Video Production and Editing

Today there are a variety of platforms available to produce and publish video. Even with the increased accessibility of video production tools, mastering certain fundamental skills is still crucial for producing quality content.

Some entry levels editing platforms you may consider are :

• Davinci Resolve 
• Adobe Creative Suite products
• IMovie (Mac only)

Some Best practices with video production:

• Plenty of B-Roll: B-roll is supplementary footage that enhances a primary narrative by providing context, visual interest, or additional information without distracting from the main story.  - Record plenty of B-roll footage to include in your video. Its better to have it and not use it, than to be limited on your video footage and assets.
• Test Lighting Conditions if shooting original footage: Lighting is critical -Will you be shooting your footage outside and in natural light? Will it be done inside with artificial lights ? Create practice footage to test different lighting circumstances and optimize the environment. Pro tip: Sometime leveraging natural light outside is the easiest way to get optimal results.
• Check Audio quality: If your audio is poor quality, viewers will tune out. In addition to lighting, test your audio levels for the video recording device you are using. Ideally audio should be normalized between -10db to -20db. Avoid clipping (distortion)  which occurs over 0db. Choosing an appropriate mic will improve your audio quality. Configurations can range from a simple USB mic to multiple mics or a lavaliers. One rule of thumb when creating a video with sound is do not use the internal mic from your computer. An external mic will always provide better sound quality.

• Organization:  Be sure to have a naming convention for files, folders, and assets related to your project. As you move through the post-production and editing stage, having assets and files logically named, folders structured, and tagged with key information will make the editing process much smoother. Gathering assets and devoting time to organizing before you begin editing and finalizing things will expedite your work.
• Backup your work: Redundancy is key in ensuring you do not lose work, recordings or videos. Have a backup of everything you do that would allow you to revert back to originals if there was a problem such as file corruption etc.

Ten essential steps to include in video editing

1-Organize Your Footage

   - Import and label all your video clips, audio files, images, and other assets.

   -Create folders or bins for different types of media (e.g., raw footage, B-roll, sound effects, music).

   - This step saves time later when you're looking for specific clips.

2- Create a Rough Cut

   - Start by arranging the clips in a rough sequence based on your script or storyboard.

   - Focus on getting the structure and flow right, without worrying about precision yet (timing, transitions, or effects).

3-Trim and Refine Clips

   - Cut down unnecessary footage and fine-tune the timing of each clip to improve pacing and continuity.

   - Use ripple delete (to remove unwanted clips) and transitions (for smoother scene changes) if needed.

   - Make sure each shot flows naturally into the next.

4-Add Transitions

   - Apply transitions between scenes or clips if necessary (e.g., fades, dissolves, or wipes).

   - Avoid overusing transitions, as too many can distract from the content. Stick to simple, clean cuts where possible.

5-Sync Audio and Video

   - Align the audio with the video, especially if you recorded sound separately or used multiple cameras.

   - Adjust the audio levels, ensuring dialogue is clear and background music doesn’t overpower key audio.

6- Color Correction 

   - Color correction: Adjust exposure, contrast, white balance, and saturation to ensure consistency across clips.

      - This enhances the visual aesthetics of your video and ensures a cohesive tone.

7-Add Visual Effects (if needed)

   - Insert any VFX (motion graphics, titles, green screen effects, etc.) that complement your story.

   - Make sure these effects don’t overwhelm the content; they should enhance the narrative or message.

8- Incorporate Audio Elements

   - Add background music, sound effects, or voiceovers.

   - Fine-tune audio levels to ensure clarity (use EQ, compression, etc.) and avoid distortion.

   - Consider using audio fades to smooth transitions between different audio elements.

9- Final Review and Adjustments

   - Watch through the video multiple times to catch any inconsistencies, errors, or awkward cuts.

   - Make minor tweaks to pacing, sound, and visuals.

   - Check for spelling/grammar errors in titles and captions.

10-Export and Deliver

   - Choose the appropriate settings for export based on your intended platform (YouTube, social media, broadcast, etc.).

   - Ensure the resolution, frame rate, and codec match the required specifications.

   - Once you're happy with the final output, export the video and save backup files of your project.

These key steps allow you to approach video editing methodically and efficiently, ensuring a polished final product.