3 Key Steps to Developing Your Own Editing Style
In the world of editing, anything is possible. While alluring, this opportunity for boundless creativity can feel overwhelming when you’re just starting out. If you’re struggling to edit your videos in a way that stands out and feels true to you, keep reading. This guide will show you where to begin and give you practical tips to develop your distinctive editing style.
The Assessment
The first thing you need to do is assess everything. Don’t get overwhelmed. You just need to make sure you know the answers to important questions. Like what kind of story do you want to tell? What kind of image do you want to project? We want to learn as much as we can about who you are as a creator. Really take some time to look inward and reflect on your answers. Remember, the way you edit your videos should be in service of the vision you have for your videos. If you don’t have a clear vision for your videos, it will be impossible to execute the video you truly want in editing.
Are you making educational videos that convey valuable information? You’ll probably want to have a polished and professional look, editing out any mistakes you made in order to deliver the information in a clear way, making you look professional, and not taking away from your credibility. In contrast, if you’re a vlogger showing moments from your everyday life, you might decide to leave some of your “bloopers” in the video to show a more relatable side to your audience.
Do you see why it’s important to get to the root of your intentions as a creator? The purpose of what you’re doing is what we’re pushing to come through in editing. if you don’t know what that purpose is, how can we push forward your vision? We can’t execute a vision that doesn’t exist.
Searching for Inspiration
It can be hard to visualize things on your own, so we turn to other people’s work. We’re not saying to copy anybody, but there’s nothing wrong with getting some inspiration from those you admire. As you watch other videos, begin to take note of what’s working, what you like, and what you don’t. Find people who make videos like the ones you want to make. Study how they edit. Where do they make their cuts? What kinds of transitions do they use? What’s the genre and feel of their background music? Pay attention to the things you don’t like as well. Figure out why you don’t like those things. What about them isn’t working for you? Then, find a way that does work for you and implement that in your own videos.
Keep Experimenting
You’re not going to know what you like unless you try out a bunch of different things. There really are not hard-fast rules so don’t be afraid to experiment. Realize that creating your own editing style is probably not something that’s going to happen overnight, so be patient and stick with it.
Bonus Tip: Throw-Away Videos
Okay, we know this might sound crazy, but we recommend shooting and editing a few videos you have no intention of posting. We call these throw-away videos. We know what you’re thinking. “Why would I put all that effort into making a video only to not post it?” Well, in addition to giving you something to practice edit, it will also get you more comfortable with being on camera. That way, when you go to shoot the videos you are going to post, you’ll already have some experience talking to the camera. When you edit the throw-away videos, try editing them all in different ways and see what you like best. Or, take the things you like from each edit and use them in future videos. By messing around with throw-away videos, you’ll be better off and more prepared when it’s time to film and edit your real videos.
We know editing can be a huge undertaking, but try not to get lost in it. You want to think about what you’re providing your viewers with whether it’s education, entertainment, escapism through travel, etc. and what editing style will help you push that message the best. All in all, realize it’s going to take time to develop your personal editing style, and it’ll be something that’s constantly evolving as you yourself evolve and learn more techniques.
