Transcription
So, you had this great idea for a video. You wrote your script, planned your shots, and actually got out in the wild filming those shots. [music] And now you're finally ready to edit. But now everything falls apart. Should I use this shot? Am I cutting too soon? Why does it feel? What am I doing? Of course, because editing can be the most overwhelming part of filmmaking. But I've been editing for over 15 years. And today I'm sharing some of my most valuable editing [music] tricks that will make the difference between a bunch of clips stacked together and a story that actually flows. [music] And that will feel good just like that first time when you had that idea. Now, let's get into [music] it.
What I want to share here are the editing choices that actually make your story flow. Things that keep people watching because they want to and [music] because they lean into your story. These are simple but powerful secrets. And even if you only use one of them, your videos will already feel [music] stronger. And also stick around to the end because I will share one bonus tip that took me way too long to figure out, but once I did, it really made my editing way faster and less stressful.
So, here's the first secret that completely changed my process. Back when I started, I would shoot everything and then I would dive straight into the edit and just try to make things work. And every time my timeline was [music] a mess. So, after many painful re-edits, I realized this: that your voiceover, your music, and even your sound effects are way more important than most people think. So, now I start my edits with only audio before I touch a single clip. Yeah, you really heard that well, but believe me, it will really change your edits.
So, here's how I do it. For YouTube, I record my hook and my intro voiceover before I even start shooting. Then, I find music that matches the energy that I have in my head, and I will even add a few sound effects. And right away, I see where my voiceover is too long, where things don't work, or where I should work on the pacing. And even better, it always gives me new inspiration and new ideas for shots. And because I haven't shot anything yet, I can still add those shots to my shot list. For example, in this video, I did exactly that. Laying down my voiceover with music showed me that my voiceover was too long. That that buildup can be much quicker because I don't need 7 seconds to explain uh that we're overwhelmed. So we can do that much quicker. And the rhythm of the track that inspired me to do that paper toss scene on the beat. [music] And another great thing about this is that once you've shot everything, the edit is already halfway done because the pacing is there, the voiceover is there, and the music is there. So the only thing you basically have left to do is add the shots in. So the next video you're working on, lock in your audio first because you will spot some time issues instantly. And the more you do this, you know, the more your brain will practice creating a story in your head before even filming. And that actually is one of the most useful skills you can build as a filmmaker.
If there's one thing that makes or breaks your video, it's pacing. Your edit speed is your storytelling pulse. And I think it's one of the biggest mistakes that I see even from experienced editors. It's that they're staying in the same pace for too long. So, here are three things that I think really shape pacing. The first one is shot length because short and snappy cuts make things fast or increase the tension and longer shots are more for emotion or producing calmness. Then the second one is shot motion. You have chaotic handheld movements that can really add energy or smooth and stable frames that really calm things down. And I think mixing those in the right way can be really strong. And then there's the third, which is music and sound because your soundtrack really sets the heartbeat as well. You know, a driving beat really [music] pushes the story forward. Softer music is really what can let it breathe as well. And of course, sometimes a silence can be really strong as well. Anyway, if you keep the pace high the entire time, people will get overwhelmed and [music] if it stays slow, they will get bored. So yeah, it's really good to time that change in [music] energy because that really snaps the attention back or it really puts people in in the right emotion when [music] you want to. For example, listen to the first 30 seconds of this video. We start with no music, tension rising with a sound effect. Then pause for a second, then full energy, quick shots, fast music. Then a short break, a longer shot. Tension is building again. Then energy back up with fast cuts. Why does it feel? And we release into slower shots and no music. Finally, we settle into a neutral pacing. And that variation is really what keeps a hook like that really alive. So the next time you edit, just spend a little more time on pacing. Just mark your big moments and your quiet moments. And then let your cuts, your movements, and your music flow between them. Your audience, they will stick with you much longer, I'm sure.
>> [music] >> You know, one of the hardest things, but also one of the most important things about editing is [music] finding music that actually fits the mood of your story. You really don't want to know how much time I spend on tweaking music in my edits just so it fits perfectly. But sometimes you wish you could just tweak a song a bit. Maybe take out the vocals or take out the guitar. Well, you can do that now because Audio released Elements 2.0. So, a while ago and it's a really huge upgrade cuz now you can separate every part of the track: the vocals, the drums, the bass, piano, guitar, even the strings, all in studio quality. So, for me, that means that I can take a track that I already love, just strip it down completely or build it back up with all those different pieces. And that just makes it pretty much easier to adjust the music to whatever fits the rhythm or the pacing that I'm looking for. So, if you want to try that out, go explore Elements 2.0 and get 70% off your first year of Audio Pro at audio.com/timrunia using the code at checkout. And of course, you'll find the link in the description as well.
