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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PHOTO CREDITS – https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/

Apple Final Cut Pro – The Pros

Let’s start with Final Cut Pro. First off, the interface is very user-friendly, even amateurs will be able to navigate the software. It’s very similar to iMovie, the free application you can get with your Mac, iPad, iPhone or online. It provides seamless video editing with its magnetic timeline, so it makes video editing more efficient, by letting users colour code their videos, tag them, and if necessary, edit each clip without affecting the rest of the video.

It also comes with a VR function, so you can create VR videos, with its 360-degree viewer. It makes a great tool for those who want to create immersive videos, and it makes it easy for editors to add graphics, text, and blurs, at every angle of the video.

Moreover, the software tags assets, so it’ll be easier for editors to grab the video, graphic or title they need, without digging around in their files. So, they’ll have more time to focus on the edit itself.

Final Cut Pro also comes with a multitude of extra features, like motion graphics templates, video filters, video transitions, video effects and 2D and 3D animated titles. Not only that, third-party tools and templates can expand the library of these tools, to create more personalised videos and films.

Another benefit to using Final Cut Pro is that the sound editing is built into the program as well. So, editors won’t need to switch to a separate application, to work on the details of their audio. They can easily fix any part of the audio, within the software. So, they can remove background noises and optimise sound levels without using a different program to do so.

Finally, one of the best things about Final Cut Pro is the rendering of the final video edit. While many other software and programs will take hours, sometimes days to render a video, Final Cut Pro utilises the processing power of the multi-core, and multi-thread machine power of a Mac to render the video at a much faster rate. So, what could take days will only take a few hours.

Apple Final Cut Pro – The Cons

While we can sing Final Cut Pro’s praises all day long, there are a few issues with it that may change your mind about how efficient and well-rounded it is. For example, despite its capabilities of rendering a video, its formats aren’t very compatible with other applications and software. With so many extra tools and resources that go into film and video making, it’s essential that a video edit can integrate with them. 

However, Final Cut Pro videos don’t do well in that department, and many times editors will need to rely on file converters to help make the video easier to use and deal with, and because of that, the video may lose quality.

Furthermore, Final Cut Pro uses a lot of storage. Compared with other video editing software, Final Cut Pro uses double the storage that they’d use. So, you may as well delete every other software, application, document and file on your computer and portable hard drive, because the project that Final Cut Pro creates will take up space.

Adobe Premiere Pro – The Pros

Like Apple Final Cut Pro, you can pretty much do anything in Premiere Pro, in video editing. It supports VR editing, you can organise your files and folders, so they’re easy to reach, and they have multitudes of different video effects, transitions, titles, filters, and motion graphic animations. However, there are a few additional features Premiere Pro has that Final Cut Pro doesn’t.

Rather than integrating your video into other third-party programs and software, where you can enhance your video edit, if they are subscribed to Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suites, the editing process itself can be integrated into their other applications. What this means is, while the video editor is working on the video edit itself, an animator can add animation to already edited clips, on another app, like After Effects.

Not only that, but the software also allows you to edit several projects at once, so you can easily dip in and out of all the projects you’re working on at the same time. It also means that you can insert one project into another, without having to repeat the same edit for every video you do, if you’re creating something like a TV series, or a web series, or if you’re creating a video series for the likes of YouTube and social media.

Lastly, Premiere Pro also works with multiple formats, including the formats that Final Cut Pro produces. This way, your video’s final edit will be compatible with many other programs and products. You can even export the video more than once, and in different formats, so you don’t lose quality if you need a different format from the original work.

Adobe Premiere Pro – The Cons

Unlike Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro is subscription-based. That means, while Final Cut Pro is a one-off payment of $299, you need to either subscribe to Adobe’s full Creative Cloud Suites or the app alone, to use it. The subscription can range anywhere from $19.99 to around $50.

Moreover, the interface can be intimidating to use, especially for novices and amateurs. It’s easy to get lost in the many functions Premiere Pro can offer and will be very difficult to navigate if you don’t have the patience or the time to learn.

As with many professional editing software, it can take a lot of CPU and GPU power to operate the software, let alone edit a feature film. So, you’ll need a very powerful computer, if you’re going to edit high-quality videos.

