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video editing techniques

15 creative video editing techniques every editor should know

Video editing techniques are among the techniques that every editor should be familiar with to produce creative and very professional videos through these techniques. Keep in mind that many people who have been working in video editing for several years are still looking for new information, methods, and up-to-date techniques to increase their knowledge and work like a professional. Edit the film. These people should be able to increase their skills in this field by acquiring new and useful information. Learning new video editing techniques is one of the tasks that these people must learn to create a huge transformation in their business.

What exactly does a film editor do?

A film editor is a person who uses video editing techniques to make videos that can be presented to the audience. So to speak, the recorded raw footage is like a shapeless dough that gets an attractive shape in the hands of the editor with video editing techniques.

In other words, it can be said that the editor gives the film a real identity. In addition, it makes the film’s message fully and powerfully conveyed to the audience. Accordingly, the film editor must have special characteristics to be able to do the work related to video editing.

Video editor features

When the editor has the ability to use professional film editing techniques for the quality of a part of the film that at least has the following characteristics:

Familiarity with production matters

These matters include things like directing, filming, and sound recording. Being familiar with these things will make you edit the film with full mastery. For this reason, you use the best film editing techniques in the best possible place. This excellent performance is because you have a good understanding of mistakes and shortcomings and the ability to find ways to correct them.

Being careful in editing the film

The accuracy of the editor’s work is very important; Because the slightest neglect, for example, of the story sequence of the film makes the film incomprehensible. The film editor carefully uses the following film editing techniques to make the film attractive:

  • Features of the story of the film
  • Type (genre) of the screenplay
  • How to design the video maker

Having visual aesthetics

Without creating visual beauty in the film, it is impossible to create attractive scenes that attract the audience’s attention and keep them with the film. For this reason, the film editor must have a strong sense of aesthetics to be able to use film editing techniques beautifully in the film.

Having creativity

If you are not creative, you can copy the works of successful editors. This is definitely not how a professional film editor works. For all the moments of the film, you must have ideas for editing the film to produce unique works. In fact, you should only use the works of professional editors for getting ideas, not for copying.

Film editor works

The video editor helps the director with editing techniques and completes the film. In fact, all the work of the film editor is to adjust and finally complete the recorded film. As an editor, you do whatever it takes to process the footage. The main tasks that the editor must do include the following:

  • Selection of different views of the movie
  • Timing of different shots of the movie
  • Setting the order of shots in the movie

Examining the basic principles of compilation

In video content production, you must be fully familiar with the basic principles of editing. In this way, you can gain expertise in this field. Learning the principles of film editing is very important. Before entering the job market professionally, the editor must be familiar with the rules and principles of this profession and learn these skills in the best possible way. One of the most important tasks that an editor should be familiar with is learning the principles and rules of theory. One of the other skills that is very important and necessary for doing the work of film editing is familiarity with related software in this field. People should be fully familiar with the list of video editing equipment so that they can use this equipment in the best possible way and learn to work with them.

There are many software today for video editing. This software also has special features. Every editor should learn these skills. Then use them when necessary. Keep in mind that film editing styles are very different. By learning different skills, you can master all these styles and learn film editing techniques well so that you can use these different styles and techniques in the best possible way in your work.

Familiarity with video editing techniques

As mentioned above, an editor must be familiar with video editing techniques. There are different techniques for editing movies and videos. You can learn these great techniques with a little research.

Montage

Montage is one of the video editing techniques that implies the passage of time. It is used in different scenes. The editor can create a very good trend in the story through very fast cuts. It doesn’t matter what films the editors make. They can also use montage for any character and benefit from this technique.

Cross Dissolve

Another video editing technique is this technique. This method is used for different purposes. This technique is usually used to show the passage of time in different videos. The editor also uses this technique to show multiple stories at once and overlap layers. This editing technique can easily combine different filming times.

Wipe technique

In the world of digital marketing, the use of video editing techniques has expanded a lot. Today, professional editors use this technique so that they can display the scenario in their minds well. One of the editing techniques is the wipe technique. In this method, scenes can be moved using digital images or animation. For example, you can use this technique to transfer the first scene to the second scene. This video editing technique is also used in very famous movies. If the editor is a professional person with many skills, he can use this technique in the best possible way and create an attractive and practical image.

