Video essays are video content pieces that resonate with a theme. It is a narrative, much like a written essay, and advances an argument. While most videos in this genre are intended for entertainment and tutorials, some may be considered appropriate for academic purposes as well.
Video essays are a gripping form of media as they use visuals in a proper flow to illustrate ideas that might be considered too complicated for words. This makes them perfect for critiquing, reviewing, and analyzing movies, video games, music, etc.
While the genre is steadily gaining popularity across the internet, a high-quality video essay needs a lot of work and can be overwhelming for editing novices. If you’re looking for some useful tips to get started on your video essay journey, try the following pointers.
Editing Tips For An Impactful Narrative
Watch Video Essays
First things first, before starting out on your editing journey, do your due diligence and watch a selection of video essays. Also, read blogs and web pages from video essayists and decide what type of video essay you would like to create. Start simple.
Every creator on YouTube has a set of people that have influenced their current style of making content on the platform. You don’t need to outright copy the YouTubers; rather, pick up on what you think they’re doing to be successful on the platform.
Focus On A Topic
The second step after being an audience is knowing what you’re going to talk about. Rigorous topic research and accuracy in content delivery to the audience is pivotal.
The main focus should be on more specific aspects of your brand or product. Identifying what your argument will be based on and pay close attention to the message you’re giving your audience.
Look at your subject matter from multiple perspectives so that you can make airtight arguments and provide a comprehensive take on the subject. The best way to move forward is to find topics that give you the space to deliver a satisfying and engaging narrative.
Work On Your Script
With a topic in hand, the next step would be to write a compelling script. While you might be inclined to state your ideas off the cuff, this strategy often leads to an interruption of the essay’s flow.
Moreover, with spontaneous speech, you’ll have to sift through all the audio and removing the unnecessary bits of your speech. This will only add to your editing time and efforts.
Remember that good video essays tend to be structured, concise, and don’t beat around the bush when it comes to the topic. Structure your narration and work on your script until its polished. Mindfully focus on your video’s intro, body, and conclusion to capture your idea more clearly.
Select Relevant Clips And Images
It goes without saying that you need interesting clips and images to go along with your video essay. Make sure you collect a wide variety of media before you begin the editing process.
It may be challenging to include snippets of films and music videos in your essay due to copyright issues. Get content from as many sources as possible, such as interviews and podcasts. Even clips from a celebrity’s social media account can be used to support your statements.
Intro Template
The intro template is the most crucial part of your video essay. It is the hook that captures audiences and works as a means of justifying the purpose of your video.
In a video essay, a meaningful beginning sets the tone for the rest of the content, so it is mandatory to choose a template that suits your narrative and script just right.
You can create awesome intro videos with a free no watermark video editor.
Video Length
The length of a video will vary based upon the topic and your particular style of narration. Irrespective of how you approach the subject, you can expect your video essay to be lengthy.
While audiences generally enjoy longer video essays, videos that are over an hour long might be off-putting for some viewers. They might want to watch all of it but not have the time for it. So make it easy for your audience and break your video into multiple parts.
The idea isn’t to shorten your video time, but to keep things as clean and to the point as possible. Ensure that you aren’t adding unnecessary embellishments simply to pad out the runtime. Bringing up the same point time and again can make your audience lose interest in what you have to say.
Use Transition Slides
Since your video is going to be quite long, it’s a good idea to break it down into sections. Using transition slides to announce the segments can be a great way to keep your video essays structured.
Make sure that your transitions are long enough for your audience to read what you’ve written, but not so long that they are annoyed. The ideal length is about 2-3 seconds.
You can even add some background music while the title card plays on the screen to avoid any instances of abrupt silence, or simply read out the titles.
Captivating Voice Over
Keep recording and rehearsing on your tone and command over the content that you are delivering. It might be funny and tiring at times, but only regular practice will help you attain perfection in tone and depth.
Pay attention to how you’re pronouncing words and be very clear when you’re speaking. It’s okay to go off the script while recording, but don’t meander from the meat of your argument: stick to the key points to the best of your abilities.
The Ending Is Just As Important
Your video ending isn’t just a message to your audience to subscribe to your channel and watch your other videos; it is an opportunity to leave your audience with a thought-provoking message.
If you started your video by presenting a question to your viewers, then you need a compelling conclusion to tie all the loose ends together and give your audience a direction. Dazzle your viewers with an unforgettable end with InVideo’s outro maker free.
Final Words
Video essays have drastically grown in popularity with the advent of the internet and video sharing platforms like YouTube.
Apart from researching the content, you must also ensure that your visuals are spliced together in a way that ties your narrative together. Moreover, your script needs to be exciting and lure your viewers in: if it sounds too much like a lecture, it will bore your audience.
