Post-Production: Editing, VFX and Sound Design
What the domain tests
This domain checks timeline craft, colour workflow, basic compositing and sound finishing. Questions often ask you to choose the right cut, codec or loudness target for a given delivery.
Core rules and concepts
- Editing grammar: cut on action, match cut, J-cut (audio leads picture) and L-cut (audio trails picture). Maintain screen direction and the 180-degree rule.
- Workflow: ingest, proxy editing, conform, primary grade, secondary grade, titles, mix, export. Scopes - waveform and vectorscope - are more reliable than the eye.
- VFX: chroma key, rotoscoping, motion tracking, compositing and rendering. Light the green screen separately and keep the subject away from it to avoid spill.
- Sound: dialogue edit, foley, ambience, ADR, then stems and mix. Broadcast loudness is commonly −23 LUFS (EBU R128); streaming platforms often normalise near −14 LUFS.
Worked example
A wide two-shot cuts to a close-up while Character B is still speaking. A hard picture cut feels abrupt. Reasoning: start B’s audio two seconds before the picture cut - a J-cut - so the audience is already following the voice when the frame changes. The cut now feels motivated and hides the edit.
Traps that cost marks
- Cutting before an action completes, creating a jump in continuity.
- Grading by monitor alone without checking the waveform.
- Keying a subject wearing green, or leaving green spill on hair and shoulders.
- Exporting a low-bitrate H.264 file as the master instead of a high-quality intermediate.