5 Common Mistakes All Amateur Video Editors Make
When it comes to video editing, the professionals already know what to do. After all, they’ve had years of experience, they’ve made countless mistakes, and they’ve learned from it. But amateurs, looking for work, and unsure about what to do to make a video that’s worth watching will make those mistakes, again and again, until either someone tells them what they’re doing wrong, or they find out by themselves. Of course, these mistakes are common, and if you’re dealing with an amateur video editor, you’ll be able to pick out these mistakes. That’s why we’ve compiled a small list of 5 common mistakes all amateur video editors make.
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Cutting Too Much
One of the biggest mistakes you’ll find, amongst all amateur video editors’ works, is the number of cuts they’ve made in your video. If you’ve given them a lot of footage, from different angles, they’ll try to fit all those angles into the video, so that includes every angle that you’ve provided. After all, they were given the footage, they don’t want to waste it.
So, keep an eye out for your video editor’s style. If you think there are too many different angles included in your video, and you think you could remove some of them, then you’re working with an amateur. Tell them they don’t need to include every piece of footage you’ve given them, and that there are areas where they didn’t need to make a cut.
Cutting Too Little
Alternatively, you might find a video that doesn’t have the cuts in the right place, or the video editor didn’t cut a clip, at all. Sometimes, amateur video editors don’t create cuts in a video because they think it encompasses everything in a scene. So, for example, if they’re editing a wedding video, they won’t cut the bride and groom’s first dance, because they might think that watching the whole thing uninterrupted would be something their clients want. That’s a mistake.
Sometimes, a cutaway to someone else’s reaction can enhance the mood of the dance. It can reflect the poignance of the moment. Holding a clip for too long can take away from the moment. So, when dealing with an edit that seems like it’s too long, just be sure you tell your editor that it would be better to have a few cuts throughout the clip, to make it a little more interesting.
Cutting For Dialogue
This mistake is usually for those video editors working on interviews, films, and fictional shows, where characters have dialogue, or someone is having a conversational interview. They’ll cut immediately from one person to another, as they’re speaking, completely missing the reaction of the other. While cutting dialogue is mostly used in films and TV, it doesn’t mean it’s always effective. Sometimes capturing someone’s reaction is more poignant than watching someone speak.
So, when you’re dealing with someone, who’s working on your film, or if your wedding video includes conversational interviews, remember to watch out for reactions, if there aren’t any, put some in, or tell your video editor to add them in. It can be a great way to show how riveting or emotional the conversation is.
Transitions And Filters
Unless you’re looking for a highly stylised video, you’ll find that many amateurs will use and overuse transitions and filters. When it comes to transitions, you’ll find that most professionals will use a simple hard cut or a dip to black before fading in a new clip. Any other form of transition is unnecessary unless you’re looking to make a video that requires those transitions. Amateur video editors will choose those stylised transitions to make their videos “more interesting” when they are completely useless. The same thing can be said for filters. Unless you explicitly request them to use it, there is no need to use filters. Otherwise, they’re imposing their “artistic decisions” on your videos.
So, be careful when dealing with amateur video editors. Tell them not to add those filters or transitions, and make sure you have a record of you telling them. Otherwise, if you tried to dispute it, it could backfire.
Every Scene Starts Wide
In any film school, you’ll find that video editors are told to start with the Master shot, or the establishing shot, which encompasses everything, and then other shots are added in between. This isn’t always true. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to start with a close-up, or a montage of close-ups to establish a scene. So, if you’re working with an amateur, every scene or every element in your video will be monotonous. By starting scenes with a variety of shots, your video or film won’t be as predictable, in terms of editing style, it’ll maintain its audience’s attention and remain interesting, even if a Master shot is used to start a scene, every now and then.
When it comes to telling your video editor what you want, you might want to provide a storyboard, or a list of shots you want for your scene, instead of relying on their gut instinct on how your video should be edited.
That’s Why You Need To Trust A Professional
Above are the top 5 common mistakes all amateur video editors make. Of course, working with amateurs can be a headache, and granted they may be cheaper to work with since they’re mostly doing it for the experience, but if you really want high-quality videos and films, trust an expert. They’ve lived through these mistakes, and they’ve learned from them. They know exactly how and when to cut and transition from one footage to another, and they understand that they don’t need to use every piece of footage you give them.
Their decisions won’t influence your video, because they’ll know exactly what you’re looking for, even if you forget to tell them a few details. They’ll anticipate what style you’re after and ensure you get the best from your money. Here at Cut Pro Media, we can provide those experts and professionals. All our video editors have had experience in one field of film and video or another and are reliable enough, so you don’t need to always keep an eye on them. So, trust a professional, they’ve learned from their mistakes.
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