10 Common Video Editing Mistakes

Video Editing mistakes that every Editor should know

Video Editing is about tricking the watcher into believing they are part of what's running on the scene, but there are lots of video editing mistakes that do just the opposite. Let's have a look at some of them so the editor can avoid them in edit sessions.

10 Common Video Editing Mistakes

1. Pacing

Most fundamental part of being a good video editor is understanding pacing. Depending on what is happening in the scene, the pacing of the edits can change.

If you are cutting a scene with a lot of action, you want the pacing of the edit to be fast, and once you have established that, you will want to stick with it till the scene changes and the pacing needs to change.

As an exercise, cut all the scene together, and then go back and see it again. Set an internal rhythm in your mind and look for places where a shot goes too long or is cut short. Find ways to modify the shot lengths that work with your story to form a good pace throughout.

2. Jump Cuts and Match Frames

A jump cut occurs when a video is edited so that a portion is discarded and the video is squashed together, causing the objects or person on the screen to “jump” into a different place, unnaturally popping across the screen. A match frame occurs when two shots that are similar in the composition are cut back to back.

Jump cuts and match frames are easily changed by inserting a cutaway shot to separate both of them. If you do then need to cut between two shots of the same person, compose the shots uniquely from one another either in subject size, camera angle and camera height. Always make sure that the shots are framed differently.

Click on Below Video: Match Cut - How to Create This Useful Video Editing Technique

3. Ghost Frames

Ghost frames occur when you use a dissolve the move from one shot to another, but where the outgoing shot cuts to another shot before the dissolve is finished.

What you end up with is a "ghosted" shot extended on the incoming footage for a brief moment. The simple solution is to make sure no other shot can come up in between your move. Trim the outgoing footage to where your shot ends, and make your change completes by the time that shot ends.

4. Audio Syncing

Audio syncing problems are one of the worst video editing mistakes with regards to throwing off the viewer. This is especially when it comes to speech and seeing lips moving.

When moving video around the timeline, it is possible to have things move in and out of sync. Usually, the software will let you know when this happens, but watch out for it and make sure to stay in sync.

In your timeline, if you have a problem with frame rates or sample rates slipping out of sync, locate the point at which you notice the problem, split the video, and realign the audio so that the audio and lips move in sync.

5. Audio Mixing

In some video editing situations, there will be a trained audio mixer to handle audio needs, but often this happens on the editor's long list of duties. If you have the best edit, but fail to spend the time in creating a proper audio mix, your watcher will be too busy focusing on the sound to enjoy the visuals.

Click on Below Video: 5 Basic Audio-Mixing Techniques for Editing Video

Always remember that background music should be in the background. Don't let the music conflict with sound effects and dialogue that need to be heard.

Add in sound effects that make sense. It sounds like doors shutting and footsteps go a long way to adding reality to a scene. But don't put in more sounds than you want, or you may distract the watcher.

6. Graphic Nightmares

There are a time and a place for graphics. In many movies and tv shows, they make graphics an essential part of the edit. But make sure that you are using graphics when and where they are beneficial.

And more importantly, use of graphics that add to the overall appeal of your edit instead of distracting. The design part is a different discipline than editing, so if you aren't a designer, find one who can create a graphic design to help your project along.

If this isn't an option, then remember that less is more. Improve your graphics down to one or two fonts that work well collectively, limit your color palette, and make sure that graphics are easy to understand to watchers.

Becoming a good editor takes a lot of time and practice, but avoiding these common video editing mistakes will help you get a long way towards creating great edits on any project.