The Importance of Digital Video Editing

The Importance of Digital Video Editing
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Editing Raises the Bar

What has always set home videos apart from more professional filmmaking is the ability to manage and manipulate what was recorded through editing. When shots are put together into a sequence as a method of storytelling you don’t just have raw documentation of what you have videotaped. Now you have the best shots put together with other aesthetic additions that make the final product more viewable and attractive.

The ability to edit video used to be relegated to commercially sponsored productions because the cost of equipment, and later software, was so high that it was not viable for average consumers to take their home videos and put them through the editing process. The main point of editing is selection. It allows the producer to decide exactly what they want included, and add what is missing from their project. Instead of indiscriminately showing every detail of what you are recording, you are now able to select the key moments you want to share or remember and highlight just those. For example, a family trip can be reduced down to the most memorable moments and the more mundane events can be removed. If you are working on a larger home digital video project it gives you a way of adding a elements that would not be there if it was just raw tape. You can incorporate other photos, videos, and music to give your completed project more depth. It can then allow you to alter what you have already recorded, and fix some problems that may have arisen when you were out in the field shooting.

The best reason to use non-linear editing software is that it allows you to digitize your production and distribute it in a number of ways. Editing programs allow you to “export,” or reformat, your video in a number of ways. You can then post it on websites, email it to friends, or put together a flashy DVD. Without these kinds of options your video will simply be a lengthy series of recordings without much artistry or intent. What happens when you take your project to the next level is it allows more personality and creativity to be displayed and the impact of your video will be further amplified. Now that every consumer has the ability to bring a more intimate construction to their home digital video there is no reason to simply allow the power of this medium to only be used by large media companies. You can bring the same flare to your home computer and create something that will last longer than the moment you captured.

This post is part of the series: Video Editing

Different articles that address video editing.

  1. Avoiding Editing Catastrophes Pt. 1 of 2
  2. Creating the Perfect Editing Space
  3. Things to Avoid in Your Editing Computer
  4. The Importance of Digital Video Editing
  5. How To Use “Continuity Editing” To Tell Your Story
  6. What Is “Complexity Editing?”
  7. The Basics of Non-Linear Video Editing
  8. Components of a Non-Linear Video Editing Program
  9. Maintaining Your Computer for Digital Video Editing
  10. Knowing What to “Cut-Out” When Editing
  11. Editing Techniques: The Rule of Six
  12. Things to Do Before Installing New Video Editing Software
  13. Things to Avoid When Digital Video Editing
  14. The Editing Order in Video Production
  15. Using Visual Vectors When Editing
  16. Video Transitions for Editing Digital Video