How can you tell if a video editor is worth their salt? Or a rookie trying to masquerade as a pro?
Video editing can make or break any piece of content.
Great editing can turn even mediocre raw footage into a compelling clip.
Bad editing will ruin even top-notch footage and trash your stand-out viral video idea.
That’s why it’s key to carefully check an editor’s portfolio before deciding to work with them.
Here are five red flags of amateur editors you need to watch out for.
Red Flags of Rookie Editors
- Bad pacing: Long pauses and frequent dead spaces are a frequent sign of bad editing, as are awkward jump cuts and slow transitions.
- Misaligned: Do the visuals you see not match what is being said? That’s another red flag.
- Boring: Attention resets are key in boosting watch time. If they’re missing, give this editor a pass.
- Overload: Is there simply too much visual panache? Rookie mistake.
Keep reading for the full scoop!
Long Pauses and Awkward Cuts
The first thing to look out for is dead space. Long pauses between sentences. False starts that haven’t been cleaned up. Silences that should have been trimmed.
Good video edits have tight cuts. They generate dynamic forward flow and hold a viewer’s attention.
Is that forward drive missing or getting bogged down by pauses? Chances are you’re looking at an amateur editor.
Flawed Logical Flows
It’s a video editor’s job to provide structure and smooth logical flows between segments. This includes staged reveals, clean blocks, and smooth shifts between topics. It’s the art of storytelling.
Bad edits feel confusing, include repeated points that were never tightened, or fail to provide early clarity. Clips can feel out of order and it’s hard for viewers to make sense of transitions, with different blocks failing to connect to each other. They feel like separate clips instead of cohering into a narrative.
Mismatched Visuals
A principal sign of high-quality video edits are visuals that support each of the points being made, both in content and tone.
Find yourself wondering why you’re looking at a particular clip of stock footage when it has nothing to do with what the narrator is saying? Yep, that’s a bad edit.
Missing Attention Resets
Attention resets are a key pro editing strategy to boost a video’s watch time by refreshing viewer focus.
Have you ever found your attention wandering during a video? Scanning comments or scrolling through recommendations instead of listening to what is being said?
You’re not alone. In fact, statistics show that our collective attention span has been decreasing for years.
That is where attention resets come in. An abrupt shift in music. A sudden silence. An unexpected effect.
Bam! Your focus snaps back to the video.
Strategically deployed attention resets are rarely found in bad video edits. And you’ll never see a good edit that doesn’t use them.
Overblown Effects
Finally, one of the most common signs of amateur video editors are overblown audio and video effects.
Do the transitions you’re looking at just have too much panache? Are there random zooms without clear intent? Flashy VFX without purpose?
More likely than not, the rookie editor who produced the clip you’re looking at was having a blast figuring out new software functionalities and using them with glee.
The Bottom Line
Knowing what red flags to watch out for is essential when you’re looking for a video editor to work with. Take the time to carefully compare candidates’ portfolios to ensure that they’re actually seasoned pros.
Want to see a baseline standard? Check out Tasty Edits’ example videos! A professional video editing company with over 30 hand-picked team members, we work with long- and short-form creators across a variety of niches!
FAQs
How can you recognize a bad video edit?
Some of the most common signs of a bad video edit are abundant dead space, abrupt or awkward transitions, incoherence, and overblown visual effects.
What does a good video edit look like?
A good video edit has tight cuts, consistent forward flow, and strategic attention resets.
What makes a bad editor?
Rookie editors often fail to tighten up dead space, clean up pauses, or structure a video to provide proper logical forward flow. Plus, they tend to go overboard on effects and transitions, often resulting in mismatched visuals.
