In this video I discuss the Ship Muscle for video editors. Seriously, I went back and forth for a day about whether or not to publish this video because of the graininess. But my own Ship Muscle needed a workout so I hit publish. Apologies if the pixelation is too much — I have some settings to adjust for low-light filming conditions on my phone.
Edit Video Faster
Can You Be A Video Editor Your Entire Career?
Are you a video editor or thinking about becoming one and are curious if you can be a video editor for your entire career? Is it possible to spend 30-40 years in the edit bay? I discuss my thoughts on this in the video and article below.
How to Ask a Question to a Video Editor
In this video I discuss how to properly ask a question to a video editor. You will learn how to do this with three simple rules.
Podcast: Video Editing Under Quarantine
Nick and I are back for the first new Command+Edit Podcast episode in 14 months. We discuss video editing under quarantine, our remote office setups, chasing a baby around while trying to produce videos, Korean zombie shows, and trying to find a silver lining in this whole quarantine mess.
How to Learn Avid Media Composer
This video discusses how to learn Avid Media Composer the way I did. It’s still the method I recommend today some 11 years later.
Solved: After Effects Can’t Import JPG
This tutorial shows you what to do if After Effects can’t import a jpg file.
Pet Peeves for Video Editors
Maybe it’s the over-abundance of projects I’m facing right now, but I feel like I need a good rant session. Here are a handful of things that just drive me crazy when I’m editing. These are my pet peeves for video editors:
When the b-roll shots are too short
I’m okay if they aren’t white balanced or if they’re under/over-exposed. I can work my magic on them. But can’t do anything if there isn’t enough footage.
How to Export a jpg from Premiere Pro
This tutorial will teach you how to export a .jpg from Premiere Pro. .jpg stands for JPEG and is a common file extension for still graphics.
Exporting a .jpg from Premiere Pro is useful if you need to send a client or director a frame of video. It could be to ask a question like, “Is this the shot you’re talking about?” You can also export a .jpg from Premiere Pro so you can make a custom thumbnail for a YouTube video.
Work/Life Balance for Video Professionals (with Kids)
This article discusses work/life balance for video professionals, especially those with kids. Since having a child my thoughts on work/life balance went from the normal, “yeah, ya know, it’s important to separate yourself from work sometimes” to the now extreme, “this is my time with my family — leave me alone!”
Being a video editor or just in the video industry itself leads to long hours, odd hours, and usually the constant need to be by your phone to respond to a client. I’m here to say that it’s okay to not answer a call or email. It’s okay to put the phone down; the laptop away. Take a step back. And go focus on your family or yourself.
Adjusting Focus
The past few years my focus for Edit Video Faster has been all over the place. To be honest, I haven’t had a clear direction with where I want to take it for as long as I can remember now. It’s just…items on my to-do list that I never get to. It’s something I spend time on every once in awhile instead of playing with my kid or recharging my batteries.
Without a clear objective, what is a project besides flailing in the dark and hoping for some random good outcomes? A camera operator without proper focus leads to worthless shots. Creating content for a business, such as EVF, leads to worthless content.
Sure, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve been able to put out recently. But, honestly, I didn’t know who it was for or why I was doing it.
I’d like to do something about that. Get a little more clarity. More focus.