Creating videos that look professional doesn’t require expensive cameras, video editing software, and professional-level editing skills. Thanks to today’s technology, video editing isn’t as hard as it once was, and it’s now accessible to everyone. Even if you’re working with minimal resources and experience, there are ways to create polished and engaging videos. From planning your shots to timing your cuts, here are some tips that will enhance your video quality.
1. Get the right software
The quality of your videos will depend on the software you use to record and edit clips. If you’re not just using footage from a smartphone or camera, you need a reliable screen recorder.
2. Create a storyboard
Before jumping into editing, having a plan ensures a smoother project and better storytelling.
- Define your purpose. Every video needs a clear objective, whether it’s for marketing, education, creative content, or your blog. Knowing what you want to achieve will guide your editing process.
- Create a storyboard. An old-fashioned storyboard is where you sketch out key scenes to visualize your final project. This gives you the framework for editing your segments.
- Plan your transitions. Smooth transitions between scenes will make your video look professional.
- Don’t use jump cuts as an aesthetic. You’ve probably seen videos that use jump cuts every five seconds – avoid using this method. It comes across as unprofessional and can annoy viewers. Jump cuts are jarring and make the viewer aware of the editing process rather than the content. There are plenty of professional strategies for covering jump cuts while keeping the audio smooth, like using B-Roll or a teleprompter.
3. Eliminate clutter from the background
If you’re sitting in front of a camera talking, it’s crucial to eliminate clutter from the background. Ideally, you’ll want to film against a plain wall with minimal furniture and objects in sight. If you can’t find a clean space, get a movable stand for a tapestry and create a professional backdrop. Tapestries are available in various designs and sizes, but you can also create a custom tapestry branded with your logo.
4. Trim the fat
Remove redundant and subpar footage to keep your video fast-paced and compelling. Aim to make your final production as short as possible while making all of your points.
Many studies have shown that more than half of all viewers will watch a video in its entirety, including advertisements, if it’s shorter than one minute. However, not all videos are designed to be that short. If you’re producing longer content, the more fat you trim, the more viewers you’ll retain.
5. Use high-quality audio
Bad audio will destroy even the most well-made video. Clear audio will make your video more professional. Some surveys have shown that 75% of people will stop watching a video if the audio is poor.
Improving your audio quality isn’t hard. You just need a reliable external microphone that works with your device and possibly a second backup audio recording in case your main mic fails.
6. Prepare your own closed captions
Having good audio is necessary, but you also need to account for the fact that 92% of people watch videos without sound and rely on closed captions. There are also some people who watch videos with sound, but read the closed captions to make sure they don’t miss anything. To satisfy this need, you can either use baked-in captions or caption files for your videos. Both have pros and cons.
For example, baked-in captions are necessary for short videos published to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These are captions that are permanently embedded into the video and these videos are frequently played without sound. Also, seeing the first lines of a caption can encourage people to play the video.
Caption files are separate text files containing the text and can be enabled by each user. This option provides greater flexibility and is ideal for longer videos where people might be annoyed at the presence of on-screen captions they can’t turn off. Both ways to create captions are more accurate than allowing a platform to automatically generate captions for your videos.
Use smart editing to produce professional-quality videos
You don’t need expensive camera equipment or high-end software to make professional videos. By following the tips outlined in this article – like planning your shots, de-cluttering your background, and using closed captions – you can dramatically increase the quality of your videos.
Whether you’re creating videos for social media, business, or education, mastering these simple editing strategies will make your videos look polished and professional.