So, when I first started out creating videos, once I got to the editing process, before I knew it, I would spend 2 days perfecting the first 30 seconds. You know, adding sound effects or maybe already color grading, and I would totally forget what I was making. But then I discovered the power of the assembly edit. And that's basically like sketching before you paint or outlining a book before you write. It's all about getting a rough shape down first and then start refining. So if you've already created the hook and the intro of your video with an audio blueprint, then you can use the assembly edit to shape the rest of your story fast.
So here's how I do it. First, I spot the footage that tells the story. So spotting just means cut out the junk and keep the clips you will actually use. Then I drag some of them into the timeline in the rough story order with a beginning, a middle, and an end. And I'm not polishing anything yet. If I already recorded my voiceover, I will drop that in too. And then I spend time finding music that matches the pace. You know, sometimes it's temporary music, but sometimes I can already find the real track. Then I just play everything back from the beginning to the end and I can really watch the rough story unfold and I just really pay attention and immediately I will see where the gaps are, where the pacing feels off or [music] what kind of shots I'm still missing or sometimes what I can really get rid of. So before you dive into polishing, build your assembly edit. Drag your key clips into a story order and then refine after that. You know, it will save you hours of frustration and I'm sure it will give you way more clarity on where your edit is heading and where your story is heading.
So, with my first edits, I loved picking a song and just cutting on the beat. You know, we've all probably done those edits and they feel nice, but it gets repetitive pretty fast. And I think real flow goes way deeper. So, here are just a few ways to create flow. The first one, cut intentionally. You know, don't don't just throw clips together. Just think about where the eyes of your audience are on the screen and how the movement of the eyes flow from one shot to the next or how one shot flows to the next. Then the [music] second one is beat accents because instead of cutting on the beat, you can land an action with the beat like when you're dropping something or when you're stepping in the frame or even raising an eyebrow. I will show you an example in [music] a bit. Then the third, audio transitions because a sound effect across two shots can really glue them together and sometimes a sound effect does that even much better than the shots themselves. You know, uh, and a combination is even better. So, for example, in the intro of this video, I cut the movement going out of the shot from the left to the right, then coming in [music] from the right to the left. So, it feels fast but smooth. Then I hit beat accents. [music] You know, me coming onto the desk or raising my eyebrows right on the beat. So instead of cutting on the beat, the action itself matches the beat. Am I cutting? So next time you edit, don't just think about speed. Think about movement. Where are the eyes going? Where's the rhythm pulling? Just try one intentional cut, maybe one beat accent and one audio transition, and I'm sure your edit will feel much smoother instantly.
[music] If your edit feels predictable, people tune out. And that's why I like to break my own rhythm with a quick sudden cut or a change of scene or just something completely unexpected. So that contrast, that's really what can [music] bring people back into your story. Even a small surprise creates a little spike of focus. And those tiny spikes are really what keep people watching. You know, as long as it's not too forced and it's part of your story. You can use contrast. This can be anything. Uh, loud versus quiet or fast versus slow or bright versus [music] dark. Or I add surprise, just something playful or something abrupt that no one saw coming. For example, in this video's hook, I froze the frame and dropped in text before you expected it because it was like in the first 3 seconds. And that tiny break already makes you pay much more attention. And then later, I cut to silence when I'm at the empty desk. And that sudden shift in energy that instantly makes you think, hey, what just happened there? But really try to make it a part of the story. So, in your next edit, just try to find one spot to add contrast or surprise. Maybe it's a freeze frame or a quick silence or an unexpected cut. Uh, you really don't need many of those, but you know, really, one well-placed surprise can already make your story pretty unforgettable.
[snorts] You know, editing will always be a puzzle. No matter how many tricks you learn, how many secrets you learn, there will always be this moment where it feels like [music] things are not going to work. And that's really normal because filmmaking is really hard. But when your story finally comes together in the edit, it's always worth it. If you find it hard to finish your own videos, check out my story starter kit. The link is in the [music] description. And I really designed this to make filmmaking simple and take you from staring at a messy timeline to finally finishing a video you're proud of. A link is in the description. And it's the most affordable way to finally finish, I think, and get your ideas out of your head onto the screen.
Now, my last bonus secret is: be ruthless. When I started out editing, I could spend days trying to squeeze in every shot that I filmed just because I filmed the shot and the shot was nice. But now, I really try to make my selections really fast. "Kill your darlings" is how they call [music] it, and it's really true. You will have to say goodbye to a lot of great shots. But the faster you will learn to cut what doesn't serve the story, the more energy you will have to shape the story itself. That's also where the assembly edit from earlier really helps because it really forces you to make decisions quickly. And the more ruthless you are, the better your edits will be. And now that you've got all these fresh knowledge to dive into your edit, check out this video next where I will show you the kind of cuts you need to apply this into your edits. Good luck.
[sighs and gasps] You can do it. Go edit. Edit that thing.