Editing is the most crucial part of making a video that regular folks want to watch. H.G Wells once remarked, "No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft."
The key here is someone else's draft... when it's our own we tend to want to leave in everything because how could we cut out any bits of our darling kids (at their best) or maybe a deceased family member. This is why I try, with my own video editing to look at my film through the eyes of a stranger by asking the following questions.
- Is this portion relevant to the clip as a whole?
- Does the scene exceed the average length of normal attention spans?
- Is there a blip of something that detracts from what your film is trying to convey?
Answering these 3 simple questions, can help you determine if the clip is publish worthy. For instance, I am currently editing and publishing videos for a recent concert. The concert although rich in vocal talent was also long in length. So think about capturing an epic scene of a very near and dear (super-talented) family member doing a beautiful rendition of the live version song, "Free Bird." Exact length of that version is a whopping 14 minutes, 23 seconds. Maybe *you* could sit there, enjoying your Uncle Richard belting out the well known Skynard melody, but not many others could. So in the vein of "Free Bird," let me set you free... you don't have to keep a scene such as this, solid. Pick out the very best, well known parts, add in some effects such as scene switching (that makes the video look like someone is turning a page), audio effects such as a cheering crowd or someone chanting, "Richard Rocks," and even keep the audio running while throwing in a younger photo of Uncle Richard belting or a crowd holding up lit candles or lighters. Doing this tricks the mind into being engaged for a longer length of time because as every new addition flashes on the screen, it starts over the attention span clock of the average person. Worried about Uncle Richard's feelings getting hurt? Don't! Every great performance whether it be in writing, theatre or film gets a turn on the editing block... why should Uncle Richard be any different than Steven King or Nicole Kidman? Just by seeing themselves in the spotlight for once is enough (in my opinion) to absolve you of any perceived editing crime.
