Video Editing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztYlv-EHtGM

In terms of video editing, my current visual journalism class is my first true experience. Prior to taking this class, my level was mediocre at best. However, the experience I have gotten so far, has helped me learn a ton about this critical aspect of journalism. Just scratching the surface of video editing has helped me learn about structure, storytelling, and visual techniques that make a big difference in the end result.

Video editing isn’t a science, and it’s not an art; it’s a balanced mixture of both. Having the ability to structure your video clips in certain places, cut or crop those clips, lay over B-roll, and adjust audio levels are just some of the skills needed to successfully edit a video piece. In the realm of being an “art”, I find that visualizing the clips in a sequential order, and planning what is going to be heard and seen on screen is directly related. It requires a level of creativity that will help with your storytelling. There is a process of seeing a certain shot in one place compared to another, and thinking about how you can most effectively put the pieces together; in a sense, it’s kind of like a puzzle. In the realm of being a “science”, numbers come into play. You have to ask yourself how long will each shot, voice over, and B-roll will be. This is where figuring out how to fit each aspect into the full package is critical. It’s much more than simply laying out your shots into one piece, it’s figuring out how you can lay those shots out in a manner that fits the length of time you hope to have your video at.

When editing my own video projects, I’ve developed a routine that I seem to follow each time. Before even opening up the editing platform I’m using, I have a formulated way of how I would like the video to be structured (where/when shots will be presented, intro/ending, B-roll, etc.). Then, once I’m ready to start editing, I go shot by shot analyzing how long I would like each shot to be. Once I have my main shots laid out, I then proceed to import B-roll and voice overs. Having that foundation to start however, helps me a lot with structuring what is going to be placed on top or below each shot.

It definitely took me a project or two to get the hang of the process, but as I got more and more comfortable, I started to expand my skills. Little tricks such as fading in or fading out can add some great detail to the video. As intimidating as the editing layout looks (Premier Pro), it helps the most to get comfortable with the basics before moving forward. Don’t rush the process, let the process guide you in helping you build you’re storytelling techniques.

The video I have included, exhibits a lot of cool editing techniques that help put it together. Instead of focusing on the really good B-roll the video has, I want to focus on some other aspects. Starting with the intro, the video includes soundbites of the subject basically laying out what this video is about to be about. No inserted text boxes, no voiceover, just the subject himself talking naturally. I thought that was a great way to start the video. The music that’s placed over the video also goes well with the tone of the content. Throughout the video, there are old photos and an old video soundbite inserted. And the outro was fantastic; the subject walking away from the camera. It’s easy to see how the editing of the video allows it to have a smooth flow to it. This was a project that took probably took at least a couple days, and it was condensed into a seven-and-a-half minute video. There were a lot of tactics used in this video that I would love to incorporate into one of my own projects. And I think that’s one of the skills needed to be a successful editor; examine and analyze other works, and see how they’re editing can make yours even better.