Today it is easier than ever to shoot and edit a video quickly, easily, and sometimes from the comfort of your own home. We have all heard stories about someone in the right place at the right time, or with an exceptionally creative idea, that turned into a viral video and made the video’s creator or subject a star over night. While having the right equipment for capturing sounds and images is important, most film experts will tell you that a truly great marketing video is made in the video editing process.
Good editing is part art and part science. Often a video editor must take into account human psychology and attention spans as they are preserving the comedic timing of the video, deleting any unnecessary or awkward pauses, and blends the audio and video into one seamless experience. Here are some of the most common mistakes video marketers make.
1. Poorly Synchronized Audio
One thing that will drive viewers away from your video, and make it appear like a train wreck, is when your audio leads or lags your video by a few slides. For example, you may have seen videos online where the subject in the video is speaking to the camera, but the audio is a split-second late. If this goes on too long, most viewers start looking elsewhere. In addition to losing your audience, this is mistake will also hurt your reputation as a quality video producer.
2. Fluctuations in Volume
You may have noticed in some poorly produced action and war movies, that some scenes are filmed and recorded with the volume at a conversational level, but as soon as some action starts its like the producer turned the volume up to eleven! If your viewers constantly have to adjust their volume while watching your video, this is a problem. Instead, pay attention to the volume levels, and keep them within a relative range, so as not to distract your audience from your true message.
3. Poor Choice of Background Music
When most inexperienced video makers begin thinking about a soundtrack for their video, personal preference often plays too large of a role. Yes, we know that Lady Gaga song is so hot right now, but your audience may not always share the feeling. Instead, you should choose music that supports the feelings and emotions your video conveys.
When choosing music, you also need to pay consideration to any intellectual property laws you may be violating. However, you should not use this as an excuse to leave out the soundtrack altogether. Just make sure you are abiding by all creative commons rules.