If you work in the video production or content creation industries, you may have become somewhat unimpressed with your existing video editing skills lately. It can be a highly tiring and time-consuming process but by approaching the task with a basic knowledge and understanding of what it takes to make good video edits, you can save yourself a considerable amount of time and patience.
It can be difficult to know where to begin, especially if you have little to no experience under your belt or have relied on basic video editing skills for a number of years, but by familiarizing yourself with the following tips and tricks, you can learn how to make good video edits and master the art of post-production.
Use a comfortable editor
It may sound like an obvious point but to make good video edits, you must use a comfortable editor. This can provide you with everything you could ever want or need to not only create standard video edits but also good video edits with the option to benefit from first-class usability, cutting-edge features, and technology-driven interfaces. It can be tempting to simply opt for the latest and greatest editor available on the market but by failing to give it a test-run beforehand, you run the risk of wasting a considerable amount of time, and money, in the process. It may, therefore, be worth taking the time to research potential editors before basing your final decision on an editor that works for you and your individual editing style.
Use high-quality clips and images
In order to make good video edits, the content contained in the video must be of the highest quality beforehand. Whilst it may be entirely possible to transform a video from average to great with first-class editing skills during the post-production process, using high-quality clips and images from the very onset can significantly improve the final outcome of a video. It can also act as a foundation for your final video with any subsequent edits, such as cuts, color corrections, and transitions, only improving the finished product. As well as using high-quality clips and images, any text you include must also be of the highest quality whilst kept relatively simple and straightforward at the same time with a clean, monochrome, sans-serif font usually visually appealing enough without drawing any unwanted attention or distracting the viewer.
Use effects with movement
To give your video edits a competitive edge and to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat from start to finish, using effects with movement is almost always a great idea. If you are an existing after effects user or have only recently downloaded the first-class editing software, for example, you may be able to benefit from thousands of free templates, including intros, titles, logos, and transitions, that have been designed to streamline the video editing process and revolutionize your approach to video editing regardless of whether you are an experienced or inexperienced video editor.
This is a particularly good idea if you have struggled with knowing how to incorporate effects in the past or have only recently embarked on your video editing journey.
Use slow motion
When it comes to making good video edits, using slow motion can be a great way to create a sense of anticipation or evoke a particular emotion in the viewer. It is, however, worth remembering that when overdone or implemented too often, it can appear cliché and have the opposite effect on the viewer as they steadily become disinterested in what they are watching and lose interest almost immediately.
It is a highly powerful video editing tool and when used to emphasize a dramatic scene or product demo, for example, it can end up becoming one of the most powerful assets at your disposal. To ensure you are using slow motion correctly, you must plan ahead and be able to explain how any instances of slow motion relate to the wider narrative of the video that you are in the process of editing. By failing to do so, you run the risk of becoming a sloppy video editor or relying on gimmicks in a last-ditch attempt to salvage your poor editing skills.
If you edit videos on a regular basis in the video production or content creation industries, you may be wondering how you can dramatically improve your existing approach to post-production and make good video edits in the process. If you are in this predicament, it may benefit you to use a comfortable editor that suits you and your individual editing style, use high-quality clips and images to improve the final outcome from the very onset, use effects with movement to give your video edits a competitive edge, and use slow motion on a sporadic basis to create a sense of anticipation.
