In daily video editing, it is important not to forget to constantly learn and improve your skills. For this, it is necessary both to learn new techniques and to focus on already mastered ones. All for the sake of conveying the message and idea of your works to the audience as best as possible. And, of course, to interest her.
This requires not only the ability to edit video but also the ability to tell a story using video and audio. The first step to telling a good story is to understand the message you want to convey and to think about the audience’s interests and current trends. It will also be useful to borrow a habit from athletes – constant repetition. This will help you improve your skills to an automatic level. You won’t need to think to do the routine work and focus more on thinking through the story and how to make it happen.
Tell a story
A well-told story is what engages the audience and keeps them interested. Whether you’re creating a commercial, a documentary, or a short film, your video should tell a story that engages and resonates with your audience.
The first step to telling a good story is to understand the message you want to convey. Think about the audience and what they will find interesting. Determine which trends are relevant now and what they have in common with your idea. Identify the key points of the story and create a script or storyboard that outlines the flow of the video. It will not be superfluous for a video editor to read books about screenwriting to understand how to properly create good stories. To tell a story effectively, it’s important to plan and organize your footage before you start editing. This includes selecting the best shots, sequencing them in a logical order, and making sure that they flow seamlessly from one to the next.
When editing, focus on capturing the emotion of the story and ensure that the pacing of the video matches the tone of the story. Use music, sound effects, and visual effects to enhance the emotional impact of the story. The video editor must predict what emotions the viewer should feel at specific moments. And then put the frames in such a way as to enhance these emotions.
Learn from your mistakes
As with any creative process, mistakes are bound to happen in video editing. When you make a mistake, take a step back, analyze what went wrong, and figure out how you can avoid making the same mistake in the future. It’s important to use these mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning.
One way to learn from your mistakes is to watch your edited videos critically. This will help you identify areas where you can improve, such as pacing, transitions, or color grading. You can also resort to outside help. Show your work to colleagues or friends and ask them what they don’t like about the video. Take note of the feedback you receive and use it to refine your editing skills.
It is important to understand, that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. The key is to learn from those mistakes and apply those lessons to future projects.
Be patient
Video editing can be a time-consuming process, especially when working on longer projects. After you finish editing your video, it may seem like the job is done and you can relax. But it’s a misleading and premature feeling that every video editor should experience. The work will be considered completed when the client gives his consent. Until then, you need to be patient and keep working.
It’s important not to rush through the process. Take the time to carefully review each clip and make sure it fits within the context of the story. Be prepared to make multiple revisions and adjustments to ensure that the final product is the best it can be. Sometimes you need to go for a walk and then look at your work again. In this way, you will look at your result with a fresh head and you will be able to find mistakes that you missed during work.
It’s also important to take breaks when you need them. Go for a walk, prepare a meal, or do sports. Staring at a screen for hours on end can be mentally exhausting and lead to burnout. And burnout in video editing becomes the beginning of the end of the entire career. We do not need this, therefore, after fruitful work, there should be no less fruitful rest. Take breaks regularly to recharge your batteries and come back to your work with fresh eyes. And do not rush to finalize the project! Be patient and do your work diligently.
Pay attention to the detail
Attention to detail is what separates amateur videos from professional ones. Every frame, transition, and effect needs to be carefully crafted to create a cohesive and professional video. So, attention to detail is one of the top skills every video editor needs to improve.
To improve your attention to detail, it’s important to work in a distraction-free environment and take breaks when you feel yourself getting fatigued.
And you need to develop this skill gradually. First, pay attention to the frame itself: its movement, sharpness, color, and what is happening in the frame. Also, pay attention to the sound: its volume, so that there are no too loud or too quiet moments so that extraneous noises do not interrupt the main sound.
Over time, become more meticulous about your work. Pay attention to how objects move in the background frame, whether the movement of the first frame matches the movement of the next, whether the composition of the frame is correct, and whether the light is correctly exposed so that the main objects are in focus and look sharp. So that the level of all sounds is the same, and additional noises sound realistic. And then it is even more meticulous: that the contrast of all frames is the same, that each frame moves your story forward to a logical conclusion, that there is no unnecessary movement, no unnecessary sound.
All your attention should be directed to the materials you are working with. Everything outside the monitor should not distract you.
Consider the length of your video
The length of your video will depend on the purpose and audience of the video. All this should be researched even before starting the selection of materials so that you do not have to shorten or extend the video later.
In the world of modern trends, short videos began to capture more and more of the market. Therefore, video editors are increasingly trying to cram all their food into a few seconds. But, in addition to trends, traditional video lengths remain. These are, for example, music videos, video presentations, short and full-length films, etc. Consider the purpose of the video and the attention span of the audience when determining the appropriate length. If the video is a promotional piece or a tutorial, it may need to be longer to convey all the necessary information. However, if the video is meant to be a teaser or a highlight reel, it’s important to keep it short and sweet.
When editing your video, pay attention to the pacing and flow of the footage. Cut out any unnecessary shots or moments that don’t add to the overall story. You can also experiment with different editing techniques, such as using jump cuts or time-lapses, to keep the audience interested. Various techniques can help you slow down or speed up time and thereby save or add precious seconds.
Conclusion
Video editing requires planning, organization, and attention to detail. And, of course, improve your video editing skills! During the editing process, focus on capturing the story’s emotion and ensure that the pacing of the video matches the tone of the story. Attention to detail is what separates amateur videos from professional ones, so gradually develop this skill over time. Mistakes are an essential part of the learning process, so use them as opportunities to improve your skills. Finally, consider the purpose and audience of the video when determining the appropriate length.
Be patient and take the time to ensure that the final product is the best it can be.