With the online world growing in stature, there has been a greater demand for video editing. With this, numerous social media influencers have moved from the regular app editors to more professional editing software. Graphic designers and marketers also work with these editing tools. However, the final result isn’t always the best.
As a process, video editing comes with its own requirements and specifications. It doesn’t only involve cutting and stitching footage together; it includes audio, text, graphics, and even animated elements. All these will be assembled to create a final edit.
When editing a video for the first time mistakes are often made. This is perfectly understandable and experiencing these mistakes is the first step to cutting them out. The following are some common mistakes you should avoid in the future.
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Starting without a defined plan
The editing process might not play out as you’d hoped if you begin your project without a clear plan. You will likely end up over-editing the video, which will make it look unnatural.
The wrong choice of software program is a major cause of common mistakes in video editing; therefore, it is essential that you select the right tools. There are lots of tools on the market, and you could easily become confused by the sheer volume available. You should consider your needs and then ensure that the tool you choose can meet them. You should also consider the compatibility of this tool and your computer. You will likely not have any issues if you own a budget gaming laptop as they’re powerful and capable of handling almost any program.
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Poor timeline management
It is important to keep the timeline organized as it makes it simpler to locate clips and maintain sequences. You can maintain an order by naming your tracks and keeping every component in a specific track.
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Failure to auto-save
A lot of video editing software has the tendency to crash whenever the edit comes with a large number of elements. Crashing can also occur if your computer doesn’t have sufficient computing power. That’s why it is important to set up auto-save—most likely at a regular interval of 5 minutes.
The majority of video editing apps don’t come with auto-save as their default setting (some do, but the interval is around 15 minutes). That’s why you need to check this particular setting before you begin any editing project.
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Pacing
One of the basics of being an editor is to understand pacing. Pacing of edits can change, depending on the scene. Therefore, it’s important to find and maintain a rhythm. If you’re cutting scenes with lots of action, you need quick pacing of the edit. Once this is established, you should stick to it until the fast-paced scene ends.
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Jump cuts
Even though jump cuts are now popular in video blogs, you should try to stay away from them in traditional editing. Jump cuts are cuts where portions of the action get removed, meaning time will slightly jump ahead (it is usually annoying for viewers to sit through). To avoid having to use jump cuts, try to cut on actions.
