Hi Everyone,
I think it is safe to assume we have all hit points in our editing careers where we hit a mental block when we are editing. In other words, we are trying to edit the next sequence but we can not seem to find the right scenes to use, the right effects, the scene you thought existed doesn't exist at all, etc. (I hit these mental blocks more times than I care to admit)
What methods does everyone use to overcome these mental blocks when editing?
Help: Creative Mental Blocks
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Katranat
- Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:15 pm
- Location: England
Re: Help: Creative Mental Blocks
Usually the most common for me is to take a break from whichever project I'm having a block on and go and edit another video that doesn't matter so much. Take part in an IC for example, or edit something completely pointless and self indulgent. Heck one time for funsies I sped up one episode of an anime so that it was the same length as a song and had fun watching it and trying to spot any random occurring sync.
If I have a block, but I'm determined to work on that particular project I usually try and work on other parts of the video where I know what I want to better. Failing that, I also sometimes play a game of "dammit, just choose a random clip and see if you can make it work somewhere on the timeline", that can at least yield interesting results, sometimes even better than what I had planned.
Sometimes, it can also be burnout, which at that point it's fine to just take a break from editing for a while.
Ultimately, the best thing I've found for myself is "edit something, it doesn't matter what". The process of getting something on a timeline satisfactorily greatly increases my engagement and productivity, so I can often come back with a fresh outlook. Also, editing something else can often trigger new ideas which can overcome the source of the block.
If I have a block, but I'm determined to work on that particular project I usually try and work on other parts of the video where I know what I want to better. Failing that, I also sometimes play a game of "dammit, just choose a random clip and see if you can make it work somewhere on the timeline", that can at least yield interesting results, sometimes even better than what I had planned.
Sometimes, it can also be burnout, which at that point it's fine to just take a break from editing for a while.
Ultimately, the best thing I've found for myself is "edit something, it doesn't matter what". The process of getting something on a timeline satisfactorily greatly increases my engagement and productivity, so I can often come back with a fresh outlook. Also, editing something else can often trigger new ideas which can overcome the source of the block.
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NS
- I like pants
- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:05 pm
- Status: Pants
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Contact:
Re: Help: Creative Mental Blocks
The best all around advice is definitely to just give it space. Even just 5 minutes if you're feeling really stuck might make a difference. Or working on a different part of the process if you don't want to lose time. Leave a marker and come back later.