Story and pacing
1. A slow start
Problem: intros, greetings and setup before anything interesting happens. Fix: open on the most interesting moment or a clear promise. Move introductions later, or cut them.
2. Keeping everything
Problem: every good-ish shot makes the cut, so the video drags. Fix: ask of each clip, "would anyone miss this?" If not, remove it. See our trimming guide.
3. Dead air
Problem: pauses, "um"s and silences between sentences. Fix: split around them and delete the gaps, leaving a few frames of breath.
4. No clear point
Problem: the video covers several ideas and lands none. Fix: one video, one idea. Save the rest for another video.
Sound
5. Music drowning speech
Problem: viewers strain to hear the words. Fix: lower the music well below speech, or let it duck automatically under voiceovers. See our music guide.
6. Uneven volume
Problem: one clip is much louder or quieter than the next. Fix: set each clip's volume so the level stays consistent, and check the whole video with headphones and on a phone speaker.
7. Echoey or noisy audio
Problem: recorded in a big, hard room or far from the mic. Fix: re-record narration in a soft room close to the mic. See our voiceover guide.
Visuals
8. Too many transitions and effects
Problem: a different effect on every cut. Fix: use straight cuts by default and one transition style for scene changes. See our transitions guide.
9. Mismatched colour
Problem: clips from different cameras or times of day jump in colour and brightness. Fix: adjust brightness, contrast and saturation per clip, then apply one consistent look. See our colour guide.
10. Shaky footage
Problem: handheld wobble makes everything look amateur. Fix: use the steadiest takes, keep shaky shots short, and film with support next time. See our phone filming guide.
11. Choppy slow motion
Problem: 30 fps footage slowed down stutters. Fix: keep slow motion above about half speed for normal footage, and shoot at 60–120 fps when you plan to slow it down. See our slow motion guide.
Text and graphics
12. Unreadable text
Problem: small text, low contrast, fancy fonts or text that vanishes too fast. Fix: bigger bold text with an outline or box, on screen long enough to read twice. See our text guide.
13. Text under app buttons
Problem: captions hidden by TikTok or Reels interface elements. Fix: keep text away from the bottom and right edges on vertical video.
Format and export
14. The wrong shape
Problem: a horizontal video posted to a vertical platform, with black bars or awkward crops. Fix: set the canvas to the platform's shape before exporting. See the size cheat sheet.
15. Not watching the final export
Problem: typos, black frames or audio glitches only noticed after posting. Fix: always watch the exported file all the way through — ideally on a phone — before you share it.
Pre-export checklist
- Does the first second earn attention?
- Is every clip necessary, and every pause removed?
- Is speech clear and are levels consistent?
- Is there one consistent look, with effects used sparingly?
- Is all text readable at phone size and clear of app buttons?
- Is the video the right shape for where it's going?
- Do you have the rights to all music and footage?