Ivan Wong is a professional videographer who is a member of the Sony Alpha Imaging Collective, Sony’s official ambassador program for their Sony Alpha cameras.
He’s worked with MVMT, Audi, and other high-profile brands.
We asked him about some consistent mistakes that people make when it comes to videography. In fact, in order to generate public engagement, it is essential to avoid certain editing errors that can harm the user’s experience and make them turn it off.
- A neglected soundtrack
If what people see is essential, so is what they hear. Therefore, do not neglect the soundtrack of your video for any reason.
Generally, three audio components must coexist, namely:
The voices
The music
The film soundtrack
It’s up to you to find the right balance between the different tracks, the common mistake made by the editors is to give too much power to the music.
Another error stems from the very quality of the soundtrack since it sometimes happens that crackling or echoes can be heard in videos published on the web.
- A bad musical choice
The music accompanying your images is to be sought after the video editing has been completed. Therefore, take the time to focus on the musical choices and avoid the pitfalls.
Indeed, it is out of the question to accompany rhythmic images with a soft melody and vice versa. Likewise, particularly joyful music is not suitable for a sad scene such as a funeral.
So be sure to respect these “logics”, otherwise, you will disturb some spectators who may miss the message you want to convey.
- Abuse of long shots
Beginning editors, often due to lack of experience, tend to abuse long shots. However, in the final rendering of a video, they can tire the viewer and deprive themselves of artistic possibilities.
Also, it is relevant for an editor to multiply the viewing angles to film the same action. He will be able to rhythm his editing by alternating the shots and will be able to refine the message he wishes to transmit.
- A montage like on television
There are some differences in the techniques used to edit a video depending on whether it is intended for the web or television. Unfortunately, some fitters sometimes forget it…
Many people make the mistake of using “crossfade” for the transition between two images in videos intended for the web .
Only here, if this technique is suitable for television, it is much less for the Internet where it is a question of preserving at all costs the attention of the Internet user who can very easily go and peck at other content.
- Poor graphic choices for titration
You will most likely add texts to your video content which is a pretty good decision.
On the other hand, be careful to choose a typography, a size and a color which ensure their perfect legibility.
Warning
However, don’t overdo it because headlines and subtitles shouldn’t take precedence over the message your video intends to convey.
- The use of gadget effects
Many video editing software offers a wide choice of effects, all more gadgets than each other.
Also, if you really want to create a professional video, avoid these effects which can only discredit your work.
- Forgetting call-to-action buttons
At a time when many videos available on the web aim to generate engagement among the Internet user, not integrating call-to-action buttons is a mistake.
It is indeed judicious to use videos to encourage the Net surfer to act and what better than buttons and links integrated into these to achieve it.