Multi-camera editing with cutaways and opacity effects

The practical advantage of using overlays and opacity is that it makes multi-camera editing a lot easier. Multi-camera editing means cutting together two different shots of the same thing that were shot at the same time. Most TV shows (especially live ones) are filmed with five or more cameras at the same time; multi-camera setups are often used to record different angles of live events, so the editor can choose the best bits from each camera later. This second use of multi-camera setups is the kind of multi-camera editing we’re going to look at here.

The Chapter 6: Multi-Camera Editing folder in this book’s resources contains footage of a band performing a song. Two cameras were filming it: one getting a wide shot of all the performers, and the other getting creative and visually interesting close-ups of drum beats, guitar strings, and the lead vocalist singing. As an editor, your job is to choose the best bits...