Spinfield: Web marketing trends today, tomorrow, and beyond…

When it comes to telling a story via video or film its very important to cover all your bases when it comes to portraying the story correctly. How you cut your footage is one of the most crucial components when it comes to keeping your audience engaged. Some basic things to consider when making a cut include:

• Visual - Do elements from the previous shot carry over to the next? Colors, composition or recognizable objects?

• Pace – How abrupt or smoothly did one shot transition to the next? Did the previous shot have enough time to make its impression?

• Does it make sense? - Does it feel right in accordance to the scene and the overall composition?

All of these elements contribute to the portrayal of the story and its emotion. Different types of cuts produce different emotional effects. Just watch any movie and think about how the shots progress throughout the story.

Observing other people’s work is always good when looking for ideas. Inspiration can be pulled from just about anything. For instance, observing how an animal moves and taking notice of how it interacts with things can give you ideas on how to pace a story from a first person perspective.

Experimental films have some of the most interesting uses of editing. For example Aphex Twin’s music video for the song Rubber Johnny, directed by Chris Cunningham, has some of the most bizarre uses of editing. Most every shot is cut according to a sound in the composition yet the shots that are not are the narrative ones that link you to the story between the chaotic rhythym of the footage and song. The video works visually and is paced in a way that does not bore the viewer.

One of the mistakes people make when editing their own footage is that they don’t want to omit anything. It’s always good to have another person’s view on how your composition is paced. Other than their opinion, watch their body language and it will also tell you how engaging your piece is. If you see them getting fidgety then chances are the scene might be too long.

Keep these elements in mind when you cut your video.

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