ROLE: ASSISTANT Editor
I was asked to be the assistant editor for TV commercials made by LeapFrog, a large, well known toy company. The two adverts were for a smart pen and a toy BBQ.
Post Production for the BBQ Advert
With the footage, I was given a layout of how they wanted the advert, otherwise known as a shooting script. I was surprised not to get a storyboard, but instead a written out layout of what the agency wanted and agreed on. When I talked to Dave Mills, a commercial director, he said that this can be quite normal because the shoots are quick and simple, so there’s no need for a storyboard.
I was also given a shot list, so I compared the advert layout with the shot list to try and work out which shots they wanted and where.
Dave Mills, the director of the shoot, wanted me to find all of the best parts of each shot, as when they were with the kid, they shot for a long time to try and get what they wanted. To make the layout cleaner, I decided to create a timeline for every shot and pull up every part that worked well. I coloured all of the sequences in different colours as well.
Example of the sequences I created for the “BBQ AD” 
Creating the different sequences made it easier to create the final timeline. Making each shot a different colour made it easier to replace the shot if the part I picked didn’t work.
Post Production for the Smart Pen
The post production for the smart pen was a lot harder, because I also had audio to consider and it was a 30 second advert with a lot more information to fit in. Furthermore the shot list and advert layout made even less sense then the BBQ Ad.
I did the same as the first edit, in the sense of putting each shot in a timeline and finding the best parts of each one.
Example of sequences for “Smart Pen Ad” 
This time I really had to keep in mind the audio and the placements of the graphics since the editor would be filling in the gaps.
Short Evaluation
I really enjoyed this project as it was a challenge. I hadn’t edited for a while, so it was good practice for getting back into it. I know that I want to be a director, but I think editing is an important skill. You can start to learn where cuts go and where shots should be for coverage. In the book Film and Video Editing, it says “The shooting script or… the shot list, is meant to provides us with a template for the video before exists. However, each director is dealing… with the fundamental question” how do I shoot to provide the most effective material for editing?” (Crittenden, 1981) This will really help remind me in future, I should always keep then edit in mind, especially when making a commercial. This way, you will be more wary of how it will cut together with the different angles, continuity and the storyline itself.
For the pen advert, they uploaded the final cut onto their Youtube channel, so I can actually see what my edit contributed to the final edit.
Final edit for leapfrog, TV Advert:
Bibliography
Crittenden, R. (1981). Film and Video Editing. 2nd ed. London: Blueprint, p.37.
Izzy Pye - Filmmaker 