The distinction is in what you ask for and what you show. A novice’s initial cut might be full of a bunch of issues simultaneously; there might be pacing problems; a long beginning; non-linear reaction shots; music coming in late; and an abrupt rather than conclusive ending. Present an edit like that, and say, “What do you think about it?” and the feedback will be like, “Ummm… it’s all right, but I don’t think I really liked it.” Feedback that is actually useful starts when you get specific.
Instead of asking for thoughts on an entire edit that is long and complicated, you might just send someone a single section or sequence. Then you tell them before viewing what you want them to look for. Be concise in video editing. One bit of useful feedback on the pacing of one cut will teach you more about editing than a ton of praise and generalities. Start by exporting a short section you could view more than once without boredom. This will usually just be a 20 to 40-second segment. Attach to that one specific question you’d like answered. Is the middle a bit slow? Do you want the viewers to immediately know what the video is about?
Do certain emotion shifts between two shots seem jarring? In asking a question like this, two things happen. You train others to give you feedback about the editing instead of comments about the video or subject matter of it. You train yourself to view a cut as one that is being worked on or assessed rather than as the effort of a single person. Too often, beginners ask for compliments when what they actually want are ideas. Compliments feel good initially, but ideas give you things to try in the edit. By being specific when you ask for feedback, you transform it into something tangible that you can act on. One common mistake when asking for feedback is when you talk about your cut to others before you let them watch.
The second you start describing what you’re trying to achieve or why a certain edit happened, or why a video sequence is supposed to feel the way it does, the viewer won’t be as honest in the feedback given. Your edit must be able to stand on its own merit. If it feels confusing without context to the viewer, then that is what is supposed to be happening. Another mistake is to jump on the feedback you get and change things based on one person’s comments, and then on a second person’s comments, then on a third. This results in a patchwork quilt of edits born out of confusion rather than thought.
After receiving feedback, let it percolate a bit. Re-watch the sequence on your own. Note when different people make the same points. If two or more people say a video’s ending seems like it comes on a dime, you might be right. Try lengthening the ending, or try using a more dramatic ending image to see if that helps. An easy way to practice requesting feedback is to just do it with a very early edit and have it take fifteen minutes of time. Spend the first couple of minutes exporting one portion of a video that has one thing you feel a bit unsure about.
Ask one question in one sentence. When feedback returns, take a couple of minutes to note which responses are about how a video feels and which are about specific edits in that video. Feedback that tells you how a video feels will help you understand the impact of your edit. Feedback that talks about specific edits will tell you what might cause a certain result or impact. For example, the comment “this bit drags a little” will be easier to address if you also hear something like, “It seems like you used three similar shots in a row with the same duration.” You’ll be able to tell which shot to cut and which one to lengthen.
That sort of link, between feeling and technique, is where growth happens. Your edit skills will get better when you allow yourself to use that knowledge when making future edits. Another good habit is to ask additional questions of people when they give you a comment that they’re vague about. If the comment you get is that a video seems like a bit too late in the beginning to start the topic, you might ask, “What about the beginning made you think of it as late?”
If a video feels like it feels off, ask if it is the order in which the shots are, how long they are, or whether there is too much repetition of shots or music. This additional info will help when you make changes to the edit, and will also keep you from using the wrong solution when the problem is a little off-color, sound effect, or transition. In your early editing days, you’ll find you might do more good cutting things out rather than doing more stuff to a video.
