Personally, one of my favorite things to do when boredom strikes is simply go through my camera roll and reminisce over all of the memories I have made. Through creating videos for the major events in my life, I can easily re-experience all of the fun and joy I had during the original experience. However, I often find myself critiquing my past videos and considering the numerous changes I could make to them that would have improved the overall viewing experience for my followers.

From simple transitions to song choice, we can all look back on past videos with a bit of regret. Although these mistakes have the ability to make you a better videographer, they can easily be avoided. Below are a few of the most common videography mistakes I have noticed as well as the best way to avoid them in your personal videos.

1. Overuse of the Infamous Cross Dissolve– when I first began to create videos, I failed to realize there were other transitions in existence beyond a cross dissolve. When used sparingly and fittingly, a cross dissolve transition can turn a video change into an experience. I recently used a cross dissolve transition in a recent video to make the shift between two underwater videos seem more natural. Doing so made the two videos seem as if they were one. However, in my former editing days, I was a very large fan of using a cross dissolve as my go-to transition between any and every clip.
2. Adding an Unnecessary Visual Filter– Depending on the quality, lighting, and overall type of video you are creating, adding a visual filter can either be for the worst or for the best. In my very first video, I decided that putting an overbearing filter on the scenic and simple video would add to the cinematography of the 15-second clip I crafted for Instagram. Looking back, this filter takes away from the realness of the video and makes it truly look unprofessional. Conversely, I have seen numerous travel videos wherein the creator used a soft visual filter on top of their video and it looks truly amazing. All in all, using a filter truly depends on the video clips themselves as well as what you want your video to look like. If going for a more natural video, I would suggest that you leave out any goofy filter for the sake of a more authentic appeal.
3. Lack of a Story – In order to gain a following using your videos, you must be able to successfully tell a story through your editing abilities. Often times videographers who are just starting out tend to throw a bunch of random clips into the editing timeline, add a song, and leave it be. But, through composing your video with the intention of telling a story, any story, your goal audience will be more interested in your videos and will continually look for your new content.

Let me know if there are any other common mistakes most videographers make I may have missed in the comments below!