video editing tips - colin j smith

VIDEO EDITING TIPS

A S T U D E N T C H E C K L I S T

MATCH THE BEEP TONES FIRST• If you align the beeps according to the waveform display and audio you can

cut between the layers to intersperse Cam A and Cam B.

USE COLOUR GRADING

• DSLRs and smartphones have different colour temperatures and white balance.

• You can use colour correction to even out the tones and even create different moods.

ALWAYS CLEAN THE AUDIO

• Don’t forget to use Adobe Audition to bring the sound to acceptable levels.

EVEN OUT THE AUDIO LEVELS• Never let the audio go into red. • In general, keep audio between -7db and 0db at the max.

NUMBER OF CUTS = PACE

• A quicker series of cuts for fast pace• A longer set of scenes for slow pace

MIND THE GAP

• Close up the spaces in between the clips• Not doing so will lead to blank visuals and sudden silence

CONSISTENT TRANSITIONS

• Stick to a constant style of crossfades / wipes with hard cuts.• Multiple transition styles will remind your audience of poorly produced

wedding videos.

ADD MUSIC LAST

• Use the bottom most audio layer for music tracks.• Everyone will want to have a say in the edit and this affects the music track.• Editing the music track after editing the scenes saves time but have a

rough idea of the music you want to use.• Avoid commercial music.• Good music can set the mood.

DON’T TOIL OVER CREDITS

• A sans serif font would work well for titles and credits.• Use After Effects and templates.

USE ADOBE MEDIA ENCODER TO EXPORT