How to Make Video Editing Easy: Knowing Basic Steps

Knowing the basic steps can make a video something special and visually stunning. Making things easy can make your editing workflow effective.

In this article one of our video experts will share tips and knowledge about how to make your video editing process easy and knowing the basic steps.

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Table of Content

What is Video Editing?

Video editing is an innovative and creative process that manipulates and rearranges video shots to craft a new piece of work. It’s the strategic assembly of separate shots into a coherent sequence that tells a story, conveys a message, or creates an emotional response. Video editing is not solely about cutting and merging clips but is a meticulous procedure involving a variety of aspects such as adjusting color tones, implementing transition effects, adding subtitles, and syncing audio channels.

In today’s digital world, video editing has gained substantial importance. From content creators to big brands, everyone is hopping on the video trend bandwagon to communicate their ideas effectively. Video editing plays a key role in shaping the viewer’s perception and creating a connection between the screen and the audience. Remember, the power of video editing is immense, especially in the hands of experts like us at Social Channel Studios, where we magically transform raw footage into an engaging masterpiece. Here, video editing is not just a job, but a passion, driven by the intent to help creators connect with their audiences on a deeper level. We believe in turning good videos into great ones!

Understand the goal of the video

overstated. It’s essential to comprehend the purpose of your video before plunging into the deep ocean of editing for an impeccable output. Having a clear picture of what you want to achieve shapes the way a video editing agency, like ours, would approach your project. Knowing the goal narrows down the plethora of editing techniques and tools to the ones that best help convey your message to your intended audience and gives the video a well-defined path to steer the viewers’ perspective.

For instance, a content creator aiming to rack up views and engagement on YouTube might need a catchy and exciting intro, while another hoping to nurture an existing audience on Instagram might want to focus more on continuity and expressing a particular mood. Be it building brand awareness, educating viewers, or simply entertaining, every goal requires a distinct approach to editing. Understanding the final goal guides a video editing agency to make decisions about cuts, transitions, color grading, and music that will ultimately deliver a video that is not just visually stunning but purposeful and impactful. It’s an advisable way forward when you want your content to hit the bullseye in terms of audience reception and exceeding your goals.

Know what kind of video edit is needed

In the ever-evolving world of digital content, video editing needs can vary widely depending on the platform. Putting together a video for YouTube, for instance, often requires different strategies and techniques compared to other platforms. When it comes to YouTube, one cannot simply upload raw footage and expect success. Specific tailored edits are crucial to captivate the audience right from the start and engage them throughout.

Being a successful YouTuber means mastering the art of storytelling, combined with an understanding of viewer preferences. Such insights are key to knowing what kind of video edits are necessary. Boring monotone content has no place on YouTube. Content creators must inject colors, music, transitions, animation, and vibrant graphics into their content. On this platform, it’s not just what you deliver, but how you deliver it as well. In short, knowing the specifics of your video edits, whether it’s colorful thumbnails or an energetic introduction, elevates your content from good to great! Remember, it’s always about creating a sensational viewing experience for your audience.

Analysing the Raw Footage

Before working with raw footage, it’s essential to know what you’re getting yourself into. You may feel like a kid in a candy store, with loads of treats waiting to be unwrapped. But remember, one wrong step can alter the final outlook. As a content creator, you must take the time to venture into each piece, exploring its vein and essence before you invest any editing efforts in it. You’re not just viewing clips, you are journeying through captured moments, packed with potential!

This may seem like a daunting task, especially for newbies in the content creation industry. Don’t fret, mate! This is where your creativity steps in— envisioning the video’s true potential, separating the wheat from the chaff, and identifying the golden nuggets that eventually make it to the final cut. After all, in the video editing world, too much candy can lead to a tummy ache (wink-wink). Leave the Hollywood drama to the screen, and keep the behind-the-scenes as smooth as your morning coffee! After all, as a content creator, your goal is to pull viewers in for an experience they won’t forget, while also maintaining a stress-free workflow for yourself. Every piece of raw footage carries its own weight, so tread carefully.

Applying Cut and Transitions

Imagine tediously chopping your way through the dense jungle of raw footage. It can feel overwhelming, right? But worry not, because this is where applying cuts and transitions swoop in to save the day – like a machete-wielding Indiana Jones. Cutting and trimming not only make your video cleaner, but they bank it on the right length as well. It’s like serving your viewers a juicy, well-cooked steak rather than handing them a whole cow and a butcher’s knife. Too much meat, too little time – definitely not a dinner invitation they’d accept again.

But hey, let’s not forget our transitions. Think of them as the crafty tour guides. When correctly applied, they fluidly guide the viewer from one scene to another, without them even realizing they’ve moved. Whether it’s a sharp cut, a subtle fade, or a fancy wipe, they’re the unnoticeable yet necessary seasoning that can make or break your viewers’ journey through your video. It’s similar to how a well-placed bridge connects two distant islands, offering a smooth drive with scenic vistas instead of a confusing tour on a shaky boat, fighting off sea sickness. So, remember when you’re in the editing suite – playing around with cuts and transitions can make your video tell a memorable story rather than a rambling, incoherent fairy-tale gone wrong.

