You know that the editing process can be time-consuming and demanding. Especially when it comes to long talking videos. Especially when it comes to podcasts, which are very popular now. Regardless of one’s editing abilities, anyone can make changes to them.
Thousands of podcasts are created every day and you may be one of the editors who do. But have you optimized your work correctly so you don’t spend dozens of hours editing one podcast episode? This should be checked!
Start of work
As always, before starting editing, we do all the preparatory work: sort materials, synchronize video and audio, and create backup copies of sequences. The latter task is for quickly finding lost synchronized materials if needed.
Now can proceed to the editing itself.
TIP 1: Primarily – edit voices
Podcasts are essentially video recordings of conversations. Therefore, the most attention should be paid to the sound. And the secret is not to process many pieces of audio after editing and to be able to quickly return deleted fragments. To ensure quality, we begin by processing the complete sound recording. This enables you to promptly identify any imperfections or damage in audio.
It is great if each speaker is recorded separately. Then there is an opportunity to individually adjust everything to a person’s voice: volume, noise reduction, problematic pronunciation of sounds, etc. People on the podcast can sit further or closer to the microphone, speak louder or quieter. Therefore, when everyone is recorded separately, it makes the work easier.
If not, you have two speakers recorded in one file, then you should make general settings that normalize the sound of both people and will not hear extraneous noises. The quality will not be the best, but you can listen without discomfort. In this case, the main thing is to achieve the same volume for both speakers.
The main thing to remember is that the sound should be processed first. If the sound is bad, then you can stop working, because nobody will watch it. More precisely, listen.
TIP 2: Use keyboard shortcuts
You can talk about this topic forever, but one thing remains a fact – the use of hotkeys is necessary for every self-respecting video editor.
And in general, everything is very simple here. Editing podcasts is a monotonous job that requires automation in your actions to minimize pauses while viewing materials. For this, it is necessary to use shortcuts. Here’s what you need to have:
- cut frame
- hide frame
- delete the frame
- zoom in/out of the timeline
You can configure them yourself in the software you are working in or use an already existing combination. By using shortcuts, you will speed up your work by two or even more times.
TIP 3: Multi-camera editing
Editing a podcast is exactly the case when using multi-camera editing is simply necessary. Podcasts are usually filmed with two or more cameras. Viewing each camera separately is too time-consuming. And you will not be paid as much as it would be worth. Therefore, experienced editors use the most effective editing methods. Listen to what is being said, think about what is being said, and just watch.
At first, it can be difficult to get used to following all the cameras at the same time. Here’s a little tip:
It is worth following first of all the camera of the person who is speaking. From time to time, “one eye follows” the camera of the one listening. If there is an active dialogue, it is better to show a long shot where all the speakers are visible.
Don’t stay on one frame for more than a minute. Show the reaction of the listener to what is being said. Show the long shot, even if only one is speaking. Maybe he is gesturing and showing something. In this case, the long shot will be appropriate.
If you train this method of tracking while working with materials, the podcast will be edited very quickly, regardless of its length.
TIP 4: Make notes right away
This tip is more for when you need to cut highlights for podcast intros and take breaks during discussions.
Since it is not for us to listen to the podcast several times (you will not be paid extra for this), you need to mark everything at once.
What is meant
You edit the podcast, listen to what the speakers are talking about. Find a funny, intriguing, or simply interesting moment. Put a pause, highlighted this moment with a marker or title, or simply inserted this fragment into another sequence. The latter method is especially effective because you don’t have to go back re-listen and cut out all the moments.
Markers can also be used to mark the places where there will be a break in the podcast, to divide the topics that were discussed, or to mark the places where you need to make an animation or another insert.
TIP 5: Create and use templates
Advice for those who regularly edit podcasts regularly. Creating templates and using them will be an irreplaceable acceleration of your work.
For example, if one of the speakers is present on all podcasts, you can create a template for audio processing that will be used during editing. Once you create a template, configure it, and next times just apply it. No more wasting time on the next podcast episodes, performing the same work.
This also applies to color. If your podcast is recorded in one or more locations continuously, create templates that you can quickly apply later. You will no longer need to spend time on the same settings every time.
Another template can be created for additional in-frame objects and animations. Usually, podcasts have a well-established style, which can be seen in each episode. These can be captions, images, animations, infographics, etc. Create templates for them and only replace the source. This approach will save you time in setting up the same elements repeatedly and maintain consistency across episodes.
Conclusion
Editing a podcast can be a monotonous and time-consuming process. This can affect the mood of the editor and his desire to continue working on such projects. And the whole reason is that such editors do not use methods to optimize their work. They sit for hours rewatching and re-listening to the same dialogues to review all the material. Not a very pleasant job, is it?
Real professionals know the value of their work and their time! With these tips, you will become just such an editor! Use at least a few of them and see how much faster your work is. And how much more interesting she became. Make yourself and your customers happy, and create a really interesting and addictive podcast!