EDit Tricks 2.jpg

1. KEEP THE Pacing SNAPPY

TRY THIS Edit Trick

When cutting to a new frame, don't start the clip BEFORE the movement. Start the clip in the middle of any movement. If nothing is moving, cut the clip. Unless, of course, you are building suspense. 


2. ADD RAW SOUND

TRY THIS Edit Trick

I prefer to shoot raw sound videos in very small, short scenes. Make sure the room is completely quiet before grabbing raw sound clips. The microphone on your dSLR or iPhone can be sensitive enough to pick up sounds, but plug a well-reviewed mic (like this $100 RODE VMGO mic) directly into your camera for even better results. 


3. USE TIMELAPSe

TRY THIS Edit Trick

Not only is it fun to watch, timelapse is easy to edit. Even beginners can rock this simple technique. Speed your clip up from 200-4000% and let viewers watch how your recipe creation, photography or life happenings in superspeed. Click here to watch me edit a timelapse video in real time.


4. Add Narration After

TRY THIS Edit Trick

Hack the classic HGTV approach to storytelling! Though this edit may seem tricky, it's actually one of the easiest ways I've found to add narration to a scene. Set a camera up while you cook, write, photoshoot or style. And once your activity is complete, film yourself describing whatever it is you just did, but tell it in the present tense. I prefer to grab these shots in front of a low-cost white photography setup, because I think it makes the edit look clean and professional. But you can also film in front of your computer, while sitting on the couch or standing in the kitchen with wine in hand. Your style, you get to decide what works for you! 

To create a really professional looking video, embrace the b-roll. Shoot lots of different angles, most of them up close. And patch them together to tell the story of your food, recipe or brand.


5. Unlock the Power of Quick Cuts

TRY THIS Edit Trick

YouTuber's often use this peppy edit, but foodies rarely do. Time to take a note from our fellow creatives! 

To quick cut, simply slice your frame just after sound or movement occurs, then patch it together quickly to create an engaging final video--no transitions! This edit trick works especially well when a single camera is set up and stays stationary throughout the entire filming. 

Use it in videos where you are speaking and want to keep the pace engaging, when you want to sew together a story from several clips, or need to shorten a long process by showing the most interesting bits and pieces. It is best used as an edit style throughout your entire video, with each clip not lasting more than 2-4 seconds each.


6. Hack after Effects

TRY THIS Edit Trick

1. Shoot with the edit in mind. Film your scenes with your edits in mind. Pull the bowl out of the left side of the frame, then add in a "wipe" to create playful movement with the edit. Lift the bowl toward your camera, and add in a zoom to create a 3D effect, etc.

2. Keyframe your frames. Adding slight motion to every frame gives your video a dynamic feel. Click here to discover how easy it is to get the look.

3. Buy Motion Presets. My all time favorite are made by FilmImpact. Their Premiere Pro transitions make it easy to add bounce, swirls and other fancy effects to frames and titles. I purchased their CS IMPACT BUNDLE, and it's been one of the best purchases of my video career. Simple, and the effects are irreplaceable.


7. ADD Good Music

A food video creator once said "add music, any music, it doesn't matter." And while the concept is rooted in a stat that makes sense (most Facebook users scroll through the feed with sound off, so for them, the sound doesn't matter), don't underestimate the power of adding GOOD music in post.

My preferred method of editing with good music is to create the basic edit. Then match music to the general mood of the film, buy and add music into the clip, then re-edit to perfect the pacing and match it to my tunes. Over the course of my career, so many viewers have commented on the music in my videos, it is a noticeable thing and adds style and emotion to even the most basic recipe vids.

3 Best Places to Buy Great Music


BONUS TIP! MAKE AN EDIT

How many stories can you create from one reel? Challenge yourself to go back over your archives, reuse your content, and re-edit clips you've already taken in new ways. What new angles or new stories can your old clips contribute to?

Better yet, edit the best bits of all your videos together and create a brand trailer. Ideal for YouTube, amazing as a Facebook cover. Send your brand trailer along with your media kit, and watch sponsors freak-the-crap-out and hire your face off.


Video Edit.jpg

TOTALLY NEW TO VIDEO. AND TOTALLY TERRIFIED?

Pull up a pillow. Cozy on in. I can help.

I remember thinking video editing was this big, hard, special skill that would take me years to learn. Good news! I literally learned how to do it...in one day...from a cozy chair at my kitchen table. 

And with my 90-Minute Food Video Crash Course, you can do the same. Fire up your laptop, grab a cup of coffee, and cozy in as I walk you through everything you need to know to get up and running with Food Video in 2 hours or less.

See if it this class is what you need! Buzz me your email address and I'll send you a secret link to Chapter 5 in my 90-Minute Food Video Crash Course. Just 14 minutes long, this video let's you look inside my actual editing process. So you can see how I set up my motherboard, how I organize my videos, and decide if it's right for you.