Final Thoughts

If you’re starting out in video editing, then working with Apple Final Cut Pro will be the ideal thing for you. It’s simple, the interface is easy to understand and all you really need to worry about is in editing your footage to fit your style or your client’s style. However, if you’re already a professional, and in need of something that caters to nearly every aspect of film and video production, you’ll need Adobe Premiere Pro. It’s not only a powerful piece of software, but with its integrated workflow, you’ll be able to access other Adobe apps and use their specific tools to enhance your video edit.

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They Have The Equipment

Although a phone’s camera can now rival that of an actual DSLR, there is a limit to how well it renders on bigger screens. While the latest iPhone 12 can shoot in 4K, that doesn’t mean it is as good quality as those captured on proper DSLRs such as the Blackmagic Design camera, or the Sony Venice camera. Not only do these cameras film in 4K, but they can also film in 6K and 8K. These cameras are highly coveted in the film industry, with the likes of major studios using them for their feature films and TV shows.

These cameras can cost thousands of dollars, to rent them alone, and if other equipment is needed, such as lenses, microphones, lights, and tripods or stands, it can cost as much as the wedding itself. That’s why hiring a videographer, especially the right videographer, can be useful. They’ll either have the equipment already, or they know where to find it for much cheaper.

They Have The Knowledge

When it comes to shooting the right thing, a professional videographer already knows what to do. They’ve been trained to know where to point their camera, how far the zoom needs to be, how focused the shot is and how to hold their cameras steady. After all, professional filmmaking isn’t about shooting anything and everything. It’s about stylising the shot, changing the exposure, the ISO, and the aperture to create a certain look for the footage they’re shooting. 

While you can do that automatically with your phone, and its filter effects, sometimes those filters aren’t authentic enough. What that means is, while you might be able to change the way a certain shot looks, it won’t have the same effect manual filters can provide. Sometimes the exposure can be too high, and difficult to adjust, other times the black points can be too dark. Professional videographers know how to manipulate their cameras, especially cinema-quality ones so that the filters are perfect for every environment they’re shooting in. For example, if the receiving party takes place at night, the footage from a professional DSLR will be perfectly visible, whereas a phone’s camera may produce grainy or footage that’s too dark to see.

They Know The Right People

Of course, a wedding video isn’t just about the footage that’s taken. After all, videographers don’t always work alone. Sometimes, especially for large weddings, two or more videographers are necessary, because it can be difficult to capture the right action that comes with a wedding. For example, one videographer shoots the bride and groom, as they take their vows, while the other shoots the reaction of the congregation, or while one videographer shoots the best man giving a speech at the reception party, while the other shoots the reaction of the bride and groom.

Sometimes, knowing where to shoot can be difficult, especially if that videographer is working alone. So, by bringing along a team, they’ll be able to capture all angles of the wedding, the party, and the reaction of everyone at the wedding. Not to mention, if the videographer is busy capturing moving footage, they won’t have time to take any stills, so they’ll most likely bring along a photographer to help. So, the all-important photo shoots can be taken, while being filmed at the same time, to further immortalise the moment, both in the final wedding video and in the album of still images.

They Can Edit Or Know People Who Can Edit

Capturing footage is only part of the responsibilities of a videographer, they should also know how to edit or if they can’t, they at least know people who can edit the footage for them. While depending on family and friends to take videos throughout the wedding for you, and compiling them together, it can be repetitive, and you won’t know which footage to choose from, since many of them might be from the same angle, at the same time. So, by relying on a professional, who’ll shoot from several angles, and use different types of filming styles, the final wedding video will be much more interesting.

By editing the styles in a way that reflects the theme, mood and importance of the wedding, the videographer can create an everlasting memory, that evokes powerful emotions in those who watch it, especially if they were there, and they are reminiscing through the video. After all, they’ll have the resources, or at least they’ll know someone who has those resources, to edit their footage, and if requested the footage captured by those who attended the wedding, in a way that resonates with those who watch it.

