So you’ve been learning how to edit videos and you think you’re ready to start working on your own raw footage. Before you do, there are 5 things that beginner editor should avoid.
Let's go over them and help you become a professional online video production in less than an hour.
Making so many revisions
If you’re a beginner editor, you may be tempted to make unlimited revisions. This is a mistake that even seasoned editors make.
As a newbie, it’s natural for you to want to please your ideal clients and keep them on your roster. But allowing countless unpaid revisions can cost you time and energy that could be spent on other income-generating projects.
So, be specific about the number of revisions you can make per project. Having one or two complimentary revisions would be ideal. If you make more than that, you can charge a fixed hourly rate to your client.
Forgetting to track your time
It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re just starting out.
As an editor, you probably have a lot of passion for the work that you do. And that’s great! But if you don’t track your time and manage it efficiently, you can end up missing deadlines and wasting precious hours and effort.
Using time tracking software like ClickUp can help you manage your time. You can stay on track with your projects and be more efficient with video production and editing. Most video production agency use these kinds of time tracking programs to monitor their efficiency.
Not enough technical background in video editing
If you're just starting out as a video editor, you may be tempted to get carried away with effects and transitions. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating something beautiful, but remember that not all effects are worth using.
Technical knowledge is a must-have in the digital video editing industry. While creativity is important, you need more than just creativity to make money in this field. You need to have certain skills and technical knowledge.
If you're new to video editing, take courses and attend webinars or bootcamps to build your knowledge base. Master the use of video editing apps like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro.
Keep in mind that the digital industry is constantly evolving so take time to upgrade your skillset and stay up to date with trends. Having technical expertise gives you an edge in this industry but it can also lead to another common mistake—overusing effects and transitions.
Additional learning: How to write a video script for YouTube
Using too many video effects and transitions
There are a few things that beginning editors need to understand before they start editing their own videos. The most important one is this: you don’t have to show off all your skills in the first video you edit.
If you’re new at this and want to show off all the things you can do, that’s fine. But keep in mind that it can come across as too much effort if it looks like you spent hours on it just so people could see how awesome you are.
Instead, why not make a few simple edits and then spend some time pointing out what went into those edits? For example, if there are a few scenes where the audio isn’t very good, why not take those scenes out altogether and explain why they were removed?
That way, people will get a sense of what goes into editing without feeling like they need to learn an entirely new skill set just to understand what they’re seeing.
Lack of knowledge on how to improve your video's audio
One thing many new editors don't realize is that the audio quality of their videos is just as important as the video quality. Whether you want to be a professional YouTube videographer or not, this is a must.
One of the worst editing mistakes you can make is having your audio out of sync. When you move clips around in your timeline, frame rates can slip out of sync, and some video editing software can spot this issue.
But you also need to have a good ear for this. When you notice something's out of sync, locate the exact point it happens, split the clip and realign the audio so that lips and speech are in sync
Audio Mixing
Audio mixing is the next step in video editing. It is the process of adjusting volume levels and adding effects to improve your audio. By mixing your audio, you can ensure that it is clear and understandable, while also making sure that it doesn’t overpower other sounds.
If you want to improve your video's audio, there are several things you can do:
- Remove background noise, hiss, and distortion caused by clipping
- Add sound effects that make sense and don’t overdo it
- Determine when and how to use crossfades and reverbs
- Master the effects control of the editing software you are using so you can effectively improve sound composition
You can learn more of these things in our marketing supply course.
Let's Wrap Up
If you’re just getting started with video editing services, it may seem like a daunting task. There are so many tools and options to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin.
These are just five of the most common mistakes newbies make. Fortunately, they can be easily avoided. Still, you’re bound to make several more along the way. Even industry experts still make a few mistakes every now and then. The important thing is, we learn to be better video editors from these mistakes.
