Editing a 30-second testimonial video may seem quick and easy, but there’s a lot happening behind the scenes to make it shine.

It all starts with reviewing the footage—carefully watching everything that was filmed to find the best moments. This alone can take 30-60 minutes because you’re looking for clarity, emotion, and just the right tone to craft a compelling story.

Next comes selecting and trimming the clips, which is where the storytelling magic happens. Creating a concise, engaging message within 30 seconds takes a mix of skill and creativity. Sometimes we also include b-roll footage—those extra shots that show the person in action or provide visuals that enhance the story. It’s a step that adds polish and professionalism.

Then there’s audio cleanup and enhancement—removing background noise, making voices clear and balanced, and ensuring the audio quality matches the video’s professionalism. Along the way, we also add text and graphics, such as names, titles, and subtitles, styled to match your brand identity.

Behind the scenes, footage handling is a critical but invisible part of the process. Raw footage is organized and backed up using 3-2-1 storage: three copies, two different formats, and one off-site backup. This ensures your content is safe and accessible for future use.

Color correction and grading give the footage a polished, cinematic look, while optional background music is added carefully to complement the story without overpowering the speaker. Once all of this is done, there’s the review and feedback process—revisions to fine-tune the final product. However, creating vertical versions, adding captions for social media, or preparing the video for streaming aren’t included in the standard scope.

Finally, the video is exported and formatted for your intended platform. From start to finish, this process can take 3-5 hours or more, depending on complexity. Editing isn’t just about cutting clips; it’s about crafting a compelling story, ensuring everything looks and sounds amazing, and safeguarding your content for the long haul. The result? A professional, impactful video ready to connect with your audience.