The editing phase is the make-or-break step for creating a professional-level, high-performance video. It is the stage in the video production process where all the footage and transitions come together seamlessly to produce a finished product that is cohesive and organized. An unpolished video that is poorly edited and lacks refinement is unlikely to capture likes and drive engagement by the target audience. Creating compelling, engaging, and high-quality video content is easier than ever with an online video editor. Here are a few time-tested tips you can incorporate into your video editing toolbox to take your editing skills to the next level.
- A Faster Computer For Speedy Editing
Although you can opt for any computer brand or model based on your preferences, a faster computer with better performance allows you to focus on your editing. If you aim to make the most of your editing process, overlooking the hardware performance is a mistake you don’t want to make. When it comes to smooth and quicker video editing, investing in an SSD is worth every penny.
It ensures faster access to software and files and accelerates the rendering, loading, and export process. Increasing the space on your RAM can substantially reduce your editing time and enhance video editing efficiency. A minimum of 8 GB of Ram is recommended for running video editing software smoothly.
When it comes to producing polished, high-resolution videos, the importance of a video card cannot be over-emphasized. You can ensure speedier render times and make the editing process less cumbersome by getting a faster processor.
- Opt For The Right Tool
In producing a polished, high-quality video, an effective video editor is crucial. With a plethora of video editing software on the internet today, it is tricky to zero down on one. Selecting the correct editing software that aligns with your editing style and preferences is the key. You can pick out an editing program that lines up with your video goals based upon their features and user interface.
- Engage viewers With Storyline Continuity
Much of the appeal of online videos stems from their ability of visual storytelling. You can impart the intended information faster and more effectively with continuity and flow with appropriate editing. You can enhance the story and spot errors and glitches with the narration, media, sound effects, and other editing elements by sketching up a storyboard before filming.
Framing your edits wisely, perfecting the sound effects and color grading, adjusting the lighting and pacing of your video can aid in piecing together a cohesive story that makes sense. Using your practical knowledge and the relevant techniques can help you avoid a bumpy production and create an engaging, compelling, and aesthetically pleasing film.
- Color Correction Goes A Long Way
It is paramount to fine-tune color in the raw footage to ensure the colors are realistic and uniform throughout the film to produce high-quality video content. Color grading and color correction are critical design elements that subtly set the mood and tone by accentuating certain subjects and creating a scene that flows in harmony.
- A Background Music That Is Catchy Yet Not Distracting
Video essentially is an amalgamation of images and sounds where a balance between both is vital. Background music and sound effects have a tremendous impact on the video quality and should be as good as the visuals.
Incorporating relevant background music in your videos can elevate your video quality significantly. One notable tip to bear in mind is to make sure the background audio is relatively softer than the narration so that the focus remains where it is supposed to be.
With the help of noise cancellation software, you can eliminate unwanted noise from a recording and avoid shifting the emphasis from what is relevant. The right audio and instrumentals are crucial for visual storytelling. They have the potential to invoke the emotions of the audience effectively.
- “Work Smarter, Not Harder” By Memorizing Keyboard Shortcuts
If you want to amp up your video editing skills from novice to pro, memorizing keyboard shortcuts can make all the difference. As a beginner, you can print out a cheat sheet that you can refer to while performing various in-app editing functions.
Proficiency in keyboard shortcuts and your chosen online video editor allows you to perform a range of actions like trimming, zooming, playback, inserting at the touch of a button. Not only does this translate into a seamless editing process, but saves your precious time.
- Less Is More With Titles And Graphics
The potential of video titles and graphics cannot be understated in garnering the attention of the target audience and attracting more eyes to your content. A little simplicity goes a long way when it comes to creating good graphics and titles.
It is essential to come up with a title that effectively conveys the contents of your video at a glance otherwise viewers might just scroll by. A simple and clean editing style with crisp graphics and animation is what you should opt for to render a professional feel to your videos.
- Study the Editing Terms:
To establish yourself as a professional in the video editing industry, you must learn and study some editing language. You must grasp a fundamental knowledge of basic concepts to communicate better with other editors and clients in your field. Here are a few of them:
- Jump Cuts: This allows the editor to maintain visual interest by cutting out boring and predictable portions.
- J and L cut: These are tools for introducing continuity in different scenes by integrating and combining two scenes subtly. In a J cut, the audio takes precedence over the video. An L cut, however, is where you see the video before the audio begins.
- Montage: A montage is a series of clips that depicts the passage of time for character development or advancing your story.
- Cutting on the action: A technique for creating a scene that is more interesting and fluid. You can make your content more captivating by cutting in the middle of the action instead of waiting for actions to complete.
- Match Cut/Match Action: This technique creates a visually appealing scene by putting together two resembling shots.
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Final Words
Video editing is a vital process for building a flawless blend of images and sounds and seamlessly entwining your clips together. Selecting the right online video editor is of paramount importance since it can make or break your video. Applying these practical tips can step up your video editing skills from beginner to pro before you know it.