Tips for Harnessing a Creative Mindset When Editing Videos

It’s not always easy to find inspiration during video editing work, and often it’s because after long sessions focusing on tiny details, you simply can’t stand back and look at the project in question from the perspective of a viewer who doesn’t already know what you’re trying to communicate. Many of us will tend to hit a creative wall at least every now and again, and it can turn the thing we’re most passionate about into a chore that we wish we could escape.

Sometimes, we hit a slump because there’s something missing that we just can’t seem to put our fingers on; it’s can be very frustrating when you’re so motivated to achieve what is in your mind,  but you’re having a lot of difficulty working out how you go about translating the inspired idea into a reality. While this happens to beginners more often, it also happens regularly to even the most seasoned professionals. A partner with expertise and experience to transform your videos. Video Caddy is a leader in providing cost-effective and high-quality editing services.

For times like these, it’s often good to simply relax, and think about how you might approach your work differently.

Here are some tips to harness that creative mindset, allowing you to rediscover your passion for the work.

Take a break

Although inspiration is something you need to work at, rather than wait for as many people seem to believe, sometimes the absolute worst thing you can do when you’re struggling, is keep pushing. It might seem counterintuitive to stop work in order to make further progress, but sometimes the more you stare at something, the less you really see it. Often missing solution we’re too focused on to see, will suddenly come to us when we go for a walk or experience a change of scene. So why not first start your path back to a more creative mindset by simply stepping away. You may find you see thing differently when you return to your work.

Remember that you are a storyteller

It might seem obvious, but it’s vital to remember that video tell a story. Even if your project doesn’t have a literal narrative, it still has to have a beginning, middle and end that represents some sort of journey for the viewer. It is editing that determines the pace and structure of your story, and the visual effects and background music that set the tone and create atmosphere. For those who happen to be using Final Cut Pro X, you can take advantage of an enormous number of visual effects plugins, as well as the only plugin specifically for creating Final Cut Pro Music. This revolutionary tool from FCP Audio can take your story telling skills to the next level by allowing you to fully customize the score around your editing choices.

Don’t be afraid to take risks – go with your gut

Don’t be afraid to consider all the effects, tool and features available to you – even if they might seem unconventional. While it’s important to adhere to certain basic editing principles that represent the unconscious language of film have all come to understand over time, there is still plenty of room for innovation, or just a twist on an old idea. For example, the classic wipe transition that involves cutting from one scene to another by wiping the first scene away would have been considered extremely old fashioned and even amateurish by many filmmakers in the 1970s, yet it was one of the most prominent and effective editing features of the Star Wars saga. So go with your gut and use whatever you feel is best when it comes to your project.

To conclude, it can be difficult to harness creativity when you’re you’ve been slogging away for long sessions of video editing focusing on the minutia. However, getting out of a slump can be as easy as adopting a different mindset, or acquiring a new perspective. For those having trouble, try taking a break and trying to regain the perspective of the storyteller instead of the technician. Hopefully that’s enough to give you the fresh inspiration and motivation you need to get back to your work and keep going.

And don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, because what’s important is being true to your creative vision.