On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. The job of an editor is not simply to mechanically put pieces of a film together, cut off film slates, or edit dialogue scenes. Editing is usually considered to be one part of the post production process — other post-production tasks include titling, colour correction, sound mixing, adding effects etc

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There are many reasons to edit a video and your editing approach will depend on the desired outcome. Before you begin you must clearly define your editing goals, which could include any of the following:

 

Remove unwanted footage

This is the most common task in editing. Many videos can be dramatically improved by simply getting rid of the flawed or unwanted bits.

 

Choose the best footage

It is common to shoot far more footage than you actually need and choose only the best material for the final edit. Often you will shoot several versions (takes) of a shot and choose the best one when editing.

 

Create a flow

Most videos serve a purpose such as telling a story or providing information. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves this goal.

Add effects, graphics, music, etc

This is often the "wow" part of editing and often the most time consuming depending on each clients needs.

 

Alter the style, pace or mood of the video

A good editor will be able to create subtle mood prompts in a video. Techniques such as mood music and visual effects can influence how the audience will react.

 

Give the video a particular "angle"

Video can be tailored to support a particular viewpoint, promote a product or event, sell an item - the angles are really endless and limitless when it comes to editing. Only limit is your imagination.