A video is the sum of all its parts — lighting, footage, sound, script, and storyline. Post-production is where finally it all comes together. This is where the magic happens that takes a video from average to impressive.
Truth be told, video editing is a meticulous job. And, not everyone gets it right. There’s a reason why audiences don’t get to lay their eyes on unedited, raw footage of a film — it lacks clarity and coherence. Without the sleek touches of editing, the point of the story is lost, and its narrative suffers. Filmmakers need editors. For similar reasons, content producers need editors too.
Whether it’s an educational video or a promo, a product video, or a video for creating a buzz, only in the hands of a pro editor does the true purpose of a video come alive. As the video editing agency of choice for several videographers, cinematographers, studios, and video production companies across the US, we, at Motion Edits, deliver post-production magic to transform raw footage and get them ready for the world to see.
In this blog, we’ll give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how this magic unfolds.
Our Video Editing Process
Post-production needs to be a structured process to make sure you get the maximum value out of your time and unnecessary back-and-forths can be reduced to a minimum. At Motion Edits, we have structured our video editing process down to the minute. These precise stages provide our clients with organized and seamless video post-production support.
Here are the six stages of our video editing process.
Sharing of footage
It all begins with a client uploading their raw footage and sharing the link with us via any data-sharing site. Although any data-sharing site is fine, we prefer to work with Dropbox.
Editing brief
The editing process allows for the best possible outcome of a video or film. Hence, it is important to understand and share what you are trying to convey with your video. Share all your ideas and information about the project with the video editing team, as these will shape the final outcome.
We look for important information like the length you want your video to be, color and grading preferences, choice of music or voiceover. You can even specify preferences like you want particular footage to be emphasized in the final output.
Share references, if any, of how you want your finished product to look.
Project Set-Up
Before the actual editing starts, this stage allows the editor to match the raw footage you had uploaded with the instructions given. Every detail gets cross-checked so the final product is tailor-made to fit your style. We collect assets, graphics, stock footage, stock photos, etc. that are mentioned in the editing brief before starting the editing process. If there’s anything missing, or additional information needed, we connect with the client and ensure everything’s in place before moving to the next stage.
Editing
Here is where the actual work begins and it has a process of its own!!
- Trimming Footage – Removing unwanted footage to improve the quality of the video
- Shot Selection – The best footage shots are chosen from the entire footage and used for creating the final video. No shaky frames, out-of-focus shots, or out-of-place compositions. High impact footage like candid shots, drone footage are utilized for maximum effect.
- Managing A Rolls and B Rolls – We bifurcate the footage into main footage that forms the main shots in the final video, and fillers to intersperse with.
- Music, VFX, Sound, Vocals – Sound effects, VFX, music are used in the video, wherever necessary, to add that ‘wow’ element. Audios are synced to the video as the project requires so like in the case of interviews, speeches, etc.
- Visual Effects, Transitions – This is an aspect that varies considerably according to clients and instructions. For instance, a DJ client might prefer nice video effects and effective modern transitions, while a Podcast edit would need minimalist transitions and effects. Vloggers, cinematographers, and wedding videographers on the other hand might opt for a fine edit without much effects or transitions.
- Color Correction and Grading – First, the footage from all cameras are properly color corrected so that the output looks the same. Next, the footage is color graded to enhance the cinematic and dramatic quality which sets the overall tone of the finished video.
- Motion graphics for call-outs and lower thirds can be used to accentuate the main points in your videos.
Revisions
Once the first draft is delivered there are two rounds of reviews where you can watch the videos and tell us of any changes you want in the edit. We want utmost customer satisfaction, hence we go through multiple rounds of revision to ensure all your change requests are accommodated.
Final Delivery
Once everybody has approved the final edit, it’s time for final delivery. A happy client is what keeps us going.
If you’re looking to give your videos a professional post-production flair or have raw footage that needs the magical touch of our editing wand, get in touch with us today!
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