The Fundamentals of Video Editing – What's Important to Know

Filming a video is just half the battle; the other begins with the post-processing stage. This stage requires a good mix of technical and creative knowledge to shape the final deliverable in the desired manner. One can gather a lot of engagement and make some real money with the help of videos. Research has shown that a product film can increase conversions by an incredible 80% on your landing page. Nowadays, many companies’ teams have ensured that video works well regardless of any category. Video can also contribute to sales directly. It is proven that 74% of users who watched a video about a product bought it later. So, start making your videos more exciting! Video's success isn't even that surprising when you think about it. Vision increases the credibility of a product most greatly, after all. Our minds already keep a lot of data visible in terms of imagination. Imagine what moving images can do if photographs can already massively stimulate attention.

Recording all your video footage is not enough, as it’s time to turn all those individual shots into your video. But where to start? The editing phase may be the most critical and lengthiest workflow in your video production process, but it can be intimidating. This is where you turn all that footage into something artfully cut together and, hopefully, watchable - maybe even viral.

Pick the right software

There are a lot of video editing platforms out there for you to choose from; a simple search on Google will give advice on which platforms offer which benefits, which software is the easiest to edit in and how to maximise their potential. Some venues may not be supported, depending on your working hardware.

Organised video footage

After importing video clips, you must ensure they are safe in-house on your device. You should make a folder for your project with all the raw and unedited files you’ve just transferred across. The organisation will pay you back in time saved. Don’t forget to name your files, so you can recognise the sequence you’re hoping to create.

At this stage, it’s also handy to delete your unwanted takes; keep only the best version of each shot to save time in cutting these down the line. Be ruthless! Poor camera angles, audio quality, and speech delivery can throw your project off.

Use B-roll

B-roll is a crucial part of any final cut. It adds context to your video and makes it more meaningful. It aids the transition between shots, including angle transitions and changes of scenery, and it adds that professional touch to your project.

Render your animation

If you’re using the powers of animation in your video, you’ll need to render this appropriately for export. Research which video format you need for your chosen platform, as it is possible to export animations in many different forms. No matter the platform you create your animation - for example, Adobe Photoshop - it will have specific instructions on rendering your animation and exporting for video, so it’s essential you research within your particular platform.

Proper knowledge of video formats

Different video file formats will operate in different ways; your file will comprise a ‘container’ that stores all the information on the video and audio elements, as well as any synchronisation and subtitling information. Your video can be accessed by a ‘codec’ and compressed within the program it is played.

Color correction

Color grading and color correction are essential in making a video impactful. Color correction ensures that all the footages are consistent in all scenes without disrupting the view, while color grading gives a distinguished look to the video. Color correction holds the power to make scenes look realistic as it is an element that can evoke emotions, set the atmosphere and mood and highlight various subjects like using monochrome for flashback scenes.

Editing is the most critical process in producing a video; don’t skimp on the small details when assembling your final cut. How do you make a great video? You need to pay attention to detail and an eye (and ear) for what works better for it. Take the sting out of time-consuming processes like captioning and subtitling with automated software and try to free up your time to get creative with your footage and streamline your workflow today. Stytch can be your one-time solution if you are looking for a talent-driven spot that can add meaning to your brand with the video production process. We can help you ease all the stress of creating videos to the last step of post-production.