17.4 Adapting editing techniques for new media platforms
7 min read•july 29, 2024
As motion picture editing evolves, adapting techniques for new media platforms is crucial. Editors must navigate unique storytelling conventions for social media, streaming, mobile apps, and interactive experiences. This shift demands concise narratives, personalized content, and innovative approaches to engage audiences across diverse platforms.
Editors now craft short-form videos, interactive narratives, and vertical formats. They balance immediacy with emotional impact, create multiple story branches, and optimize visuals for mobile viewing. These changes reflect broader trends in audience expectations and consumption habits, shaping the future of motion picture editing.
Storytelling Across Platforms
Unique Platform Requirements
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New media platforms include social media, streaming services, mobile apps, virtual reality, and interactive experiences, each with unique storytelling conventions and audience behaviors
Short-form content, such as Instagram Stories or TikTok videos, requires concise, attention-grabbing narratives that can be quickly consumed and easily shared
Interactive narratives, such as choose-your-own-adventure stories or video games, allow viewers to actively participate in shaping the story, requiring editors to create multiple narrative paths and decision points
Vertical video formats, optimized for mobile devices, necessitate a different approach to , pacing, and visual language compared to traditional horizontal formats
Shifting Audience Expectations
Viewer expectations on new media platforms often prioritize immediacy, authenticity, and personalization over polished production values or complex narratives
Audiences seek content that feels genuine, relatable, and tailored to their individual preferences
Editors must adapt their storytelling approach to meet these evolving expectations, focusing on creating engaging, emotionally resonant content that connects with viewers on a personal level
Examples of successful content that meets these expectations include raw, behind-the-scenes footage, user-generated content, and influencer-driven narratives that foster a sense of community and authenticity
Editing for New Media
Short-Form Content Strategies
Short-form content editing emphasizes brevity, clarity, and emotional impact, using techniques such as rapid cuts, dynamic transitions, and bold graphics to maintain viewer engagement
Editors must be able to convey key information and evoke a strong emotional response within a limited timeframe, often relying on visual storytelling and concise, impactful dialogue
Examples of effective short-form editing include TikTok videos that use creative transitions and popular music to create viral moments, or Instagram Stories that use a series of quick cuts and text overlays to tell a compelling story
Interactive Narrative Techniques
Interactive narratives require editors to create multiple story branches and seamlessly connect them, ensuring that each path feels cohesive and satisfying while maintaining overall narrative coherence
Editors must consider how to guide viewers through the interactive experience, using visual and auditory cues to signify decision points and provide clear feedback on the consequences of each choice
Examples of successful interactive narratives include Netflix's "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" and the video game "Detroit: Become Human," both of which offer multiple branching paths and endings based on viewer decisions
Vertical Video Optimization
Vertical video editing involves optimizing shot composition and framing for the tall, narrow aspect ratio of mobile devices, placing key visual elements within the central area of the frame
Editors must consider how viewers will naturally hold their devices and adjust the visual composition accordingly, ensuring that important information remains visible and easily readable
Pacing in short-form and vertical video content tends to be faster and more dynamic than traditional formats, with frequent cuts and visual stimuli to hold viewer attention
Examples of effective vertical video editing include Instagram Reels and Snapchat Stories that use creative framing, text overlays, and fast-paced cuts to create engaging, mobile-friendly content
Adapting Workflows and Tools
Editors must adapt their workflow and tools to efficiently handle the unique challenges of short-form, interactive, and vertical video content, such as managing multiple timelines or creating modular story segments
This may involve using specialized software or plugins designed for , or developing new organizational strategies to keep track of multiple story branches and decision points
Editors may also need to collaborate more closely with other team members, such as designers and programmers, to ensure seamless integration of interactive elements and maintain a cohesive user experience
Examples of adapted workflows include using modular editing techniques to create interchangeable story segments, or using collaborative platforms like Frame.io to streamline feedback and revision processes
Mobile Viewing Impact
Attention Span and Engagement
Mobile viewing habits, characterized by short attention spans and frequent distractions, necessitate a faster-paced, visually engaging editing style that can quickly capture and maintain viewer interest
