Guide
A raw take is one recording before any editing
Updated
A raw take is one recording exactly as it came off the camera or microphone, with pauses, mistakes and restarts still in it. Every edit starts from it.
In short
- A raw take is one recording before any editing, with the pauses, mistakes and restarts still in it.
- A take is one go at recording something. Raw means nothing has been cut or added yet.
- Editing can remove mistakes and pauses, but it cannot add clear sound or a sentence you never said.
- A raw take is longer than the finished video, because the pauses and mistakes are cut out.
- Quieter sound each time you double your distance to the microphone
- About 6 dB
- The longest recording Cutroom accepts
- 3 min
What is a raw take?
A take is one recording, from pressing record to pressing stop. Raw means nobody has edited it yet.
- A raw take still has the pauses, false starts and sentences you said twice.
- It has no cuts, captions, music or zooms yet.
- Raw footage means all the unedited recordings from a shoot together. A raw take is one of them.
- A rough cut is the first edited version, made from the raw take.
- In music, a raw take is a vocal or instrument recording before mixing and effects.
A raw take and the finished video
Length
- Raw take
- Longer
- Finished video
- Shorter
Pauses and mistakes
- Raw take
- Still in
- Finished video
- Cut out
Captions and music
- Raw take
- None
- Finished video
- Usually added
Ready to post
- Raw take
- No
- Finished video
- Yes
| Raw take | Finished video | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Longer | Shorter |
| Pauses and mistakes | Still in | Cut out |
| Captions and music | None | Usually added |
| Ready to post | No | Yes |
What can editing fix in a raw take?
Editing can take things out. It cannot put in what was never recorded.
Problems in a raw take
| Problem | Can editing fix it? |
|---|---|
| A sentence you said twice | Yes, the bad version is cut out |
| Long pauses | Yes, they are removed |
| Fillers like um and uh | Yes, they are removed |
| A sentence you never said | No |
| Sound recorded from across the room | Only partly |
| Low energy in your voice | No |
Problem: A sentence you said twice
- Can editing fix it?
- Yes, the bad version is cut out
Problem: Long pauses
- Can editing fix it?
- Yes, they are removed
Problem: Fillers like um and uh
- Can editing fix it?
- Yes, they are removed
Problem: A sentence you never said
- Can editing fix it?
- No
Problem: Sound recorded from across the room
- Can editing fix it?
- Only partly
Problem: Low energy in your voice
- Can editing fix it?
- No
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How to record a good raw take
A few habits give you a recording that is easy to edit.
- Hold the phone at arm's length. Sound gets about 6 decibels quieter each time you double the distance.
- Keep recording when you make a mistake. Pause, then say the whole sentence again.
- Leave a short pause between sentences, so the editor has a clean place to cut.
- Record in a quiet room, and switch off fans and music.
- Record the whole message in one go instead of in separate files.
How long should a raw take be?
Longer than the finished video, because the pauses and mistakes come out.
- How much gets cut depends on how you talk. A script read out loud loses little, while talking freely loses more.
- In Cutroom, one recording can be up to 3 minutes long.
- If you have more than 3 minutes to say, that is usually several videos. Record one for each.
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom starts from your raw take. You upload it as it is, mistakes included.
- You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom writes out every word. On the Punch and Native styles, it shortens the pauses between the words and removes the ums and uhs that show up in your transcript.
- If you said a sentence twice, both versions stay in the video, because Cutroom cannot delete a line. Record the video again if that matters.
- You get a finished 9:16 MP4 with captions timed to your voice.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
Questions people ask
- Is a raw take the same as raw footage?
- Almost. A raw take is one recording. Raw footage means all the unedited recordings from a shoot together.
- Is a raw take the same as a rough cut?
- No. The raw take is the untouched recording. A rough cut is the first edited version made from it, with the order in place but captions, music and fine trims still missing.
- How long should a raw take be?
- Longer than the finished video, because the pauses and mistakes come out. In Cutroom, one recording can be up to 3 minutes long.
- Should I delete bad takes?
- Not before you edit. A recording that felt bad often holds a sentence you want to keep. Delete it after the video is finished, if at all.
- Do I need to clap before I start talking?
- No, not for a single phone recording. A clap helps line up sound recorded on a separate device. When you edit by transcript, every sentence can be found by its words.
- Can editing fix bad audio in a raw take?
- Only partly. A phone across the room never sounds like a phone at arm's length, whatever you do afterwards. Get the sound right while you record.
Upload your raw take, mistakes and all, and get a finished video back. Your first video is free.