Video editing is an art that creates meaning out of moving pictures. An effectively edited video often conveys the desired message and tells compelling stories while being in tune with what the viewers think and feel. Excellent editing makes the video powerful enough to connect with the audience and engage them in a meaningful way.
However, beginners can find it challenging to understand what works when it comes to achieving the desired final product. In this post, we look at some handy video editing tips that newbies should benefit from.
1. Plan Your Approach
Planning is crucial for the success of any project, and video editing is no exception. So, before you jump in, ensure that you have organized everything. Preparing your approach helps you visualize what the final product is going to look like.
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You also get an understanding of what equipment you require to get started. The first thing is to decide the software you will use – identify your requirements and budget to make the choice easier. If you have a good understanding of your requirements, even a free online video maker should do the trick.
The next step is to ensure that your hardware is capable enough for the project you are working on. Check and ensure that you have sufficient RAM, hard drive space, processor power, and some useful accessories like a mouse and keyboard. It also helps to learn the keyboard shortcuts to save time with your post-production.
2. Prepare A Storyboard
Creating a storyboard helps in many ways when trying to give your video a professional, polished look. The storyboard is useful in validating whether the concept you have in your mind can be actually done.
Once you verify this, it helps decide which scenes you should work on first. You can also find out any errors and incompatibilities with your narration, footage, sound effects, and other elements you will use in your video so that you save a lot of time otherwise spent on error handling during the process.
3. Become A Narrator
The core purpose of video content is to tell a story. It allows us to create a narrative that expresses the information precisely and conveys the message fast.
With excellent editing, it becomes possible to tell the story effectively. It is in the post-production phase that you can add and finetune your footage, music, lighting, pacing, and motion of the video to set the right mood for the message you are trying to convey.
An editor should focus on elements that are likely to catch attention. This will not only help choose your edits better but also guide the viewers through your story, getting the right response to situations depicted on the screen.
4. Focus On Pacing
When working on editing projects, it is necessary to create a tempo depending on the timings of the cuts. One of the most important tasks for editors is to set the pace of the cuts for a section to match the tone the video should create. Even a basic video maker should prove useful in this regard if the editor is skilled enough.
A fast edit may not give the viewers enough time to grasp the content while too slow is likely to bore the audience. Even when the content is simple, it is essential to switch between camera angles and use B-roll shots to make the video more interesting and dynamic.
5. Less Is More
This phrase can not be more accurately applied to anything than video editing. While it is easy to think that the more you edit, the more captivating your final cut will be, it is not true in reality.
There is so much you can do for a cut, but less is always more. Keep it simple and minimal; avoid overdoing it. An overly-edited video can get confusing and pushy. The key is to keep your content tight, short, and concise. This is why many seasoned professionals stick to a simple video maker for editing, and not sophisticated tools.
Add some animation or graphics to your title to make it attractive enough to encourage more viewers to click on the video and watch it.
6. Use B-roll Shots Wisely
Adding extra or B-roll shots is a great way to make your final cut more interesting. Inserting these shots into your videos will help improve the value and give it a polished and professional touch. Use the rule of three to keep it natural.
When you add secondary footage, anything more than two seconds can start impacting the action. Using 1-2 shots can seem less while 3 shots lasting 4-6 seconds give a natural break from the action.
For example, B-roll shots are perfect when a character enters a room. You can add three point-of-view shots to show the surrounding the character sees. Such an approach seems natural to the audience and adds a bit of visual interest.
7. Create & Maintain A Workflow
Post-production is a process that consists of several smaller tasks. When you have an efficient workflow in place, it is easier to handle different elements of video editing smoothly. A workflow works like a roadmap for the team, showing the way towards the finish line and ensuring that the entire team stays on the same page.
The best way to get started with creating a workflow is to organize the files. Editors often find it difficult to keep the files efficiently organized. This increases the chances of misplacing and losing files. It helps to label all the data neatly and organize it into folders to speed up your editing process and improve your efficiency.
8. Organize The Footage To Tell A Story
Choosing the right shots to create an engaging story is one of the most challenging tasks in video editing. You might have to drop some beautiful shots if they don’t add to the meaning of the overall message you want to convey.
The shots you select depend on the type of project you are currently dealing with. For example, when you choose the clips for a news story or interview, you focus on aligning the speaker’s message with the audience’s expectations. The same storytelling approach should be followed to pick the right clips and angles.
9. Add Transitions & Background Music
When you feel that everything is cut down to only what is needed the most, you can spice up your content with some complementing music and cool transitions. Don’t go overboard with these additions though.
Simple transitions like fade, swipe, and jump-cuts work perfectly as long as they are added in the right places. Experiment with different transitions to see which one sets the right mood for the video.
The same applies to choosing your background music; too dominant music can take the attention away from the video message. Select a track that lets the speaker be heard and amplifies the overall essence of the content.
Final Thoughts
As the video marketing landscape grows bigger every day and video content dominates the internet, marketers should focus on post-production to create a high-quality video that stands out and grabs attention.
Editing videos can be challenging for non-tech-savvy people starting out in the area. Though it takes some time and effort to master the art of video editing, these tips should help give yourself a quick head start.