Consult The Professionals

It can be tempting to only rely on the footage taken by family and friends, at weddings, but having a professional videographer there, to capture the important moments, and the reactions they incite, will be beneficial, regardless of the result. After all, they have the tools, the knowledge, and the network of people to create a wedding video that fits the style of the wedding, the mood and atmosphere of the day, and the desires of the couple who wants it. So, if you’re considering hiring a videographer, do your research, before you start consultations with them, to see what prices are best for your budget. If you’re a videographer looking to hire a video editor for your footage, have a look at our prices, and our portfolio, we have a range of outsourced video editors who’ll be happy to edit your footage for you.

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Motivation Is Key

If you have an in-house editor, whether they’re freelance, or they work for the company itself, you’ll find that a lack of motivation can cause issues between the editor, you, and the company. For example, you’ve asked your editor to create a proposal video, for a project proposal, it’s been weeks and they haven’t completed it. Soon, you’ll ask them when the video will be ready, on a daily or even hourly basis. Or you’ve asked your in-house editor how long it would take to create a video, and they might tell you that it’ll take weeks or even months to edit a short 5-minute social media video because they have other tasks to get on with since they’re also working for other departments of the company. Essentially, you’ve shot yourself in the foot, because you’re relying on an editor who has many other projects to work on, and they may not have the time, energy, or motivation to work on the task you’ve set for them.

With outsourced video editors, you’ll find that they will have a deadline they’ve been set, and you won’t need to worry about whether the video will be completed on time or not, because they understand how important it is to keep to deadlines. Not to mention, if they’re professional enough about their projects, they will know how to manage their time on each project. They’ll understand how important some projects are and will do their utmost to ensure that those projects are completed on time. And, because they’re hired to do specific editing jobs, they’ll know not to take on too many projects at one time. By hiring outsourced video editors, you can be sure that they will complete your video editing project on time because they’ll be motivated enough to complete it.

A Question Of Money

There is no doubt that having an in-house editor might be beneficial to your company’s finances, but if they’re a freelance editor, they may include hidden fees you weren’t aware of, like the time and effort they need to put into the edit, or the software upgrades they’d need, to create a certain look for your video. Or, if your in-house editor is already an employee, you’ll be paying them extra money to create a video they’ve never created before. So, you may be overpaying for something that might not even be good enough for the company’s marketing or promotional plans. Having an in-house editor may not always be a good idea, especially if you’ve hired someone who isn’t experienced enough to create the quality you’ve paid for.

An outsourced video editor has a set price, so you won’t be paying extra for what you need. They understand how to edit videos to the standard you want, at a reasonable price. So, instead of paying hundreds of dollars for something that is less than perfect, you’d be spending less for a perfect and high-quality video edit. You don’t even have to worry about hidden extra costs, as they will be included in the price packages outsourced video editors will promote to you, so you won’t have to worry about having to lose out on extra money that could be used for other expenses.

An Experienced Hand Is A Better One

Needless to say, an experienced video editor is better than an amateur one. After all, they’ll be able to create unique video effects and templates, specific to your company. If you hire an in-house video editor, especially one who is already a part of the company, and who has very little knowledge of professional editing suites, they may use online video editors, or the standard beginners video editing software that will provide ready-made templates that even complete amateurs can find and use. This can be very unprofessional, especially if the videos are being made for large corporations and companies.

That’s why it’s always best to hire outsourced video editors, as they’ll have the knowledge to create unique templates, specifically for your company. Experienced video editors will be able to create graphics, animation, special effects, and text that won’t and can’t be found anywhere else. They may use music and audio effects that they’ve made up themselves, to enhance the uniqueness of your videos. By hiring outsourced video editors, you can be sure that the quality of the videos can and will exceed your expectations because these outsourced video editors will have the knowledge and the skills to edit your videos.

Don’t Risk It, Choose Outsource

It should go without saying that here at Cut Pro Media, our outsourced video editors are professionals in their fields. They’ll be able to edit your videos to the highest quality and create templates that will match you and your company. You won’t have to worry about sky-high prices, or low-quality videos, we make sure every editor we hire knows what they’re doing and have had experience in the field. 

