Top Mistakes to Avoid When Editing Videos
Creating videos can sometimes prove to be daunting. It requires a lot of time and dedication to ensure that your videos come out as intended. There are a lot of mistakes you are bound to make which can easily discourage you.
But the good news is that most of the mistakes can be corrected by making a few adjustments at the post-production stage. Don’t get intimidated by the mistakes – irrespective of how much they keep appearing.
It doesn’t matter what video editing techniques you are using; mistakes are likely to appear along the way. The best thing to do is to pick up those errors and correct them before finalizing the video editing process.
Here are the top mistakes to avoid when editing videos:
- Starting without a proper plan
This is a common mistake, especially for those new to video editing. There’s no way you can start your video editing process without a clear plan and expect everything to work perfectly. There are high chances of over-editing the video – making it appear boring and unnatural.
If you talk to most video editing professionals, they will always tell you about the importance of having a clear strategy before starting your video editing. Instead of rushing through, take your time to come up with a clear work plan prior to the editing process.
- Poor or inconsistent audio
On the timeline, you will always be two or three audio components – voice, music, and audio clips. If you don’t require the audio from the original clip, the first step is to turn it off. This will help you to eliminate destruction and focus more on editing the video clip.
Inexperienced video editors usually make the mistake of having their music truck louder than those of other tracks. Ensure that the music you choose goes hand in hand with your voice talent. Try to focus on sound when performing your final edits.
- Using jump cut
Incorporate a jump cut when it is only necessary. A jump cut is normally used to collapse time. The technique can only work if it is used in the correct way. It is actually one way of saving time as the story continues. The problem is that inexperienced video editors don’t have an idea where exactly to use a jump cut. They end up using it incorrectly and spoiling the video in the end.
Sometimes editors use a jump cut in one shot – where they deduct time from the same frame. This causes a character to dramatically shift to another position, something that’s unrealistic. You should instead look for other editing options in order to accurately use a jump cut.
- Incomplete transitions
This is a common mistake where transitions happen to be longer than the previous video clip. This mistake usually occurs when a transition is placed between two clips – where one is shorter than the other. As such, a dark screen will appear for a moment before the viewer can see the transition on the screen.
The best way to avoid such a mistake is to ensure you use longer clips. This will make it easy for you to adjust the transition time as you please.
- Unsuitable music
The music and visuals should blend to create a captivating video. For example, if the pace of the footage is fast, then the same should apply to the music and vice versa.
If the movements of the camera are quick and you apply speedy cuts in the audio-visual, then the music also has to be of high tempo and energetic. There’s no way you can use joyful music in melancholic scenes and expect to captivate viewers.
