How do you edit videos with sensitive content?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start editing, you should have a clear idea of why you are making the video and who you are making it for. What is the message or story you want to convey? Who is your target audience and what are their expectations and sensitivities? How will your video be distributed and what are the rules and regulations of the platform or medium? These questions will help you define your purpose and guide your editing decisions.

2 Use discretion and consent

When editing videos with sensitive content, you should always respect the dignity and privacy of the people involved. This means using discretion and judgment when choosing what to include, exclude, or blur in your video. You should also obtain consent from the people who appear or are mentioned in your video, especially if they are minors, victims, or vulnerable groups. Consent can be written, verbal, or implied, depending on the context and the law.

3 Add warnings and ratings

Another way to edit videos with sensitive content is to add warnings and ratings at the beginning or throughout your video. These can inform your viewers about the nature and level of the content they are about to see and give them the option to skip or stop watching if they are uncomfortable or offended. Warnings and ratings can also protect you from legal liability or backlash from your audience or platform. You can use standard or custom labels, symbols, or text to indicate the type and intensity of the content.

4 Balance aesthetics and ethics

Editing videos with sensitive content can also involve balancing aesthetics and ethics. You want to create a video that is visually appealing, engaging, and coherent, but you also want to avoid sensationalizing, exploiting, or misrepresenting the content. You should consider how your editing techniques, such as cuts, transitions, effects, music, and narration, affect the tone, mood, and meaning of your video. You should also be aware of your own biases, assumptions, and emotions when editing and how they may influence your choices.

5 Seek feedback and advice

Finally, editing videos with sensitive content can benefit from seeking feedback and advice from others. You can ask for opinions and suggestions from your peers, mentors, clients, or experts in the field. You can also consult relevant guidelines, codes, or laws that apply to your video and its content. Feedback and advice can help you improve your video quality, avoid mistakes or controversies, and resolve any doubts or dilemmas you may have.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?