You’ve planned your video. You’ve captured the footage. Now it’s time to put it all together.
There are plenty of video editing tips that can teach you how to make a cut, add a transition, adjust your audio or use a particular editing program.
That’s not what this is about.
Good video editing starts with the decisions you make about your content: what to show, what to cut, where to start, and how to keep your audience watching.
And those decisions should take you right back to the questions you asked before you ever hit record: Who are you trying to reach, and what do you want them to do after watching?
Keep those answers in mind every time you make a cut.
Make an Impact Quickly
You don’t have much time to convince someone your video is worth watching.
That doesn’t mean you need a dramatic opening or a clickbait hook.
It means get to the point.
Think about what will give your audience a reason to keep watching.
Maybe it’s an interesting statement from an interview. A compelling visual. A question they want answered. Or a quick glimpse of where the story is going.
Don’t spend the first 10 seconds telling people what you’re eventually going to tell them.
Start telling them.
Think About the First Three Seconds
This is especially important with short-form video content.
Someone scrolling through social media can move past your video almost instantly. Your first few seconds need to give them a reason not to.
If you have a great visual, lead with it.
Someone said something interesting? Consider starting there.
If you’re answering a question, get into the question.
A hook doesn’t have to be gimmicky. It should simply make someone want to see what comes next.
And whatever you promise in those first few seconds, make sure the rest of the video delivers.
Make Every Second Serve a Purpose
One of the hardest parts of editing is letting go of footage you like.
Maybe it’s a beautiful shot.
Maybe someone gave you a great interview answer.
Or maybe you spent 20 minutes capturing something and really want to use it.
But ask yourself:
Does it help tell this story?
If it doesn’t, cut it. When I worked in television news, we called it “killing your darlings.” These are elements you love and don’t want to lose, but that simply don’t belong in the story you’re telling.
Your goal isn’t to use everything you captured. Your goal is to use everything this video needs.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make It Shorter
A video should be as long as it needs to be.
And no longer.
If you can communicate the same idea in 45 seconds instead of 90 seconds, the shorter version is probably stronger.
But that doesn’t mean every video needs to be short. If the story genuinely needs three minutes, give it three minutes, especially if you know your audience will watch a three-minute video.
There isn’t one perfect length for video content.
Respect your audience’s time and let the content determine the length.
Use Your Best Footage to Help Tell the Story
Remember all those wide, medium and tight shots you captured?
This is where they pay off.
Use that variety to keep the video visually interesting, but don’t add shots just because you have them. Think about how the visuals can help tell the story.
If someone is talking about a product, show the product.
Describing a process? Show the process.
If they’re talking about a person, show that person.
I call it relevant b-roll.
The best visuals don’t just cover an edit. They add something to the story.
Otherwise, you’re just slapping up wallpaper. And wallpaper doesn’t tell a story.
Keep the Edit Focused
Remember another rule from earlier in this series:
One video = one idea.
Editing is where you’ll be tempted to break it.
You may discover another great interview answer or an interesting piece of footage that sends the video in a different direction.
Save it.
You may have just found your next video idea.
Trying to squeeze every good thing you captured into one edit can make the original idea harder to understand.
Don’t Let the Editing Get in the Way
Transitions, graphics, effects, music and other editing tools can absolutely make a video better.
They can also distract from it.
You don’t need a flashy transition between every shot. You don’t need text flying around the screen just because your editing software makes it possible.
Ask the same question you ask about your footage:
Does this make the video better?
If it does, use it.
If it doesn’t, you probably don’t need it.
Watch It Like Your Audience
Before you call the edit finished, watch it from beginning to end.
Try to forget that you made it.
Does the beginning make you want to keep watching?
Is anything confusing?
Does anything drag?
Is there something you could remove without losing anything?
And when it’s over, did the video accomplish what you wanted it to accomplish?
Those questions are more important than whether every edit is technically perfect.
Good Video Editing Is About Being Thoughtful
I think of editing as creating a piece of art.
Van Gogh didn’t just slap paint on a canvas and call it art. His choices were thoughtful and intentional.
Editing should be approached the same way.
You don’t need to know every feature in your editing software to make better video content.
You need to be thoughtful and make good choices with what you captured.
Get to the point. Give people a reason to keep watching. Cut what doesn’t serve the story. Use your visuals intentionally. Make every second earn its place.
Then put it out there.
See what works. Learn from what doesn’t. Have fun with it.
And make the next one better.