What Kind of Feedback is Helpful for Editors?
Lights. Camera. Answers.
It's a win-win when we get great feedback and the client gets a great video. So today, Craig is walking us through leaving comments and notes on video projects so that the end product accomplishes the goal and makes everyone happy.
Video Transcript
Hey guys, it's Craig with another Lights. Camara. Answers segment.
We're obviously still working from home, but we're also still working on your video projects and even some animations. A question that comes up sometimes when you see the first draft of your video is "What kind of feedback is helpful for editors?"
First of all, we just want to make sure you guys get the best video possible. At this point, we've been asking you questions to understand how you want people to react when they watch a video or what you want them to do after seeing the video. We might have also been giving you storyboards or style frames so you get a good idea of what the video is gonna look like, but when you see it for the first time there might be some things that you want to change, rework, revise, add, remove, anything like that and that's all fine and completely part of the process.
We want to make sure we get you guys the video that you want and need, but what's very really helpful for us editors is if you guys can provide very specific notes and feedback, and articulate as much as possible of what you want changed, and to kind of avoid being more general with the feedback.
So, what I mean by that, is instead of saying something like "can we remove some of the shots throughout this, it doesn't really fit with the message of the video." Kind of provide more specific examples of the particulars shots in the video – at what time code the video plays – of what you want removed and you could even provide more detail about it if you'd like. And then not just that asking to remove it, because that will leave a patch in the video that we'll have to replace, but is there a part in the video where you saw a video shot that might work better at that moment. Maybe it was earlier on or later, or maybe if you were on a shoot with us you saw something that we were filming that we didn't work into the video, maybe, that will work and you could always suggest it and we'll see how that looks and feels.
And not just on the video side but also what you hear the music is really important to the video – it's half the battle. Maybe the music wasn't emotional enough and you don't think it's gonna really jaw those heartstrings make people you know feel really emotionally connected. Instead of saying something like "we're not really feeling the music" or "we didn't really like the music is there any other options we explore," definitely feel free to provide some specific types of music. Maybe it's the instrument, maybe you want more pianos or violin, or something that's really gonna, you know, draw on those emotional strings. And also, even if you could call out parts of the video where you want the music really build. Maybe it's real dramatic with some drums and you want the music the build to a certain part and it's just not coming off that way. Just kind of call out that part of the video and, you know, like the idea of it being like is it drums or maybe we had a guitar in there and it wasn't exactly what you're feeling. If you want to try something different, it's really easy for us to find some more options based on that and send it to you see how you guys think and feel about it.
We also know that this is just can be a time-consuming process. You have your normal day-to-day duties that you're normally doing, and we just try to give you guys as much time as possible to provide notes we always work in at least a day or two for you to watch the video, to absorb it, to talk with your team members about it, so that you don't just feel like you have to quickly respond to keep the ball rolling.
We also use a website called frame.io where your video would upload and it kind of looks like this. Actually, does look like this, but it's a really great interface for you to stop and pause the video at a particular part of the video and then you can always make a comment and we, the editors, will see this comment and know like okay this is exactly where they're talking. And here's the suggestion for what they want to replace it, great example is how I just stumbled to say that and I'm still stumbling right now, but basically like maybe it's an interview segment and the person that's on camera didn't speak and give the best response that you were hoping for, you could definitely call that out, and ask if there's a better take. Or maybe it's not that the take wasn't great, it was maybe it just doesn't fit so then maybe suggesting like if there's another part of the video where you would want to use it there instead what he's saying might work better there.
Frame.io also has a cool feature where you could draw or like put boxes around areas that of the video that you might want to change or something you noticed that she kind of wanted either clean up or make brighter like this baby Yoda painting behind me – like let's make it brighter. I want to really see it. You know, you could always highlight that part and comment on it and then make sure that we see it and we can figure out the best process making that look the way it needs to look.
With all this information, you know, we just want you guys to know that we know that this is your video. And we want to do whatever we can to make that video great and work on it together. We want you guys to feel as much of this process as we are and we're gonna do everything that we can and be as easy as we can to work with make sure that you guys get the video that you want and need and then you get it out to your audience and everyone loves it.
So, you know, hopefully that information was helpful. Thank you very much and we'll see you next time.
