With the world in the flick of our hands, social media has started playing a huge role in our day-to-day lives. There used to be a time when jobs in social media were not considered “real” jobs, but the world has come a long way from then, and social media has proved how lucrative a field it can be.
With the rise in new social media platforms, one of the fastest-growing ways to promote content is videos. With the rapid growth of both long and short forms of video, the knowledge of video editing becomes crucial. However, beginners cannot afford expensive video editing software and tools, and hence the search for free video editing tools come into play. We have listed five simple yet helpful tips to ease you into video editing if you are new in this area. Keep in mind that if you need something very professional looking, consider hiring one of the better video editing companies.
- 321 Rule
One of the essential tips you need to keep in mind while editing your videos is keeping three different copies of your videos in other places. This ensures that you have two more to fall back on if you lose one of your copies.
The same goes for unedited clips. Many people lose their footage and end up missing vital pieces. To avoid this, you must ensure that you always have a backup ready.
- Choose Preset
Videos consist of numerous images playing together to give the illusion of a moving image. These images are called frames. It becomes a major hassle when you try to edit these frames one by one. This is where presets come in handy.
Suppose you have a long video with different scenes. In that case, you can select many presets to edit various scenes and then club them together. Choosing just one preset for an entire video is easily manageable if you are a beginner.
- Audio
You need to ensure that your audio syncs with the video properly. You must also look into the audio quality of the video.
Furthermore, if you speak in the video and your voice is not clear or crisp, no one will bother to come back to your channel.
In the case of small videos, you should choose background music that resonates with the idea and mood you want to put forward. What we mean is, it should vibe well with the video. Ambiance music is an excellent way to do that.
As you can see, a proper mic and other audio devices are essential for video editing.
- Transitions
A lot of effort goes behind a seemingly short five-minute YouTube video. From conceptualizing, ideating, shooting to editing, it is one laborious process. You must keep in mind every tiny little detail to be at the top of the content game. To stay ahead of the curve, you must do what top content creators do- taking control of every aspect of video production, including post-processing.
When you’re editing a video, you have to have a basic understanding of the editing principles. Transitions from point A to point B must be smooth. Only then, the entire content will only come off as a cohesive piece. It would be best if you also kept the pace of your video in mind. The speed should depend on the type of video you’re creating, and according to that, it should also match the chosen audio.
- Shots
Before shooting, you need to consider the camera angles. Angles can tell a lot about the emotions you’re trying to put forward. For example, if you’re showing the protagonist from a low angle, it conveys the dominating power of that person as the person’s overarching stature fills the frame.
There are other camera angles like bird’s eye view (overhead shot) where you see the characters and the surrounding areas from the sky (like a bird flying above the scene). Camera angles are critical in what you’re trying to tell the audience without incorporating dialogues and setting the mood for the stage.
As we explained in the beginning, there is a lot of market potential in this area and excellent career scope. It is one of the finest new-age jobs that millennials are veering towards. We hope that these five points mentioned above will help you in one crucial aspect of video creation- editing.