Anyone who has any measure of experience with video content production knows the real magic happens during the editing process. Choosing the right shoot location and having an amazing script are all important for creating good videos. However, it’s during video editing that your content really comes to life. As such, the importance of this stage of video content production cannot be overemphasized.
What’s your video editing experience like? In this post, you’ll discover expert video editing tips and techniques that will truly transform the quality of your video content. Let’s dive right in.
#1. Choose The Right Software
Getting exceptional video editing results starts with choosing the right software for your editing needs. Your video editing software determines what editing features you’ll have available to use. This will, in turn, influence the quality of your final product. As such, it’s a decision you’ll want to take a lot of time to consider thoroughly.
There are tons of different video editing software on the market, and these tools differ in their feature depth and capabilities. Some are free-to-use, while others (usually the more feature-rich ones) require a paid subscription. So, evaluate your needs and determine which one is best suited to meeting them.
#2. Remove Bloopers and Unusable Footage
When you start editing your videos, you’ll discover that there are some scenes that you can’t use in the final product. These could range from shots where the background noise is too loud, or the camera angle just isn’t right. When you find these subpar shots, you’ll need to cut them out and replace them with better ones.
This is why it is always recommended that you shoot a particular scene multiple times and vary the shooting angles. This way, you ensure that you always have backup clips that you can select from in case there’s anything you need to adjust.
#3. Adjust Video Pace
Video pace refers to the speed at which your video progresses, and it’s usually measured in frames per second (fps). It also refers to the video’s rhythm, flow, tempo, and consistency. During the editing process, you’ll discover that some parts of your video content are faster than others. Unfortunately, this is precisely one of the things you don’t want in your videos since it makes for an unpleasant, jarring experience.
This is where this pacing step comes in. Here, it’s not really about making the video faster or slower. It’s more about evening out the pace in different sections so that the video progresses more naturally at a measured speed. Ultimately, you want to make sure your audience has enough time to absorb whatever message you’re trying to communicate to them.
You’ll also want to ensure that the video speed matches the message in the video. For example, a faster clip to create more urgency and a slower one for more informational sections.
#4. Audio Editing and Balancing
Next on this list of video editing tips is audio editing and balancing. One mistake a lot of people make when editing video content is that they focus more on the visuals than the audio. However, this is a problem because the audio quality is just as important as the video’s. Here, there are a number of things you’ll want to pay attention to:
- First, you’ll want to make sure you have the right audio clip for every scene of the video you’re shooting. Your soundtrack choice could help you amplify your message and add more context for viewers.
- Second, it’s time for volume balancing. If your audio soundtrack is too loud, it’ll create an uncomfortable viewing experience. Similarly, if it’s too low, then your viewers won’t be able to hear what message you’re trying to pass across. This will, in turn, lead to marketing failure.
- Finally, you’ll also need to eliminate background sounds that don’t directly contribute to the message. This is because these unwanted sounds can and will distract your viewers from your message.
If you discover that a vital part of your audio recording isn’t clear or quality enough, you always have the option of re-recording that particular segment and dubbing it.
#5. Transitions and Effects
Transitions and effects are very important for the success of your video marketing efforts. They help you ensure your video pivots smoothly from one message to another without losing the attention of your audience. Transitions also give your videos that extra bit of flair to make them even more engaging.
However, it’s important to mention that with so many transition and effects options, you’ll need to ensure you pick the right ones to enhance your video’s message. Also, be careful not to stuff your videos with too many transition clips and effects, as that will be counterproductive.
#6. Adjust Clip Length
Another key thing to pay attention to when editing videos is your clip length. This is especially important for videos you make for marketing purposes. Adjusting the clip length of your video is important because it helps you ensure your video is maximally engaging.
Basically, if your clips are too long, you will end up losing the attention of your viewers, leading to subpar marketing results. Your audience will become bored and just click away from your video. So you’ll have to closely examine your video to see if there’s anything there that doesn’t really have to be there. Then, you cut out these unnecessary fillers to ensure you’re left with a video where every clip tells a story and contributes to the overall picture.
#7. Color Correction
If you’re creating videos you plan to release on social media, then this point is important for you. If you want your videos to be impactful, you have to make them such that they draw attention immediately. This is where color correction comes in.
Color correction helps you adjust your color palette to give your videos more excitement and better aesthetics. It also allows you to fix any areas of the footage where the lighting isn’t as good as you’d like.
Conclusion
Based on all of the above, it’s pretty evident that editing has a large impact on the success of your videos. If you don’t have enough expertise or familiarity with video editing, it’s recommended you outsource the process to an expert video production agency. This will help you ensure you always get the best results possible.