Would like some constructive feedback.

[APasz]

So I decided to make a video for Christmas and I was and still am in a video editing mood.

I'm trying to get better and would like some helpful feedback which I can use in future videos.

I only have Vegas 13 at the moment and if you guys would recommend any helpful programs which could help that would just be awesome.

 

So without further ado

Edited December 27, 2015 by Windspeed36
Mod note: leave as is

[AlTech]

IF the mods saw this then they they'd scream "Advertising" at you. and lock the post.

[beach_boy98]

Reslove free version is quite fun with a few features.

[sissj]

Pretty good man, keep up the good work.

[APasz]

IF the mods saw this then they they'd scream "Advertising" at you. and lock the post.

 

 

Yeah be careful what you post here. +1 for @AluminiumTech

I know it's cutting it pretty close.

[wyattzx]

• The transitions felt like you were just dragging and dropping them from the presets panel.
• The gimmicky flashes and such during kills was "O.K" at first, but I grew tired of it very quickly.
• The overlay text stands out against the video itself, and not in a good way. It looks very amateur-ish and doesn't blend well with the rest of the video.
• There was no pacing or rhythm in the montage, and it felt like you simply put in one clip after the other. It's not a montage then. It becomes more like a playlist. 

Just a few things I noticed as I watched it. There were a good number of positives though. Such as the video quality itself. That was appreciated. One last tip: You disabled resample, which was good, and would have been my first complaint otherwise. Do not disable it for slowed-down clips, however. It's useful for blending frames, and making the animation look less jarring. 

[VG Docs]

-Snipe-

Just a couple quick things of note from what I saw (trying to make this as constructive as possible):

 

• The quick flashes across screen aren't always a good idea. Usually it's better just to go with more flashy GFX (motion blur, dof, starburst, etc.). With the quick flashes (mostly at the beginning of the video) it's when you take a shot, which can actually be a bit distracting from the kill itself. 
• Try to create a build up with the GFX: a beginning, middle and end. As an example of this, look at 0:53 - 0:59 of this video. He uses slow downs to synchronize his shots with the music while simultaneously producing a buildup to the final collateral in that scene and also uses slowdown afterwards to make those kills more impactful to the viewer (which the kill itself is a transition to the next scene, another cool trick). Also keep in mind you can use speed ups to produce a more impactful kill as well (try combining the two in certain scenarios if you like).
• Some transitions fare better than others. Although the one you use at 0:19 in your video is fine for montages (not most videos), some (like at 2:19) may be worth abandoning for something more subtle or more suitable for the situation at hand. A traditional black fade would've worked fine, or (here's one of my ideas) in that situation you could've made that sniper kill (synchronized with the beat) more impactful with a quick zoom in that zooms out into the next clip with a traditional crossfade.
• As an extension of my previous point, keep in mind that most videos (that aren't montages) are better off with a minimalistic design. I know that's not relevant to the video you showed, but I've seen a few youtubers try to use too much editing (bad transitions, unnecessary amount of text, too much montage editing for a quick joke, etc.) in normal videos. It's not that you can't have a decent amount of editing in most videos though, LTT's Techquickie's videos have quite a bit of good editing in them. Just make sure your editing isn't intrusive to your videos, but rather complementary.
• Keep in mind that you don't need to have a sniper to synchronize with the music, just making the kill itself impactful and synchronized can go a long way.
• Tutorials. They can make slightly more complicated things (like DoF effects) significantly less complicated for a beginner, or even if you're reasonably familiarized it'll still often times be helpful.

 

Keep up the good work.