Whether it’s for a company or a wedding, or even if you’re a filmmaker in need of a professional video editor, our professionals at Cut Pro Media can edit your videos to the highest quality around. With access to the latest professional editing suites, our video editors won’t charge for any updates or extra expenses, all their needs are taken care of, in the price packages we offer. So, why not have a try and see how to outsource video editing services may be a better option for you.

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Templates Or Unique

When using free online video editors, you’ll get standard templates, which look, sound, and feel professional, but once you start using them, you’ll find that its quality is not as special or unique as you’d like it to be. If you’re creating social media videos, it might work, as it shows you’re following trends and creating them yourself, but if you’re working for a company, and you’re trying to promote a certain brand image, those eagle-eyed viewers will recognise your template, and point it out to others.

You’ll be shooting yourself in the foot, by using those free online video editors, because your brand identity and image will look less professional than you’d like. Even if you’re making videos for yourself, these templates will be used everywhere, and no one will be able to distinguish your unique film, from any others out there. By using professional editing software, you’re standing out from the rest, because you can make your own effects, text styles, and transitions. You’re less restricted by a template and you’ll be able to explore the deeper mechanics of special effects, so you can make those specialised animations for your videos.

Footage Quality

Professional video editing software doesn’t dispense on quality. In fact, if you’ve had the chance to use one, you’ll find that there are more than a hundred different quality and formats you can choose from, for your final video edit. You have everything from 4K standards for feature films to YouTube and social media qualities. It’s like a feast for filmmakers and video editors, you can choose whatever quality your videos need to be.

With free online video editors, you’ll most likely be able to choose from, at the very least, 10 video formats, and once you render and export your edited video, the footage you’ve used will reduce in quality, to fit the format you’ve chosen. So, if your camera shot 4K footage, and you’ve edited with a free online video editor, the footage quality may end up being 720p or i1080p at best. So, you’re sacrificing quality when you use free online editors.

It’s In The Music

If you’re creating videos that require any form of music and audio, like music videos, or shock horror films, or any other videos where you need accurate timing between your audio and your footage to create a certain emotion, whether it’s a jump to a new location, a suspenseful action, or to highlight certain effects and transitions. For example, in epic battle scenes, where the heroes are losing, there comes a point in the middle of the fighting, where their reinforcements finally arrive and turn the tides. It is when they arrive that the music starts to swell and the emotions with it rise.

With free online video editors, you might think, as you’re editing video, the timing is accurate, but once you export your files, you’ll find that the audio or your video has shifted ever so slightly that the music and the action don’t line up. This is could be because the rendering has skipped frames, or the audio has jumped forward and away from where it is supposed to be. That’s why investing in professional video editing software is much better for you. When you’re creating those timelines, the audio and the visuals will match up perfectly. You can even mark the frame and the audio beat you want to sync up together. And when you render and export your project, you won’t find jumps or delays in the audio or video, because they’ll be rendered perfectly together.

Effects Tracking

One of the most used techniques in special effects is tracking. What that means is, the animations and CGI effects, you want to use, will track the subject’s movements. So, if a witch is casting a spell, or a superhero is shooting laser beams out of his palm, the animation will surround their hands completely. You might be able to create these effects, on free online video editors, but these animations are limited. You’ll find that the tracking isn’t always accurate, and the animation might jump from one place to another because it’s tracking something else.

With professional video editors, you’ll be able to map out the path of the animation by hand, so you can get a closer track of the action. Not only that, but if your video editing software is connected to animation software, like how Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects are connected, you’ll be able to jump from one software to the other, to perfect your animations. So, it would be wiser to invest in professional editing software, so you can better manage the tracking of your animations and CGI effects.

We’ll Do The Hard Work

Of course, our dedicated team of professional video editors, here at Cut Pro Media, will do all of that for you, and within the timeframe, you need it in. So, you don’t have to dosh out hundreds of dollars, to buy any software, you can trust our editors to do that for you. They’ll be able to create those unique effects, line up your audio perfectly, and create templates that are unique to you and your brand. So, you don’t have to worry about doing the hard work, our video editors will do that for you.

