Some people think that there are two ways of editing videos: the right way & the wrong way. Not at all uncommonly, these people think that they belong in the first category. But there are probably just as many ways of editing videos as there are people in the world. Right?
Just for fun, here are 5 common types of editors:
The Strategist
This is the type of editor who comes to their workstation with a notepad, well prepared and ready to go. They’ve sketched out or written down exactly how they want their video to look in the end, making sure that no experimenting is needed. They will go through their editing process layer by layer (category by category).
They’ll start with their main (story driving) clips on video layer 1, then move on to a second video layer to add fill footage as needed. After that? Maybe text. And then lastly: adding a fitting song. This could be the only part of the editing process that is improvised, but they could also have searched out the song beforehand.
It’s clinical. It’s methodical. And it’s the way The Strategist prefers it.
The Rhythm Master
This is the type of editor who spends the most time finding a song that they like. In fact, they might not have thought about making a video until they heard the song.
The editing process for The Rhythm Master is completely ruled by the choice of song. They’ll add it on the timeline first, only adding clips in a way that fits the rhythm, pacing and emotional vibe of the song.
This isn’t to say that The Rhythm Master never plans out the content of the video beforehand. But the content definitely matters a bit less than the song.
This also means that the final video will force people to shimmy and shake their shoulders while watching – because of how groovy it is.
The Free Spirit
This is the type of editor that prefers not planning out anything at all. They like going with the flow, being guided by whatever creative idea is influencing them at the moment.
The free spirit will jump from layer to layer haphazardly, switching order and changing their mind. The process might be over in a minute or two, or it will go on for days – depending on how well the experimentation is going. In that way, the free spirit is a bit of an artistic gambler.
The Ken Burns
This type of editor will insist on only using still images. They’re experts at image slideshows, making them very popular when it comes to Event collages or Apartment/House viewings.
The Ken Burns editor can also be a bit of a Rhythm Master – if they edit their crossovers to the beat of the song – but they don’t have to be.
The Templater
This is the type of editor who takes nothing by chance. They have templates for every occasion: product videos, collages, company updates, etc.
With every new video, they record new material or use clips from their (extremely organized) library of re-usable material, placing them where the template tells them to.
Brand recognition and consistency is extremely important to them, which is why they usually spend more time organising templates and material than they do in the actual editor.
Did you recognize yourself at all? What typ of editor are you? Let us know!