Different types of video editing

Different types of video editing

Introduction

Audio and video technology is more abundant than ever in our daily lives through computers, movie theaters  and home televisions. Although, possibly one of the most common video editor jobs is associated with the film industry, editing motion pictures is not the only way a person with video editing skills can find work. More and more industries are using video and audio editors to produce promotional items, business presentations, and company websites.

There are several different ways to edit video and each method has its pros and cons. Although most editors choose to go for for digital non-linear editing for most projects, it makes sense to have an understanding of how each method works, which I will be going over in the next few slides.

Cut (transition)

The most common transition — this is where an image is suddenly replaced by another without it being visually changed. The raw footage from the camera would contains cuts between shots where you stop and start recording. In film and television production, the vast majority of transitions are cuts. The word talks about the physical action of cutting film or videotape, but also talks about a similar edit performed in software; it has also become associated with the film/programme going on break. In video editing and live switching, cuts are fast and efficient. Once a scene has been set up, cuts are the best way to keep the action rolling at a good pace. Other types of transition such as fade can slow the pace or even be distracting.

Mix/dissolve/crossfade

These are all words to describe the same transition — a gradual fade from one shot to the next.

Crossfades have a more relaxed feel than a cut and can be used in situations such as - Slowing the pace of a video, creating a mood, e.g. relaxation, thoughtfulness, etc, showing a sequence of scenic shots, photo montages, conveying a sense of passing time or changing location. The speed of the crossfade transition can vary between a few frames, and slow or incomplete crossfades can also be used to create layered video effects.

Fade

A video fade is when a shot gradually fades to or from a single colour, usually black or white. A fade is different to a crossfade, which is a transition directly between two shots rather than one shot to a colour. The "fade from black" and "fade to black" seem to be everywhere in film and television. They usually mean the beginning or end of a scene. The timing of the fades indicates the importance of the change in time or location between scenes — a slower fade with more time on black indicates a more significant end/beginning. A fairly quick fade to and from black could indicate a time lapse of a few minutes or hours, however a long drawn-out fade indicates a much bigger change.

Wipe

Wipe is where one image is replaced by another without dissolving and it eliminates the first shot then replaces it with another shot. Wipes often have a coloured border to help distinguish the two shots during the transition. Split-screens often use a wipe. A horizontal line wipes from left or right into the middle of frame, revealing the new shot in that half. Wipes are a good way to show changing location or viewpoint.

Digital effects

Most editing apps give you a large selection of digital transitions with many different effects. There are too many to list here, but these effects include things such as colour replacement, animated effects, pixelisation, focus drops, lighting effects, etc. Many cameras also include digital effects, but if possible it is better to add these in post-production.