Video editing can be incredibly tedious if you do not know the tricks of the trade, and it comes as no surprise that most amateur photographers/videographers come to dread editing videos not long after their careers commence.
Fortunately, there are a myriad of ways that you can make video editing much less painless; so much so that you even begin to enjoy the video editing process. Let's dive straight into today's topic and look at a couple of basic time-saving tips for photographers.
Choose the “Right” Editing Software
The first and easiest change you can make that can make a huge difference on your overall editing time is simply that of choosing the right video editing software. Some software is more intuitive than others, and if you happen to be using a particularly cumbersome editing application, then you could just be ‘shooting yourself in the foot’ - metaphorically of course.Of course, this point isn't going to apply to everyone. If you already happen to be relatively happy with the editing software you use and think that said software is not an issue, then this might not be the right avenue to go down.
However, if you constantly find yourself struggling to perform certain tasks because of poorly-designed software and dread using it every time you edit, you may have a problem. If this is you, it could be a pretty good indication that you need to switch things up, and you are likely going to see a stark improvement in editing time as a direct result.
Shoot for the Edit
Most photographers tend to try and get entire projects done in just one sitting. From start to finish, most people assume that getting the entire task out of the way right from the offset is the most effective way to go, and the majority of people try to minimize editing time by taking shortcuts when filming. However, this is actually incredibly counter-intuitive.Shooting for the edit will make things so much easier for you when it comes to the actual editing process, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, shooting for the edit is usually much more efficient.
Moreover, there are also a variety of editing programs out there that can allow you to capitalize on your efforts perfectly, and you would be shocked at just how much easier it is to shoot for the edit and touch things up on a site like Hitfilm rather than get the whole thing done in one fell swoop.
Shooting for the edit is a must if you want to make your life a whole lot easier, and once you begin implementing this philosophy, you will come to find that editing to be exponentially easier.
Learn Keyboard Shortcuts
Something that most people tend to forget about is that of keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts can actually shave a ton of time off the editing process, and the vast majority of photographers would benefit greatly from their use.Taking the time to learn all of the essential Windows shortcuts is going to allow you to cut down your editing time quite substantially, and you would be surprised at just how much of a difference a few simple key shortcuts can make.
Sure, you could make the argument that keyboard shortcuts are not going to make that big of a difference in the long run. Moreover, you may even be right.
It is incredibly unlikely that utilising keyboard shortcuts is going to make all that big of an impact on your overall editing time, and it would be somewhat misleading to say that this could shave hours or even days off of your editing process.
However, over the course of your career, using keyboard shortcuts is going to save you a ton of struggle and strife, and perhaps its main benefit is simply going to be that of making the editing process much easier.
Once you learn how to correctly utilise keyboard shortcuts, you will quickly begin to wonder how you ever survived without them, and never again will you have to go through the arduous process of manually doing functions that can be done automatically through the use of a simple keyboard shortcut.
Pace Your Cuts
In spite of what you may think at first, pacing your cuts when shooting a video can cut down editing time drastically. If you find yourself amongst the people who just decide to do a cut whenever a scene goes amuck or when the participants need a break, you are hindering yourself more than you think, and you would be much better off by having a set time for each scene/section.This approach makes things much easier when it comes to editing things together - you will be able to fit things into one another seamlessly. Pacing your cuts can do you a world of good, and if you are serious about creating the best videos possible in the shortest amount of time, then this is an absolute necessity.
If you begin to incorporate all of the tips we have given you in this article, you will notice an immediate reduction in the time it takes you to edit videos, and you may even be able to cut your previous time in half with enough practice and experience. However, it’s important that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get things right the first time.
It takes time to fully become accustomed to all of the tools we have featured today, and in all likelihood, you could even experience a slight increase in your video editing time until you become more familiar with the new process. Just keep at it, and as long as you always strive to be better than last time, nobody will be able to stop you.
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