Fade In/Out

Editors can easily fade any image they want with the art of fade in and fade out. Then display the desired image. This art and technique is usually used to show the passage of time. Keep in mind that you need to have a lot of skills to use this technique in order to create strange and fantastic images. If you don’t use this art correctly, you may annoy the viewer and create unprofessional images. This technique is used in various films. You can practice this technique using different software and master it over time.

J or L Cut

It can be said that this technique is one of the most common techniques. When the editor wants to put the sound of the first image on the second image, he uses the L cut, and when he wants to do the opposite, he uses the J cut. For example, if the editor wants to display the second image before the end of the first image, he usually uses the J cut. This video editing technique is used a lot in interview documentaries. You can see this technique in abundance in these documentaries.

Cutting on Action

Using this technique also requires very high skill and expertise of the editor. Using this method, the editor can easily postpone the subject that the viewer expects to see in the image and increase their curiosity. This method is widely used in various films and videos. The editor can use this video editing technique to increase his image’s attractiveness.

The advantage of knowing film editing styles

A complete understanding of editing styles and their features allows you to use them in the film’s best part. Using it correctly and watching instead of any film editing style will bring the viewers the best image. Definitely, such editing will attract viewers and make your work special and unique.

Film editing can complete the director’s work if every trick is used in the best possible way. On this basis, the film editor should use them in the most suitable situation by knowing the different styles of film editing. If you know the characteristics and properties of each style, you will use them to create the effect you want. Definitely, a film with this level of accuracy in editing will be extremely effective and attractive.

About Podofkin

Vsevolod Pudovkin is a Russian filmmaker who provided some of the best practical tools for psychologically controlling the audience through editing. This filmmaker conducted a famous experiment in which he created the emotional feeling he wanted to evoke in the mind of the audience.

He cut a close-up of a famous actor to a plate of soup, a young lady, and a coffin. When audience members were asked questions about the scene, their responses reflected the mentality that Podofkin expected to receive. He was able to convey the feeling he wanted with a simple cut without the need for the actor to speak. The actors’ response was as follows:

  • Soup bowl: conveying the actor’s sense of hunger
  • Young lady: the actor’s passion for the young lady
  • Coffin: the presence of sadness in the actor

Introduction and description of Podofkin’s 5 video editing styles

Vsevolod Podovkin presented his theory about film editing in the form of 5 types of video editing styles. He proposed these 5 techniques as relational editing. The difference between this type of editing and structural editing is that this type of editing does not exclusively clarify the situation of a scene for the viewer. Editing in this type of film editing style is designed to create a special reaction in the audience. These 5 types of video editing styles are the following:

Contrast

The first style of film editing is contrast. In this style of editing, contrast is used to make the viewer compare two contrasting scenes in his mind. For example, the scene of the baptism of a child is shown while his father is calmly performing the ceremony. At the same time as this scene, you see a scene where people under the orders of the father kill some children. The viewer’s mind is involved in the contrast between these scenes, characters, and created feelings.

Parallelism film editing

You can use this style of film editing to connect two invisible scenes in relation to each other. Generally, this style is used to show the passage of time. For example, in a movie, someone puts a hat on the head of a 13-year-old teenager. The film then shows a young adult with the same hat on his head a few years later. Here, the viewer notices the passage of time and the boy’s growth from adolescence to youth.

Symbolism

You use this style of film editing to convey the film’s desired concept with the help of something. This concept transfer occurs indirectly, and the viewer receives it. In fact, it is a cut from one object or action to another that is completely different from each other.

Simultaneity

In Hollywood, many of these film editing styles are used to increase suspense. The way it works is that a cut is created between two events at the same time. You will see this style of film editing mostly at the climax of the film.

For example, imagine an antagonist trying to kill a hostage. At the same time, the hero of the story is on the way to save them. Consider this explanation by Alfred Hitchcock on how to describe creating suspense in an example:

Leitmotif video editing style

This style is borrowed from film editing styles from music theory. This style is such that the reappearance of a character, object, or situation accompanies a visual or auditory cue. The repetition of these signs creates a non-visual concept in the minds of the viewers. This is despite the fact that the viewers are not consciously aware of these signs.

Summary of video editing techniques

A professional editor should be able to get familiar with video editing techniques and master these techniques by acquiring the necessary skills.

Keep in mind that if you want to act in a very bright professional group, it is better always to keep yourself updated and seek new information. To achieve this skill, only practice and receiving orders can turn you into an experienced and highly professional person.