Editors must create content that immediately hooks the viewer and provides a clear, compelling reason to continue watching, using techniques such as strong opening images, provocative questions, or relatable scenarios
Examples of effective mobile-first content include Tasty's recipe videos, which use fast cuts, overhead shots, and bold text overlays to quickly demonstrate a dish in under a minute, or NowThis News' short, visually striking news updates that are optimized for social media sharing
Social Media Influence
Social media platforms prioritize content that generates shares, likes, and comments, influencing editors to create emotionally resonant, visually striking, and easily digestible videos
Editors must consider how their content will appear in social media feeds and how it will be shared and discussed among users, often incorporating trending topics, hashtags, or challenges to increase visibility and engagement
Shot composition for mobile and social media often employs close-ups, bold colors, and clear focal points to ensure visual clarity on small screens and in auto-play feeds
Examples of social media-optimized content include Buzzfeed's Tasty videos, which use bright colors, overhead shots, and simple, step-by-step instructions to create highly shareable recipe content, or the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which used a simple, visually striking premise to generate massive social media engagement and awareness
Authentic Visual Language
Visual language in mobile and social media content tends to be more informal, authentic, and relatable, reflecting the personal, user-generated nature of these platforms
Editors must consider how mobile viewing habits and social media trends impact the effectiveness of traditional storytelling techniques and adapt their approach accordingly
This may involve incorporating more handheld or selfie-style footage, using informal or conversational language in text overlays or voiceovers, or leveraging user-generated content to create a sense of community and authenticity
Examples of authentic visual language in mobile content include TikTok videos that use self-deprecating humor, relatable scenarios, and informal filming techniques to create a sense of intimacy and connection with the viewer, or Instagram Stories that use behind-the-scenes footage and personal anecdotes to humanize a brand or influencer
Editors in Transmedia
Narrative Coherence Across Platforms
Transmedia experiences involve telling a story across multiple platforms, such as films, TV shows, video games, social media, and live events, with each element contributing to a larger narrative universe
Editors play a crucial role in ensuring narrative coherence and consistency across these diverse platforms, collaborating with writers, directors, and other creatives to maintain a unified vision
In transmedia projects, editors must consider how each piece of content fits into the overall narrative arc, providing meaningful connections and references that reward audience engagement across platforms
Examples of successful transmedia experiences include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which uses films, TV shows, and comic books to tell interconnected stories within a shared universe, or the "Westworld" franchise, which expands its narrative through a TV series, mobile game, and interactive website
Leveraging Platform Strengths
Editing for transmedia experiences requires a deep understanding of the unique strengths and limitations of each platform, adapting storytelling techniques to leverage the specific affordances of film, TV, gaming, social media, and more
Editors must consider how to use each platform's distinct features and audience expectations to enhance the overall narrative experience, such as using interactive elements in a video game to provide additional character development or using social media to create real-time, immersive story events
Examples of leveraging platform strengths in transmedia storytelling include the "Defiance" franchise, which used a TV series and MMO video game to tell complementary stories that enriched the overall narrative, or the "Pokémon" franchise, which uses video games, animated series, and trading cards to create a multifaceted, interactive story world
Balancing Standalone and Interconnected Content
Editors must also balance the need for each piece of transmedia content to stand on its own while still contributing to the larger narrative, creating satisfying individual experiences that collectively enrich the overall story world
This involves finding the right balance between providing enough context and references to the larger narrative to engage dedicated fans, while also ensuring that each piece of content is accessible and enjoyable for casual viewers or newcomers to the franchise
Examples of balancing standalone and interconnected content include the "Star Wars" franchise, which uses films, TV shows, novels, and comics to tell self-contained stories that also contribute to the larger mythos of the galaxy far, far away, or the "The Matrix" franchise, which uses films, animated shorts, and video games to provide multiple entry points into its complex narrative universe while maintaining a cohesive overarching story