Rule for Video Editing that Beginners Don't Know

By following this simple rules for video editing, you can make movies flow together smoothly without resorting to multiple transitions. Learn these 7 golden rules for video editing that beginners don't know.

7 Golden Rule for Video Editing that Beginners Don't Know

1. B-Roll

B-roll refers to video footage that sets the scene, reveals details, or improves the story. Example: At a school play, besides play shooting, you could get b-roll of the outside the school, faces of audience members, cast members hiding in the wings. These clips used to cover any cuts or smooth transitions from one scene to another.

Click on Below Video: What is B-Roll Footage?

2. Stay on Plane

When shooting imagine that there is a horizontal line between your subjects and you. Stay on the side of the line. By observing 180 degrees plane, you try to keep a perspective that is more real for the audience. If you are editing footage that disobeys this golden rules, try using b-roll between cuts. In this way, the change in perspective won’t be as abrupt if it’s simple at all.

3. Don't Jump

A jump cut occurs when two constant shots with the same camera setup, but a difference in their subject. It happens most often when editing interviews, and want to cut out some words or expressions that the subject says.

If you leave the remaining video shots side-by-side, the viewers will be confused by the slight repositioning of the subject. Instead, try to cover the cut with some b-roll, or use a fade.

Click on Below Video: Jump Cut Tutorial

4. Degrees

When video editing together a scene shot from multiple camera angles, always try to use the shots that are looking at the subject from at least a difference of 45 degrees. Unless the shots are too similar and appear almost like a jump cut to the viewer.

5. Cut on Motion

Motion distracts the eye from seeing video editing cuts. So when cutting from one image to another image, always try to do it when the subject is in motion. Example: Cutting from a rotating head to an opening door is much smoother than the cutting from a still head to a door about to be opened.

6. Change in Focal Lengths

When you have two shots of the same topic, it’s easy to cut between close and wide angles. So, when shooting an interview, or a long event such as a wedding, it is a good idea to change focal lengths occasionally. A wide shot and a medium close up can be cut concurrently, allowing you to edit the parts and change the order of shots without obvious jump cuts.

7. Match the Scene

The beauty of video editing is that you can take video footage shots out of order, and cut them together so that they appear as one continuous scene. To do this appropriately, though, the elements in the shots should match up.

Example: A subject who exits frame right should enter in the next shot frame left. Otherwise, it seems they turned around and walked in the other direction. Or if the subject is holding an object in one shot, don't cut it directly to a shot of them empty-handed. If you don't have right shots to make edits, then insert some b-roll in between.

Click on Below Video: Match Cuts in Film Editing

Ideally, your motivations for cutting should be to advance the narrative storytelling of video.