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Create The Tour

In real life, you’d give a tour of the property you want to showcase, to your potential clients. The same must be said with your real estate videos. What that means is you need to create a timeline of different shots that showcase your property at its best. So, arrange your footage in a way that makes the property seem appealing. For example, create a walking tour, so your potential customers will feel like they’re walking into the property. Use different angles for each room, so that your customers will get a sense of how big the room is, or what can fit in the space.

Dress Up The Shots

For some properties, the furniture is included, and even if not, you still would have showrooms to let potential clients see what they can do with space. You need to do the same with your video content. So, when you create your videos, you need to “dress up” the footage you’ve pasted together. This means, color grading the footage to be more vibrant, add special transitions, if the tour doesn’t lead from room to room, or better yet, add filters that make the property more appealing. By dressing up your footage, you’re enhancing the video, so it appeals to your customers and clients.

Use Your Words

It’s not enough to give a tour of the property, through your videos, you need to add the information your customers need, and that includes dimensions, prices, potential uses, etc. A simple walk around won’t appeal to your customers. You’ll need to add breaks in the tour, so that you can answer your customers’ questions, like “what is the price?” or “how many rooms are there?” or even “how big is the property?”. These questions can be answered in your videos, by using text, and if you’re using voiceovers, they can be used as visual aids, to help point out relevant and important information about a property.

Timing Is Everything

When you’re editing your videos, always remember that timing is everything. If you have footage of your company in action, or you’re demonstrating an action, then it is a good idea to “cut on action”. What this means is you’ll need to cut the action, from one camera angle to another, in order to fully showcase the action.

Another reason to cut on action is to increase the pace of your video edit. While you might think that keeping a scene constrained to one shot – the establishing shot – showcases the entire action or scene, it is much better to use cuts within the scene, to make it seem more exciting. The more cuts you use, the faster the pace of your video. However, be mindful that too many cuts or not enough cuts will confuse your audiences.

Animate Your Way

As with every type of video on the internet, both corporate and social videos for a company must have some form of animation or special effects, especially if you’re using text and music to back up the information you’re using in the video. It isn’t enough to simply have footage of a property. You need to add animations and special effects to make the footage interesting. So, adding in those animated swirling patterns, or animating the text you use, and even the furniture in the video, can help to create interest in the properties you’re trying to sell. Animation is a very important aspect in many videos, particularly ones that promote a business because they can add to the brand image that the business wants to project. So, make sure your animation techniques are in line with your company’s image and style, otherwise, you’ll confuse your potential clients.

Add Audio To Your Visuals

Sometimes a video doesn’t need sound, especially if it’s a social “how-to” video, but if you’re promoting a property, or you’re promoting the business itself, you need to use all the channels that a video provides, to get that information across. It might be easier to only have text and images on the screen, but without the right backing tracks, or without a voiceover to help, the information you give in the video will be meaningless to the customers who are watching. When you add music and sound to your videos, you’re not only giving the customer an audible cue for the information in the video, but you’re also promoting an emotional response since there is a psychology to music all on its own.

Make It Yours

While there might be apps and templates out on the internet that you can use, to promote your company and your properties, know that these templates are free for all to use, and if a customer has been around on the market long enough, they might just be able to recognize the templates you’ve used. This won’t look good for your company and its portfolio, because if a customer can recognize a template, they’ll believe you haven’t spent enough time or energy trying to make your company appealing enough, let alone the properties you sell. So, make sure you create your own templates, ones that are specific to your company and its brand image. There is no use in creating a video if it looks like one that came from somewhere else.

Let The Experts Handle This

If editing videos and creating your own video templates seem overwhelming, especially if you’re not in the film industry itself, don’t worry. There are plenty of experts and professionals who will help you if you ask. Here, at Cut Pro Media, not only will our professionals be able to create stunning real estate videos for your company, but they can also create video templates that are unique to your company’s brand. So, you don’t need to rely on those that you find readily made available online, or on video editing apps like Adobe Premiere Pro. They can create unique animations, transitions, and placeholders, for your videos, so you don’t have to worry. All you have to do is provide good quality footage and descriptions of your brand and the themes you’re after, and they’ll do all the work!

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