FILM
Editing
A great edit lives or dies on two questions: 1. What is the story you are trying to tell? 2. What is the objective of the piece? You should answer these questions before you begin editing. Use your interviews and/or messaging to create a story that ends on a strong call to action. Make sure to use your musical selection to your advantage. Elements in the song can be used to carefully weave together messaging, design elements, and strong compositions in a way that draws the viewer into the experience and delivers information with maximum impact.
The nitty-gritty
Get to the point, but don’t rush.
Use your B-roll to support the story.
Cut the fat.
Think about eye trace when cutting between shots. Be careful of sudden focal point shifts that might jar your viewer.
Allow shots to breathe so the viewer has time to take everything in.
Use music to your advantage. Cut on beat.
End on a strong call to action. Know what you want your viewers to do after they watch your video.
Don’t use shaky footage. Or stabilize your footage.
No sped-up footage.
No hyperlapses.
No cross-dissolves between shots.
Cutting interviews
Jump cuts are fine.
“Um”s are okay. We like to let people talk when they are on a roll.
Social
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