After importing footage, and before starting to edit and join, is logging. Basically, it is the process of going through all the footage (and by all, I mean all) and make the best picks. I have heard of numerous ways that one can use, and this is how I did it.
First, I skimmed through each video file and divided into subfolders by scenes (Opening scene, Cooking Scene, Final Scene). Then I created a sequence in each subfolder, where I trim each file and take the best shots. In case there is a shot which is a wrong take, a test before filming etc, I put them into a separate sub-folder, rather than deleting them. I have heard of this technique where rather than deleting wrong, unused shots, you sort them separately into a sub-folder (some kind of non-destructive editing).
The final result is a sequence per scene having the best shots that I have selected (even if I have 3 of the same shots, I keep them all for now). This process may take a bit longer, depending on the quantity of footage that you need to go through, but it saves a heap of time when joining the actual video. Furthermore, it also helps in avoiding certain mistakes, or using wrong takes in the final work.
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