How We Edit a Cinematic Pre-Wedding Film

The edit is where a pre-wedding film becomes something a couple watches on repeat or shares once and forgets. Our editing pipeline runs entirely in DaVinci Resolve. Here is our actual process.

Copy to RAID (checksum verified). Backup to separate SSD. Import to DaVinci Resolve in 4K, keeping the frame rate of the source. Organize bins by location and shot type. Tag clips: green=hero, yellow=usable, red=problem. Sync external audio. Generate 1080p proxies if needed. Screen every clip in fast playback.

Select music first — it determines pacing and structure. Build narrative arc: opening establishing, couple intro, activity, transition, emotional peak, closing. Fit the assembly to the runtime of the final cut. Align major cuts to musical beats. Use J-cuts and L-cuts where they hold the rhythm. Vary clip duration: movement, emotion, energy peaks.

A multi-node structure: CST (LOG to Rec. 709), Balance (exposure/WB), Creative grade (the look), Skin protection, Location adjustments (power windows), Film grain/finishing. For SDR video YouTube recommends BT.709 — we grade to that standard. Grade all clips from same location together for consistency.

We pick the tempo to match the mood of the film and license tracks from established libraries. Map film structure to song structure.

Audio layers: music, ambient from location, foley/effects, dialogue, transition bridges. The platform normalizes audio to -14 LUFS — that is YouTube's target level, not our choice; we measure loudness per ITU-R BS.1770 and keep true peak within EBU R 128 (-1 dBTP). Dialogue is cleaned in iZotope RX. Mix checked on monitors, headphones, and phone speaker.

The schedule depends on the amount of source material and the number of locations: we give the exact number after we have reviewed the footage. Rush edits are possible, but color and sound suffer.