Why Your Edits Aren’t “Cinematic” Yet.
You’ve probably come across videos that look cinematic, right out of the gate, even when there’s no major event happening on screen. Clean pacing. Emotional flow. Clean transitions. And that cinematic feel in-between everything. When you look at your edits, you’d probably say, looks okay, but not that, you know? It just is not cinematic.
Well here’s the truth about cinematic editing. It’s not about using the most expensive cameras, heavy effects or even fancy editing tools you have. It’s rather about how you manipulate the time, the sound, and how you direct attention inside your video.
- Your editing doesn’t create an emotion with your pace
A big difference you might notice between a professional editor and an average editor is their pace. Average editors will mostly cut to the beat. Which can cause a flat editing experience. Professional editors know how to create contrast and how to use timing to create emotions, some times slowing it down so the audience feels something more emotional, some times cutting quickly in and out to keep energy. Without pacing there is no story just a series of cuts.
- You’re not taking advantage of audio to compliment your visuals
Sound and music is often underestimated. The biggest mistake for most beginners is to consider sound as the last thing to take care of and not the most important. A great edit could easily be ruined by a poor audio edit. There’s something special about the way certain sounds can change your perception about a scene. Even tiny things, like background ambience or transitions, can completely change the feel of a scene.
- You’re leaning on VFX and effects a bit much
Transitions, filters and effects can all be useful in creating a cinematic edit. But they’re not enough on their own to create a cinematic feel. Sometimes it just creates a weird vibe or looks too amateur. Cinematic edits are almost always a clean cut or subtle movement that does everything for you. Not everything else.
- You don’t create a visual focus for your viewer
In a cinematic video, there is something the audience should be looking at right now. Most average editors will just try to fit in too much content into a scene. A well edited video will know how to create focus by using timing, framing, and movements to create a clear focal point that feels intentional.
- The story hasn’t gone anywhere
In short videos, the structure still needs to be there. There’s a beginning, middle and ending concept going on. Otherwise you just have random scenes and not an emotional story going on. Cinematic editing is all about creating progression even in simple scenes.
Conclusion
To create an cinematic edit you can’t just add it on the end, you have to have that mindset from start to finish while you edit. It’s all about the rhythm and how you’re intending for the scene to be felt by the audience. When you start thinking this way your edits are going to look cinematic and look professional.