Table of Contents
You need to pay attention to every detail from filming to editing to create an engaging video. If you have made a video on your own, you already know how time-consuming the process is. Apart from this, you are bound to make a lot of mistakes throughout the whole video-making process. But do not let errors intimidate you- some of the top-notch video editing skills have come from that error. You can brush up your editing skills by practicing on free resources like an online video editor.
If you are just a beginner and working on a relatively big project, you may be confused as to where you should start your editing. Do not worry. Going through this article will help you find better strategies to enhance your video editing skill.
1. Basics of Video Editing
Video editing is not all about randomly adding several clips with some transition effects and fonts. You need to focus on details as you tell a story through your video. The audience will only find your video engaging if all the aspects of editing like segment overlapping, color correction, audio toning, cuts, and matches in the clips are maintained with consistency.
As you already know the basics and the importance of the video editing field, let’s directly dive into the strategies that will help you enhance your editing skill.
2. Preparation and Planning
Not only for video editing, but this also goes for any job you want to accomplish. Without proper planning and preparation, you will end up going nowhere. So, if you are thinking of producing a video, let’s prepare a pre-production script. Jot down all the necessary steps and plans you need to execute to complete the whole process. You’ll save your energy, time, money and prevent many issues.
3. Maintain a Video Workflow
Maintaining a workflow will help you to understand what processes really work for you. As you already know the basics of editing, and now to increase your skill, you need to learn from your own mistakes. Make a checklist of the steps you need to accomplish. This will keep you on the right track throughout the process. If you are unsure about how you should create your own workflow, do not worry. You can Google some common video workflows or just keep experimenting until you find your match.
4. Study About Your Potential Audience
Video editing is a much bigger concept than you think. It’s not all about the technical part you do in your studio. You need to research your potential audience. If you create video content, you should always keep the audience parameter in mind. The storyline of the video you are editing must be based on the audience you are targeting.
5. Get the Right Weapon for Editing
As you have gone through all the basic parts, now it comes to the technical part of the editing. You need to pick a suitable tool or platform for your editing before starting your project. You can use any online video editor if you are just trying to be sure which will be best for you. After trying several editors when you find your match, now it’s time to stick to the selected one.
There is no harm in trying new software or a website every time you do a project. But, in this way, you will not be able to know all the prime features of an editor. So don’t be jack off all trades and master of none.
6. Avoid using Inconsistent Audio
You have only three components of audio available that you can use in your videos- original clips, voiceover, or a music track. First things first, you need to select which segment of audio you are going to use. Here some do’s and don’ts are mentioned regarding these three types of audio options-
- If you are going to use original audio clips as your main video sound, make sure you are recording it on a different microphone. This will make the sound clearer and will definitely impact the overall video quality.
- If you are doing a voiceover on your videos, make sure you record your audio in a calm, soundproof room. Distinct and unwanted noise may ruin the professionalism and acceptability of your video.
- While using a music track on your video segment, make sure that your music blending is not too loud. And most importantly, don’t forget to totally turn off the volume of your original video footage.
Last but not least, if you are planning to use a mix of two audio segments, make sure you are blending it properly. If you have the privilege, you can always seek help from a sound engineer regarding this.
7. Do Not Use Too Flashy Designs
Sometimes newbie editors tend to use too funky and flashy transitions, fonts while editing. In the end, it completely ruins the professionalism of the video. Every element you are using while editing must be simple and consistent. The goal is to portray a story through your video, and you should always stick to the basics for that.
8. Keep A Backup of Your Work
To keep a proper backup of your entire project and raw footage is possibly the best tip you can have regarded video editing techniques. Because, once you lose the work you have done, no matter how well edited it was, all your efforts will be in vain. Many videos editing software offers automatic backup features, which is really useful. If you are using any online and free version of a video editor, it’s highly recommended that you keep a backup of your work on a separate device.
The Bottom Line
Initially, video editing can seem a hectic task. Just keep these simple tricks in your mind while editing. And, make sure to pick a free online video editor and practice accordingly to see the difference. It will certainly increase your skill and cut the editing time significantly. Moreover, you can establish yourself as a successful video editor.
