keotsang
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🎬 Editing Notes & Behind the Scenes
🕑 Added 2025-08-06 02:06:31 +0000 UTCJust wanted to share some personal thoughts and general tips about how I’ve been editing my latest two videos. (GTR Roadtrip and this)
Lately I’ve been a lot more into filming cars. The kind of videos I’m going for now are a blend of cinematics, story, and a bit of commentary — sort of a balance between visuals and narration, with some of me sprinkled in. Not necessarily funny, but hopefully a little bit thoughtful or personal.
Ironically, these videos are easier to edit, but they require a lot more pre-planning.
I’ve learned that pacing is everything.
I don’t care as much about the hook anymore — what I focus on is how the rhythm of the video feels. Like:
When does the voiceover come in?
How long should a B-roll hold?
When does a scene breathe and when does it move?
You’ll probably notice I use a lot of ambient music these days. I dig into Epidemic Sound’s “Ambient” category — usually under tags like hopeful, dreamy, cinematic, or even sad for some reason they label these music as. Those tones just match really well with the shots I go for — moody, minimal, sometimes a little nostalgic. They help pace the story while still letting you take in the visuals.
It’s about giving you something to see and something to hear, without either one overpowering the other.
🎥 On the Timeline
You’ll see in the screenshot (attached) that the timeline looks pretty clean. Nothing crazy. It’s not stacked with heavy effects or transitions like I used to do.
But getting these shots takes time.
There’s a lot of handhelds, tripod work, slow pans, natural framing — all of which means a lot of takes, especially when working alone. It’s not about fancy transitions anymore — I’d rather focus on the composition and the emotion of a shot.
Almost all my adjustment layers are just for:
Slight zoom-ins
Color grading
Re-framing things that weren’t level (because I was rushing at times to get that shot)
Some subtle sound design
🧠 Some Quick Editing Advice
Record more than you think you need. Seriously. Sometimes I just let my camera roll, forget it’s recording, and later I’m surprised to find a nice usable shot.
Make each shot meaningful. Don’t just record for the sake of it. Try to make every shot say something — about the moment, the vibe, or the place.
Don't let filming get in the way of living. I never want recording to ruin the moment. So if I can, I set things up, let them roll, and just live through it. The camera is just there to quietly document.
You don’t need a plan to start. If you're into storytelling but feel stuck, just start recording. You can always piece it together later. Sometimes I don’t even know what the full story is until I review the footage.
Minimalism wins. There’s beauty in simplicity. A clean, flat shot — like something out of Wes Anderson’s style — is visually calming. You don’t need to throw in fast cuts or transitions if your framing is strong.
💭 Final Thought
This video is super simple at its core. No tricks. Just emotion, pacing, and personal storytelling. I know the VO part where I talk in the car sounds a bit rushed — that was because the parking lot was closing and it started raining. But rain on the car makes for better reflections anyway, but it did take a toll on my camera.
If you guys want more behind-the-scenes stuff like this, let me know and I’ll start posting more breakdowns like this. Might even share a timeline file or rough cut one day if anyone’s curious.
Thanks again for always supporting — this platform lets me share the unpolished parts of the process.
– Keo
