Advice wanted for editing scenic videos

[Ray Dunakin]

Hi folks! I'm wondering if anyone has some good tips and advice for editing scenic videos. (You may have seen my two recent "Badlands" videos in the Photos and Videos section of the forum.)

Here are some of the areas that concern me...

Length: I want to keep the videos short enough that people won't get bored before the video ends. I've also read that as a general rule, the ideal length for a YouTube video is between 2 to 5 minutes.

Music: It's difficult to find suitable music that is much longer than 3 or 4 minutes, so that also affects the total length of the video. Occasionally I can use more than one tune, but that can be tricky. I'm assuming the tunes should be similar in style and mood, unless the video itself changes style/mood as well.

The problem is that aerial landscapes usually aren't suited to short, quick cuts.

Sometimes I can speed up some of the clips in post to fit where needed, or to achieve a tempo that suits a particular section of the music. This works great sometimes, but it can be tricky. Speeding it up can increase blur and make it hard to see details. Even when it works, I still am often frustrated by the desire to give the viewer more time to savor the scene.

So... I guess my questions are, How important is the length of the video? Is it possible to make a scenic video that is longer yet still interesting enough to hold the viewer's attention? What about speeding up clips -- when is it excessive? Any advice for using more than one music clip in a video?
How would you recommend conveying a sense of grandeur in a scenic video? Should I use just a few lengthy shots and keep the total time short? Or use a mix of long and short shots, for a video that is longer overall?

Any other suggestions or advice?

 

[AeroMirage]

I have seen longer videos that are interesting and shorter ones that are very boring. I think the key is to keep it flowing. Not to remain on one scene too long. Music is tough. I use Soundimage.org and even there it is tough to find the right vibe. He has some good stuff and it is totally free so long as you mention him in the credits.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks!

I should mention that I have Final Cut Pro and know how to use it. I also have several sources for music (including SoundImage, which I agree is an excellent resource).

What I'm really looking for is more along the lines of, how to edit more professionally, creatively, etc. as well as opinions on what works best as far as length of shots, total length of the video, stuff like that.

I can find lots of stuff online about how to SHOOT better video, which is great. But I haven't been able to find any good information about editing. What little I have found, has been related more to videos involving people, action, and story -- nothing on how to edit a compelling scenic video.

I think I have a pretty good handle on it already, but I would like to improve my efforts.

 

[wsteele]

Thanks!

I should mention that I have Final Cut Pro and know how to use it. I also have several sources for music (including SoundImage, which I agree is an excellent resource).

What I'm really looking for is more along the lines of, how to edit more professionally, creatively, etc. as well as opinions on what works best as far as length of shots, total length of the video, stuff like that.

I can find lots of stuff online about how to SHOOT better video, which is great. But I haven't been able to find any good information about editing. What little I have found, has been related more to videos involving people, action, and story -- nothing on how to edit a compelling scenic video.

I think I have a pretty good handle on it already, but I would like to improve my efforts.

I’m not an expert but some of my observations.

A 5 minute video composition is a good target. Much longer and you start to lose the audience.

Each shot should be at least 10 seconds minimum length.

I only use overlap fades as they provide smooth transitions easy on the eyes transitions.

I really find the DJI fade to white then fad back in to the next screen annoying.

I’ve also seen some videos where the transition seems to be a video speed up then transition.

I only use one style of transition in my projects. I’ve seen compositions where the designer uses a different transition style for each transition. Makes the presentation look very choppy.

If you like a particular music score why not repeat it with a dissolve audio transition.

I've used what used to be Sony Vegas and now Movie Studio for the past 12 years. Mainly, I did wedding, anniversary, and remembrance videos combining family videos and zoomed and panned stills (the Ken Burns effect).

Like you, I’m looking forward to transitioning to drone photography.

Hope some of my “opinions” help.

 

[tonyb]

Hi folks! I'm wondering if anyone has some good tips and advice for editing scenic videos. (You may have seen my two recent "Badlands" videos in the Photos and Videos section of the forum.)

Here are some of the areas that concern me...

Length: I want to keep the videos short enough that people won't get bored before the video ends. I've also read that as a general rule, the ideal length for a YouTube video is between 2 to 5 minutes.

Music: It's difficult to find suitable music that is much longer than 3 or 4 minutes, so that also affects the total length of the video. Occasionally I can use more than one tune, but that can be tricky. I'm assuming the tunes should be similar in style and mood, unless the video itself changes style/mood as well.

The problem is that aerial landscapes usually aren't suited to short, quick cuts.

Sometimes I can speed up some of the clips in post to fit where needed, or to achieve a tempo that suits a particular section of the music. This works great sometimes, but it can be tricky. Speeding it up can increase blur and make it hard to see details. Even when it works, I still am often frustrated by the desire to give the viewer more time to savor the scene.

So... I guess my questions are, How important is the length of the video? Is it possible to make a scenic video that is longer yet still interesting enough to hold the viewer's attention? What about speeding up clips -- when is it excessive? Any advice for using more than one music clip in a video?
How would you recommend conveying a sense of grandeur in a scenic video? Should I use just a few lengthy shots and keep the total time short? Or use a mix of long and short shots, for a video that is longer overall?

Any other suggestions or advice?

Hi Ray, Like yourself, I am a budding video editor and really enjoy editing because that is where the magic is. I agree with wsteele comments and I have learned by viewing well constructed videos that scenes generally are quite short, leaving the viewer wanting more. There is more drone video composition and editing course available on the net and youtube, some by pros and many by armatures
I have found that studying a video that is very good, entertaining has been the best way for me to learn.