Putting the Correct Color Grade

Color grading is more than just tweaking the color balance; it’s a holistic approach that also takes into account the tonal range of the video. It plays a pivotal role in conveying the mood and vibe of your content to the audience. Say you’re working on a cooking vlog – you’ll want the colors of the food to pop, making the viewer almost smell and taste the meal through the screen. On the other hand, if it’s a spooky horror film, the color grade tends to tilt towards cooler, darker tones that set an eerie tone.

In content creation, paying attention to color grading can make all the difference — and Social Channel Studios totally gets that! Each frame of your video goes under the meticulous and discerning eyes of our expert editors. They tweak, adjust, and perfect the colors until it feels like that sunset walks on the beach or that adrenaline-rush skydiving experience you’re sharing with your audience. They tailor the saturation, contrast, brightness, and color to ensure your video looks nothing short of spectacular. It’s like they say, in the world of video editing, “Color is King!”

Adding the Right Music

One of the most crucial aspects of the video editing process is choosing and adding the right music. Music can significantly enhance the mood and tone of your video, bringing out the message or theme you are aiming to portray. But choosing the right music isn’t as simple as picking a cool track. It plays a crucial role in engaging your audience and effectively conveying the storyline. So, whether you’re creating an inspiring documentary, an adrenaline-driven sports reel, or a heartfelt personal memory montage, it’s important to pick the right music that resonates strongly with your content.

At Social Channel Studios, we believe that music selection is an art in itself. Rather than just layering the video with a random tune, the music must complement the visuals, adding a new depth of emotion to the footage. We often find that even subtle changes in music can drastically alter the viewer’s perception and reaction to a scene. For example, a suspenseful scene can be made to feel even more tense with a dramatic soundtrack, while the same scene can be given a comedic twist with a quirky tune. In essence, when it comes to video editing, music does much more than fill the silence – it shapes the viewer’s overall experience.

Correcting Revisions and Final Touches

When it comes to the final phases of video editing, it’s about fine-tuning the video project and making pertinent revisions if necessary. Every stage of development leading up to the last touches plays a colossal role in shaping a compelling video narrative, but it’s the end revisions where all the previous hard work comes to fruition. These tweaks can include making critical audio adjustments to ensure the sound blends seamlessly throughout the video or meticulously checking transitions, effects, and color grading for precision and consistency.

Making revisions is a significant step in producing exquisite, polished video content – it’s about checking if the video’s story aligns with the initial vision. Editing small details like adjusting the color saturation for the desired visual effects, tightening the cut between shots for a smoother transition, or changing the audio levels to create the right mood, can tremendously elevate the viewing experience for the audience. At Social Channel Studios, these final touches are the moment to step back, scrutinize the overall product, and apply meticulous alterations where required, creating video content that mesmerizes and drives viewer engagement.

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Don’t forget to check out this video about how to successfully catch viewers’ attention and engagement with professional video editing.

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FAQ

What does a Video Editor do at a Social Channel Studio?

A Video Editor at a Social Channel Studio is responsible for assembling recorded raw material into a finished product that’s suitable for broadcasting. The material may include camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics, and special effects.

What is the first thing to understand in video editing?

The first thing to understand in video editing is the goal of the video. It is crucial to know what the video aims to achieve, whether it’s to inform, entertain, advertise, etc.

How important is it to know the type of video edit needed?

Knowing the type of video edit needed is very important. This determines the pace, mood, and style of the edit. For instance, a music video would require a different style of editing compared to a corporate video.

What does analyzing the raw footage mean in video editing?

Analyzing the raw footage involves going through all the video clips and choosing the best shots to use in the final video. This step is crucial in making the video engaging and ensuring the message is effectively conveyed.

Can you explain what is meant by applying cuts and transitions in video editing?

Applying cuts and transitions refers to the process of altering the sequence of the video clips in a way that makes the video flow smoothly. These techniques can greatly enhance the storytelling aspect of the video.

What is the significance of putting the correct color grade on videos?

Color grading is the process of enhancing the appearance of an image for presentation in different mediums. The correct color grade can set the mood of the video and make it more visually appealing.

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Social Channel Studios as Video Editor

Immersed in the digitally driven realm of social media content creation, we bring a bucketful of experience and expertise to the table. Operating under the banner of ‘Social Channel Studios,’ we, too, are content creators at heart. As passionate video editors, we provide services to our fellow creators who share their magic across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Some might wonder, “Why hire a video editing studio?” Well, they do it for the inviting click-worthy thumbnails, the engaging content, and the overall compelling imagery, loaded with clear text and visually tantalizing elements. Hiring us isn’t just about getting a video edited; it’s about treating your content to a sprinkle of professional finesse.

But we’re more than just video editors. We’re enablers of your dreams. We understand the heart and soul you pour into each and every piece of content you create. And so, our mission goes beyond the realm of video editing services. We provide our fellow creators the breather they need, the assurance they seek, and the freedom they crave. After all, isn’t it one’s well-being and high ambitions that allow them to produce their best work? We are here to make that a possible reality! Do remember, however, that our focus remains on creating an informative piece aiding you in your content creation journey, rather than exclusively spotlighting our services. We hope as you read through this, you find it easy to understand, interspersed with some fun humor and personal anecdotes – because learning should always be entertaining!

If you are interested in hiring us or learning more about our services, please contact us today or book a free consult with one of our specialists. We look forward to working with you!