can search for what's in a shot, like "people clapping" or "close-up of hands", as well as for spoken words.
Step 2: Watch it all once, and mark what moves you
Watch everything once, without cutting. When something makes you smile, lean in or feel something, press M to add a marker and type a few words in its comment. Use one color for strong lines and another for great b-roll.
Step 3: Search the transcript for the moments you need
Your notes from step 2 tell you what the story needs. Now search for it. Type a word into the transcript's search and every place it was said shows up. Try it:
When I opened the clinic, I was the only dentist in town who did implants.
Honestly, I came for the lunch. I stayed for the second talk.
The first patient I ever treated still comes to see me. She brings her grandchildren now.
Can everyone at the back hear me? Let me fix this mic.
I'm proud of this team. We trained 400 dentists this year.
My patients notice the difference. They smile more in their photos.
What I want you to take home is simple: listen to your patients first.
Thank you for coming. We'll see you all next year, and bring a friend.
Add strong lines here with “+ Select”.
Step 4: Pull your selects into a string-out
Create a new sequence called "Selects". In the Text panel, highlight a sentence and insert it into the sequence, or set In and Out points (I and O) in the Source Monitor. Do this for every strong moment, in any order. This long sequence is your string-out.
Keep it generous at this stage. It's easier to cut a good line later than to go back through six hours for one you skipped.
Step 5: Find the shape
Now arrange the selects into a story. Most films follow a simple shape, and the shape depends on the kind of film:
- 1Hook
- 2Why we're here
- 3Highlights
- 4Emotion
- 5Close
- 1Where they started
- 2The struggle
- 3The turning point
- 4Where they are now
- 5The invitation
- 1Arrival
- 2The wow room
- 3Details
- 4Lifestyle
- 5Call to view
Try it with lines from a seminar. Tap them in the order you'd use them, then check your story:
Tap the lines above in the order you'd use them.
Step 6: Cut it down
Duplicate the sequence before each big pass (Story v1, v2, v3), so you can always go back. Then cut. Take out lines that say the same thing twice. Shorten long answers to their strongest sentence. If you can't say why a line is there, it probably doesn't need to be.
Then step away. Even an hour helps. You'll come back and hear what's slow straight away.
Step 7: Check it with fresh eyes
Once the story works with sound only, add b-roll, music and polish. The event-video tutorial shows how.
Common questions
How do you find the story in hours of footage?
Know what the film is for, transcribe everything, watch it once and mark the strong moments, pull them into a selects sequence, then arrange and cut them into a simple shape.
What is a string-out in video editing?
A string-out is a sequence of all your best moments, one after another, before you shape the story. It's the step between raw footage and a rough cut.
How do I search footage by what people say in Premiere Pro?
Transcribe the clips in the Text panel, then search the transcript. You can also use the Search panel to find spoken words and visual content across your project.
How long does it take to find the story in an edit?
Often as long as the cutting itself. Watching everything once and building selects is the slow part, but it makes every later step faster.
