The Best Piece of Editing Advice I’ve Ever Received

Today, we are going to get a little conceptual here. You know when you think back to that moment when it all just clicked. When something someone said just made you completely understand what you’ve been trying to learn or even master. Yeah, that’s what we are talking about today. I’m super lucky that this happened to me early on when I was learning how to edit video. I was creating my first documentary which you’ve heard me talk about before and my professor said one sentence to me, “Cut for your action, don’t anticipate it.”

I know you’re thinking, what does that even mean? And how does it apply to my business videos. Let’s break it down.

It’s well known in the industry that good editing is invisible to the audience. Good editing compliments and shapes your story but doesn’t overpower it.

So what my professor was trying to tell me was don’t make a cut that helps the audience anticipate what will happen next, instead react to what’s happening and cut on the action instead of after or before it happens.

So let’s watch this clip. Did you notice the cut? Probably. and that’s because she finished her thought so you anticipated that something would happen and that was the cut and zoom.

Now watch this clip. Did you notice it there? Probably not, and that’s because we cut to the second angle during the action.

Now how does this help you? Editing your videos like this will create an association in your viewers head with high quality video content. It’s what I call the HBO effect.

HBO is a television network. Period. But you know how everyone reacts to it. Everyone wants it, is willing to pay extra for it and praises their shows to no end. Why? because their shows are filmed like movies. They treat each show like an hour long film. You can see it in the writing, filming and especially the editing. They use editing techniques like what I just showed you to create mini films not TV shows. And other networks like AMC and FX quickly followed suit.

So how can you do this?

First, think about your scripts; when are the natural pauses that give your audience space to digest, when do you need to keep moving? This might sound like the opposite of what you would expect, but cut more when you need to keep moving and slow down the cuts for the natural pauses.

If you’re ready, introduce a second camera to your setup. This will allow you to cut between 2 different angles and create that flow of action that you saw in that clip. So that instead of cutting after a sentence or thought you can cut during that thought and it’ll appear seamless.

If you want more tips to creating online video, download your guide to the Top 5 Video Tools that will help you make beautiful online videos for your business Or if you really ready to dive in join my free course to Amp Up You Online Video Presence. By signing up you’ll also get exclusive Tips, Tricks, How-to’s and my personal insights about editing and using Online Videomaking in your business that I only share with my VIP storytellers.

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