Why Do Your Videos Still Look Like You’re a Beginner?
It’s that moment you edit a video from start to finish. But when the final cut pops up, a thought immediately forms: “This looks so amateur.”
Here’s the thing: This experience isn’t unique to your project. Many editors struggle with this, no matter how many videos they churn out. But why does this happen?
It doesn’t mean you’re bad at editing! In truth, the most common problems that result in amateur video stems from small oversights. Here’s what to watch out for when editing your next project.
- Your Cuts Are Random
The first red flag I usually look for when examining video is how clips are edited together. For example, cuts that feel abrupt or inconsistent break the visual flow and make the video jarring.
It’s important to remember, though, that every video has its own unique rhythm. What works for you might not work for someone else. So don’t copy anyone’s style, but learn from their methods.
- The Audio Is Unbalanced
It’s tempting to just slap some background music onto the video, but it’s important to get the levels of everything right.
When audio is off, even the best-looking videos can quickly get boring. It’s not just unprofessionalism, either; it can also make the content feel confusing.
It’s not just music that has to be checked for proper levels, either. Dialogue and foley need to be balanced, as well, and you have to make sure none of it feels too quiet or loud. This is one of the few things that can instantly ruin your editing project.
- There’s No Story Structure
One major mistake people make in video is thinking there can’t be a structure when their video is only a few seconds long.
If you think of editing as more of an idea assembly, then story structure applies to any video. And if you fail to provide a story structure, your edit will feel disjointed.
You can use story structure to guide the viewer from the beginning to the middle and the end.
- You’re Overusing Transitions and Effects
It’s very tempting to put all these cool transitions, effects, and filters, especially when you’re first learning how to edit a video. But that’s exactly the mistake!
Too many effects, in my experience, only detracts from the overall message of your video and creates a mess.
In reality, many of the best edits don’t feature a ton of flashy styling. Keep it simple.
- There’s No Consistency Between Videos
If you notice your videos are all vastly different from each other, you may have an issue.
This doesn’t mean you need to copy the exact style of every edit; you just need a cohesive look for all your videos.
This is how I personally ensure consistency with my edits: I don’t change the way I cut, style, or filter the clips too much. It helps, because even with an imperfect method, I can maintain consistency between videos.
Final Thought
There are dozens of things that can make your video look amateurish. But most of the time, it’s not an issue of skill; it’s just a matter of editing the project the same way.