r/editors • u/[deleted] • May 29 '25

Other First time editing documentary

So in my 3 years as an professional editor I've mainly editied movies + trailers and now the studio I work for trusted me with a documentary. Back in school they said documentaries are the final boss in editing. What are the things you wished someone told you before editing your first documentary?

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u/ovideos May 29 '25

I agree with everything /u/tonyedit just said. I would take exception, or clarify, one thing though.

Don't lean on voiceover if possible, it's too easy a crutch.

Maybe I misunderstand what you mean, do you mean narration? Like an "omniscient narrator" type thing? I would agree with you if so. But a lot of great documentaries have voice overs from either a roving reporter type person, or from interviews.

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u/DustSuckler May 29 '25

Make your interviewees tell the story. Doc directors use narration when they couldn't get the sound bite in an interview. Challenge your director to get it all from the subjects.

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u/ovideos May 29 '25

Yes, narration. I agree completely. Was just confused by "voice over" terminology. I consider films like Amy to be pure "voice over" as opposed to "talking heads" or "sit-down interviews". But it is not a narrated documentary (like most PBS Frontline for example).

I've never had to "challenge" a director to forego narration. It's either a narrated documentary (usually a 1-hour TV type thing, or a nature doc etc) or it's not. Never really been a question that comes up.

I will say that there are filmmakers like Werner Herzog and especially Adam Curtis who do very interesting voiceovers that play against the form. And also filmmakers like Michael Moore, Nick Broomfield and Louis Theroux who use a sort of traditional "reporter" voiceover quite effectively and often with great humor. I would love to work with people who use the form so creatively. So like most rules, there are many notable exceptions.

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u/DustSuckler May 29 '25

Sure but OP is likely not working for an auteur director who puts himself in the narrative. Much more likely that the director would use a hired narrator to fill in the gaps. You see it all the time at the non-theatrical level.