Editing is a skill that seems basic on the face of it, but which is very nuanced with lots of things to consider. There’s a huge gulf between being able to edit and being able to edit well, so read on, and we’ll try and ensure that you are doing more of the latter.
Give Yourself a Fighting Chance
The first tip is to try and give yourself a fighting chance for editing. This means ideally creating as much footage as possible in your recordings so that you have more to work with. The more filming you do, the more options you’ll have when you arrange your video into a sequence.
The Objective of Editing
Now, when you come down to editing, make sure that you have a good idea of what you’re setting out to do. Primarily, the job of a good editor is to try and ensure a sense of flow so that all your individual parts stick together in a way that doesn’t draw attention to itself. At the same time, you want to remove mistakes and long pauses that might take the viewer out of what they’re watching.
To ensure flow, you need to make sure that you never seem to lose time. This means that there should be continuity between your shorts as though it was all done in one take, but you moved around a lot. That’s why you should never edit together two shots from the same angle without a transition. If you do this, it will look as though everything has suddenly moved, and you’ve skipped time.
There are exceptions when this is a useful technique. It is called a ‘jump cut’ and it can be very useful when applied to a vlog format for comic relief.
Otherwise, try to always use a transition between your shots, or better yet, jump between different angles.
Transitions
Transitions are things like fades, peels, dissolves, and slides that animate your edit. As mentioned, these can be useful for avoiding the jarring feeling of a jump cut.
But it’s generally preferable to switch angle instead. Why? Because when transitions are overdone, it tends to feel a little amateur. Use this technique sparingly and when you do use it, choose transitions that aren’t too over the top.
Movement
Another tip in your editing is to try and keep the movement going and to keep the energy high. This means avoiding long pauses and trying to trim more and more off your shots.
Be ruthless, and you might be surprised how much it improves the flow of your video.
Biggest Video Production Mistakes
Creating a professional video can do wonders for your business and the impact this can have been, in fact, profound. Just as a video can have a very powerful positive effect on your business, if you get it wrong, it can have a potent negative effect.
While a video with great production values can make your business look more professional and resourceful, an awkward, stilted or poorly put together video can end up making you look amateurish and put prospective customers off from using your services.
And for everything you’re getting right, it only takes a couple of mistakes to undermine the positives and to ruin the results. Here are some of the most common mistakes that get made in video production, then for you to avoid.
Dressing Up Too Much
If you’re a guy in a suit sitting in his front room, you won’t look professional, you’ll look ridiculous. Likewise, if you’re a woman in a ball gown who has plastered on the makeup, then you’ll look ridiculous.
The key is to look smart, but as though you’re not trying. Likewise, you should look hip and in-tune with current business trends. Right now, the old-fashioned corporate look is somewhat dated. Think ‘LA startup’ instead of ‘business from 1990’.
Dressing Up Too Little
Likewise, though, you also shouldn’t look scruffy. Look after your hair, consider using a little foundation to smooth out your skin tone and wear something new.
There’s a reason professional actors have entire makeup departments, makeup works. Do not hesitate to even your tone with some foundation. Just as women will often wear lipstick to emphasize their mouths on camera, men should consider a high-quality chapstick with a slight sheen for the same reason.
Filming Too Close
Being awkwardly close in a video can really hurt the look of it and just feels off-putting. Likewise, though, being too far away also has its downsides. Look for a happy medium and find a natural distance. Ask yourself, when a friend is visiting, where do they sit compared to where you sit for a friendly chat. That’s where your camera should be.
Poor Sound Quality
If people must strain to hear your videos, you need to re-record the sound. There are many reasons this can happen – from poor acoustics to an overly loud backing track. Whatever the case, make sure this isn’t hampering your videos.
Bad Lighting
A lot of amateur cameramen won’t think about the lighting in their set-up. Sometimes they can get lucky, and it won’t matter, but in other cases this can lead to glare and will generally be distracting.
Being Overly Ambitious
Overall, many of these mistakes are a symptom of being overly ambitious in your video production. If you aren’t confident in your ability to film, then avoid doing it by using something like Easy Sketch Pro, or PowerPoint.
FROM SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR, ALEX GENADINIK
- 1:52 Hours
- Step-by-Step
- 24 Videos
- Actionable Downloads Included
Improve Video Production In 1 Day is a complete 8-module, 24-video training course taught by an entrepreneur who has been using inexpensive videos to market, promote and grow his business year after year.
In this course, Alex will take your hand and walk you through everything you need (and need to know) to create masterfully converting videos.
