Media management is one of the first steps to successful editing. Without proper organization, your media files can be difficult to find, and that winning shot may be forever lost amongst the clutter. One way to keep your search time to a minimum from within the video-editing application, is by using bins.

Bins are folders within your project, and should contain all of your imported or captured media files. You can use as many bins as you feel necessary, so don’t be shy. A good place to start is to have a bin for each of the following: video, audio, and graphics. From there, you can create sub-bins. For example, in your audio bin you could have bins named music, and sound effects. Depending on what type of project you are editing, your bin names may vary. The categorization doesn’t stop there. Many editing programs have additional tools to keep your media bins organized, such as color-coding and quality ratings (i.e., good, best).

The goal of media management is to create a system that is tailored to your needs and preferences. Keeping an organized project means more time to edit, easier to access media files, and knowing you’ll be able to track down that great shot in a matter of seconds.

For more tips on managing your media check out Editing: Media Management.

Interested in more tips on Video Editing? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Video Editing Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.

One of the worst feelings in the world is losing great edits because you didn’t save your work. You know that there’s no way you can replicate every edit. Even if there was some way you could, it’s still going to take hours to do so.

Our tip to you? Get in the habit of saving. Save, and save often. If you’ve just saved, save again. If you think it’s been awhile since you last saved, click save. If you forget to save, remember, and then save it. The point here is you can never save too much. The general rule is to save every five minutes and especially after completing time-consuming or difficult edits.

Saving different versions of your project every so often can help you as well. That way if you make several edits and realize you don’t like it, you can go back to an earlier version without having to start completely over. An easy way to do this is by adding a “v1” to the end of your project name (i.e., ProjectName_v1). Now, with just a glance, you know that the file is version one of that particular project. Continue to save as many versions as you like, being sure to change “v1” to “v2,” and so on. Try saving a new version when you reach editing milestones or when you start experimenting with what you already have.

Being diligent about saving your work is crucial to keeping your sanity as an editor. Don’t let your work be a victim of power outages and applications crashing. By developing good saving habits you’ll save yourself from the agony of unnecessary headaches and missed deadlines.

For more editing tips check out Home Video Hints: Editing 101: School’s in Session.

Interested in more tips on editing? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Video Editing Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More. 

There are many transitions you can use when editing, such as a cut, dissolve, or fade. But how do you edit in a way that adds intrigue to your story? By using a split edit.

A split edit, also known as a J-cut or an L-cut, is a transition in which the audio and video of a clip are introduced at different times. For example, you may hear several seconds of a person being interviewed before you actually see the person who is speaking. This technique is used to add a dramatic effect to the scene and is relatively easy to accomplish. After selecting a clip, unlink the audio and video tracks. Once you’ve done that, you’re able to shorten or lengthen either track, depending on the desired effect.

Split edits are a great way to add spice to your everyday transitions while keeping the audience engaged in what’s happening on-screen. Whether you’re trying to add intrigue, maintain continuity, or just break from your normal editing choices, using a split edit can help.

To find out more about using split edits and the effect it can have your story, check out Tricks for J and L Cuts.

Interested in more tips on Editing? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Video Editing Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.