It's all in the editing

Editing is easily my favorite part of creating video.

Even the most carefully scripted, storyboarded and thought out production can change once an editor gets his hands on the footage. Good editing can turn a good story into a great story. For me, it’s really where all of the magic happens.

Take a look at this trailer – it’s a fantastic example of how an editor can change the feel of a piece.

http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov

How do you resolve creative disagreements?

Q: Hi Chris,
My video producer and I are at a creative crossroads and can't agree on how to move forward with our project. I want to add some additional background information about our company, and he says that will be distracting and dilute our message (it's primarily a product sales video). What do you think? Thanks for your help, Ross

A: Hi Ross,
Different approaches are part of the creative process, and in my opinion, make for stronger videos in the end. That being said, how do you continue with your project? I recommend you get feedback from people outside of the project. Ideally you can show your rough edit to people who are part of your video's intended audience. Doing this has two benefits:

1. Your audience knows best what they are interested in. They'll let you know if the company background information is relevant to them or not.

2. In all likelihood, you and your producer have been working on this project for several months. Both you and your producer might be unable to see the forest for the trees. Having other people watch the video can help you look at your project more objectively. This holds true regardless of whether you and your producer are in agreement creatively.