?What makes my freelance video editing work special?
To get the perfect video that you envisioned, you need a storyboard so you know what to film. And then you need to know how to film – from the lighting to the props and proper use of equipment.
Next, your editor needs to know about the flow of the video, what emotions to invoke, what colour palette to use, etc.
Video creation can be a complex process.
My specialty is to help with all those stages, along the entire video production. So you don’t need to feel the overwhelm or confusion.
I’m there every step of the way.
Throughout the creation, you are actively involved in seeing your wishes translated into visuals and know that every material you are providing to your video editor (ie Me) is the highest quality and has a specific purpose.
It’s streamlined, it’s intentional and it’s rewarding to see it all fall together beautifully. And your business deserves no less.
Most frequently asked question
Are you curious about what services I provide and what it’s like to work with me?
The best glimpse is scheduling a free 30 minute Creative Call with me so we can get to know one another. After all, video is the next best thing to meeting up in person. And it can be done from your couch. Bonus points!
Yes, I do.
If you have products that you want to feature on video, you can send them over and I will create the footage for you.
This could look like an entire backlog of video clips ready to be posted on social media or on your product website.
If you are service-based, there is the option of travelling to and filming onsite.
I have filmed video in dozens of countries for destination marketing and the hospitality industry for example. I can shoot interviews, image videos and more.
Yes. Especially if we are not in the same area or even country, I recommend this version.
However, it’s advisable to chat with me before filming the video clips unless you are crystal clear on how you need it filmed and how it’s going to tie into the overall video.
I can help with the concepting, stoyboarding and directing.
Yes, I work for one-off projects as well as for recurring ones, on a retainer. This could, for instance, be weekly YouTube videos or quarterly stock videos about your products.
Schedule a chat with me here so we can see what your needs are.
If trying to figure out whether or not and what to upgrade and it holds you back from doing video in the first place: stop.
The best equipment is of no use if you don’t know how to use it and if you don’t “speak” video language. (It’s more than pointing at a thing and hitting record.)
If you have a recent phone, those are already a great start. Just don’t use any integrated laptop webcams or ipads!
Some of my essentials are (contains affiliate links):
- Rode lav mic
- Rode Compact On-Camera Microphone for better audio quality
- Joy gorilla tripod
- Leightweight tripod
You can get a list of the equipment I personally use with signup to my video newsletter here.
I could, but I don’t want to. I’ve learned from experience that even if given the green light to “follow your creative genius” doesn’t mean that there aren’t expectations.
So I need them told to me. I cannot read your mind and completely changing the video after the first edit just wastes both our time.
The briefing will help you step back and really think about the point and purpose of the video, of things that are important to you and then communicate them easily.
Further down this page you can see my tried-and-tested questions as a guide for you.
Yes, I think having a general description, written or visually, of the desired video is key in getting exactly that.
It also helps to translate a vision living inside your head into a concept that can be easily communicated. Plus, some people may be visual creatures but can’t actually “see” things inside their mind.
(My head is a very vivid and colourful cinema 24/7.)
This way, we’re all on the same page. And it works like a checklist for filming all the necessary material.
Questions to ask yourself before a video project
This way you are crystal clear yourself on what the video is going to look like and can communicate this to me, the video editor. As intuitive and creative as I am, I still cannot read minds. 😉
You can download the handy PDF with all questions here or fill out my Google Doc to send over to me here.
In other words, do you need “trimming the fat” with your footage? You may already have straightforward, chronological video clips and need them in one narrative piece without any trimmings or special effects. You know, a simple video.
This includes:
- all video clips
- timestamps and names of “must” clips
- copy/text (e.g. social media handles, name tags, call-to-action)
- branding guidelines (e.g. hex codes, fonts, overall vibe)
- 3 core values/emotions you want the viewer to experience
- the goal of the video
- logo in png and jpg
- intro/outro clip, end card image
- voiceover
A short final video edit does not equal little work. In fact, it’s often the short videos that take more work.
(How easy do you find it to work out a 20 word pitch as opposed to a short paragraph? It’s the same.)
For instance, a very impactful 30 second video with fast pacing, snazzy sound effects, special transitions and colour correction can easily take longer than a simple 5 minute vlog.
Remember, I have to play it all back on my laptop and in my mind. (I like to juggle quite a few different versions of a video edit in my mind before trying it in the software and assembling the puzzle pieces.)
This means, the more the overall minutes of the footage are, the more work intensive the project becomes.
If your footage is all over the place with different movements, some shaky and blurry parts, terrible audio or with different topics and locations, sourcing coherent material is more time intensive and can result in an overall mediocre video result. While video editing is like magic sometimes, it cannot really turn poop into gold.
(Which is why I offer directing and consulting on the concepting and filming.)
On top of that, if you are sending lots of high quality data, it adds a lot of processing weight to the editing software, which means spending extra time waiting for the rendering to be done to be able to do any further editing, which results in me needing more time.
If you haven’t shot with a clear plan in mind and have more of a database of random footage, I can look at what you have, see where the footage neatly connects, where a story could be spun, what is captivating and what can be discarded.
To give you an anology: The more random the footage is, the more it’s like working with multiple puzzle sets and figuring out what belongs where.
Or do you need that edited so you can neatly include it in future projects as well and further strengthen your branding? I offer this service as well.
It could be an animated logo, a moving collage of previous videos, etc.
Maybe you’re going for more of a vintage look with muted halftones and low contrast? Or you want to make certain colours pop?
If you want to include specific music, make sure that you have usage rights and copyright clearances. I will need to see proof of that and am not liable if you insist on using it.
I do work with royalty free music and sound that is cleared for commercial purposes.