5 Editing Mistakes You're Making as a Filmmaker

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In this video we're talking about 5 common editing mistakes you're probably making as a filmmaker. I've also got some tips and pieces of advice to help you either fix or avoid them in general.
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[@auxsom]

Amazing point on the "watch your edit over and over again". That can be rough and feel as one is frying their own brain.

[@georgekamenov_]

Yeah it's absolutely like that. It kind of feels the same as when you repeat the same word a bunch of times and it just loses its meaning and starts sounding like you're saying nothing 😅

[@neoproxd]

I always struggle with Killing my Darlings. I always feel like I just want to show off that gorgeous shot but the tip is spot on!

[@andrewcabiso4088]

More Editing/filmaking tips brooo. Let's go!!

[@stevemulcahy5014]

Transitions! As a novice, knowing when to use transitions instead of regular cuts is TOUGH. One thing I have been trying to do really hard is when I'm watching TV and film, I'm concentrating on the cuts and transitions and what they do to the overall feel of the production. I think it also helps me explain to myself why I don't really like some films like Star Wars. The transitions are almost gaudy in those movies. Then I notice shows like Ugly Betty where they also used a bunch of transition effects. Or other shows where they try to put you in the city they're set in (but actually in Hollywood) and the have transitions which are basically 3 or 5 short establishing shots using stock footage. The one that really got me though was the "Charlie Work" episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. On first watch, it feels like a one shot episode. But then watching it back, you see where they use camera movement, darkness, doors and walls to make cuts that are almost seamless.

[@georgekamenov_]

Yeah, being good at using transitions tastefully is a real art form. That stock footage transition thing you mentioned reminds me of a show on Bulgarian TV that is set in our capital city but they used stock footage from LA multiple times in multiple episodes and it looked so laughably weird. That "one shot" scene in the movie film "1917" is a perfect example of how with enough planning and an eye for detail you can hide transitions in plain sight.

[@stevemulcahy5014]

@@georgekamenov_ that’s so bad, it’s kinda funny. My first time snowboarding on a mountain was in Bulgaria. It’s a lovely country with amazing, welcoming people. Sofia was a really interesting city too, I can’t believe they didn’t bother to make some b roll for it!

[@cosmonaut1961]

Once again - awesome useful video! Thanks man!

[@jayceedvr.]

You're the best. Thank uu

[@uppsatskanalen4456]

Thx! Very good suggestions!

[@georgekamenov_]

Happy to help 🙂

[@JesseSkwierawski]

Great video George. Your Davinci editing tips video was immensely helpful to me as a new editor and you're finding more useful things to think about here.

[@georgekamenov_]

Happy to hear you found it useful 🙂

[@samk2407]

If you have any intention of coloring in post, please for the love of god shoot 10 bit. Even more than shooting log, the extra bit depth is HUGELY important. Most log profiles barely even work with 8bit video anyway, but 10 bit is much more important to flexibility than log, even though log is great and 10-bit log is how I shoot everything. If I had to pick between the two I would always choose the extra bit depth over the flatter color.

[@georgekamenov_]

Yeah, that's pretty fair. Luckily cameras that give you an option for 10 bit also tend to come with log profiles anyways so might as well use the extra feature 😁

[@samk2407]

@@georgekamenov_ for the modern cameras yeah. The only cameras that shoot log but can't shoot 10-bit are the older canon c100s. That, I think, was just a limitation of the hardware at the time though. Still, it actually was the reason I didn't buy a used c100 when I was looking to upgrade from my canon 77d a few years ago.

[@samk2407]

@@georgekamenov_ also one tip you don't mention that's maybe more specific, but was a big evolution for me in my editing, was the idea that video and audio don't always have to share a cut line. Usually people call it J or L cuts, but that makes it sound like one specific thing when I think honestly it's such a pervasive and fluid part of editing that it shouldn't be limited to that. whenever I have an edit that feels jarring one of the first things I check is if moving the audio cut point ahead of or behind the video helps. Oftentimes it helps DRAMATICALLY and for that reason I think it's underrated as a technique.

[@andrewcabiso4088]

Thanks for the tips bro! Still practicing the pacing one! More contents, Georce!

[@Krish-10]

Nice video bro. Could you make a video about alpha channel / layer, luma, matte, etc. and how to use them in compositing?

[@georgekamenov_]

Sorry, don't really do any compositing for the type of work I do. I'm sure there are already great videos about it out there though 😅

[@Krish-10]

@@georgekamenov_ Okayyy, how about creative transitions? Or transitions that complement the clips (like movement of subject in the clip)...

[@andrewcabiso4088]

Brooooo! Imma comment first before I watch this haha. :)

[@georgekamenov_]

Thanks, make sure to actually watch it too though hahahah 😂