If you want to make a quality video, you can’t just shoot film and share the raw footage with the world. Once you’ve wrapped on set, you’ll need to head to video post-production. There, you’ll shape the video you shot into the final product.
As an experienced video production company, we know how much of an impact post-production. has on the overall caliber of a project. Whether you’re working with a professional editor or cutting the footage together yourself, here are a few small tricks that can help you get a handle on the process.
Come in With a Vision
The most important thing you can bring into video post-production is a clear idea of what you want. You don’t have to have every frame plotted out in advance, but you need to know what you’re working toward if you ever hope to get there. Without direction, you run the risk of getting lost in irrelevant details and never moving forward. Remember your end goal and make choices that help you get there.
Try Things Out
While staying focused is important, don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. One of the best things video post-production affords you is the freedom to fail. Want to try a take where an actor surprised you? You can cut it in, watch it and see if it works.
If it does, great! If not, only you and your fellow producers ever have to know. Often, you only know if something will work in an edit by trying it out. If you’re working with an experienced editor, trust their instincts. The editor’s job is to take the footage you deliver and then assemble their best attempt at something that captures your vision. They might have an idea you’d have never thought of that takes your video to the next level.
Mind Your Pacing
Pacing is a handy tool in the editor’s arsenal. It can help make conversations feel relaxed and thoughtful and make action sequences feel frenetic and exciting. While in the edit, try to be mindful of the rhythm of your video. You want a good balance between slower scenes with fewer cuts and faster scenes that jump from shot to shot. If there are too many slow scenes, it can feel plodding. Too many fast ones, and it can get exhausting. Bad pacing is one of the easiest ways to lose your audience, so view the whole project holistically and strike the right mixture.
Use Match Cuts to Establish Continuity
Continuity is another factor that, while not always apparent to your audience, can make a video feel a bit off-kilter. There are egregious examples, but the smaller things often slip through the cracks and make the whole thing feel off. Match cuts are an easy way to maintain continuity and make your edits feel seamless.
You only need to consecutively place two clips with similar visual elements to create a match cut. For example, you could focus on a physical gesture that occurs in both clips, like one character waving at another, or you can use clips that similarly frame both characters. Match cuts help maintain cohesion, keeping your audience focused on the action and not on the editing.
Color Correction is Your Friend
Color correction is a simple thing that can take your video post-production from amateur to professional quality. It might sound complicated at a glance, but if you’ve ever edited the colors on an Instagram post you’re already familiar with the basic concept. It’s just about adjusting your picture until things look closer to real life or a heightened version if you’re going for a specific tone. Professional cameras try to capture as rich of an image as possible with the assumption that you’ll adjust the picture in post. If you don’t, you can end up with a gray or muddy picture.
Experiment with raising or lowering the contrast and saturation to impact the mood of your video. You don’t have to go overboard with adjusting the colors; just choose a color scheme that works for your project and give it a few tweaks. You’ll be surprised how much it helps.
Put Effort Into the Sound
Even though film is a visual medium, the audio elements in your video will greatly affect how it’s received. Poor sound can quickly turn off your audience, so make sure you’re giving it the love it needs. Start by capturing high-quality audio on set, and use professional audio tools if possible.
At Pretzel Logic Productions, we ensure all clients can access industry-standard equipment for their projects. Once you have your audio, you need to balance and mix all the tracks so they’re clear and consistent. Once everything sounds good, you can consider adding a soundtrack. The right music can be a quick and efficient way to communicate the world of your video to the viewer and add a bit more of that professional shine.
Always Serve Your Story
At the end of the day, the most important thing you do in video post-production is tell your story. There are a thousand tips and tricks that can make your video look shiny and exciting, but they’re not worth anything if you aren’t using them to move your narrative forward.
At Pretzel Logic Productions, we’re passionate storytellers. If you need help in post or you want a partner for the entire project, we’re ready to put our skills to use and get you over the finish line. You don’t need to be an expert in video production to make something amazing; you just need to have a vision and the right people around you to achieve it.