Most Common Wedding Video Editing Mistakes

Shooting a wedding video is one thing. Being effective and experienced in post is a different game.

There are specific rules that have to be followed, as well as editing in line with the outcome you want. Videographers who don’t have a lot of experience tend to commit a number of wedding video editing mistakes.

Here are a few of the worst errors and the ways in which those can ruin the final outcome.

 

Jump Cuts

 

When you have several hours of footage and you have to put together a 30-minute wedding video, you will rely on putting together different snippets.

A general rule of thumb, however, is to avoid jump cuts as much as possible. A jump cut refers to chopping up an action sequence to avoid a certain moment and “jump” ahead in the time line.

When the two parts of the motion sequence are put together, there will be a somewhat unnatural bridge. Even if you’re not going for a chronological clip, observers will want a logical progression. If you cannot ensure the smoothness of the footage, there are things you can do to break things up without having to use jump cuts.

Creating different chapters with an introduction and a conclusion, for example, can help you break down the video in sections. The integration of the cuts becomes seamless and these aren’t annoying or making people feel that they’re missing out on something.

 

Hanging on a Moment for Too Long

 

Pacing is another very important concept you will need to acquaint yourself with when doing wedding video editing. Shots need to follow a certain rhythm that gives the video dynamic appeal. Hanging on a moment for too long because you think it is beautiful or dramatic can ruin the overall pacing of the video.

Remember that the visuals have to flow seamlessly.

A scene that is too long will be boring, a scene that is too short could make the observer miss out on some of the beautiful details. This is an error that can be fixed with practice and experience. If you’re just establishing your career, however, you’ll lack the instincts needed to get pacing right.

 

Audio Inconsistencies

 

Wedding video editing isn’t just about the visuals.

You will also have to pay attention to the audio – the background noises, the music, the speeches and the exchange of wedding vows.

Caught up in making the visuals perfect, many wedding videographers underestimate the importance of quality audio and of doing the right adjustments to enhance the sound.

A very common rookie mistake is to have the music track overpower all other audio tracks. The lack of blending between the different audio tracks is another serious issues. To focus on the sound, you may want to close your eyes when doing the edits. This way, your hearing will become sharper and you’ll notice whether the music is too loud or if there’s any background noise that you’ll have to address. It’s very common for videographers to find out there is an audio issue during the editing stage.

For example, the wedding vow exchange could be too silent due to the fact that the venue was noisy. If you’re not confident in your ability to salvage the footage and the sound, you should definitely consider outsourcing the wedding video editing. Professionals who specialize in post-production would do their best to give the sound the clarity and the crispness needed to give the couple the best wedding video.

 

Too Many Special Effects

 

Wedding video editing software today comes with wonderful capabilities. There will be dozens of special effects, graphics and animation features. When these are used sparingly and cleverly, they can contribute to a more engaging wedding video.

Newbies, however, tend to overdo it with special effects. Understand the fact that bigger and more isn’t always better.

The bride and groom are the main stars. Special effects can highlight certain shots or special moments but they should be unobtrusive and stylistically relevant. If you overdo the filters and graphics, chances are that the final outcome will look kitschy instead of classy.

 

Ghost Frames

 

Transitions are probably one of the most difficult post-production elements to get right.

Apart from jump cuts, inexperienced editors could commit another very serious error – the ghost frame.

A ghost frame occurs whenever you use dissolve transitions to cut from one scene to another. Traces of the first scene could linger on too long, which contributes to the scenes getting overlaid.

The outgoing shot should never cut into the coming one before disappearing. Trim your outgoing footage to the moment when the shot ends. Make sure that the transition has been completed 100 percent by the time the new scene appears on the screen.

 

Poor Color Grading

 

Mismatched colors are a common negative outcome of unprofessional marriage video editing. Color mismatching is very typical in wedding videos because the footage is created over the course of hours.

This means that the videographer may have to shoot at several different venues. The light conditions will also change, resulting in some shots being warmer and others featuring colder tones. A wedding video needs visual consistency from start to finish in order to look good.

If you don’t have a lot of editing experience, you’ll probably have no idea what to do with mismatched footage colors.

Color corrections and grading are the only ways to address differences stemming from the change in light conditions or the use of several cameras. To complete the process, you have to start with the footage that you like the most.

All of the other mismatched footage will have to be color-corrected to correspond to the lead sample you’ve chosen.

 

Conclusion

 

Editing is as important as being a skilled videographer. In fact, it can make or break the quality of your wedding video. If you don’t have the experience, you may want to obtain the required qualifications before you start offering services to clients.

Alternatively, consider outsourcing wedding video post-production. Partnering up with the right team will give you a chance to do edits and offer your clients services you would have never considered possible in the past.