This content originally appeared on Perishable Press and was authored by Jeff Starr
“sMaSh tHe LiKe bUtToN” Back in the day, video clips were simple and straightforward. People who were making videos and sharing them online did so because they had something to say, share, or rant about. These days things are different. Churning out endless video content has become a big money machine. Lifestyle videos. Hilarious pet videos. How to win videos. Acting stupid videos. And anything else you can think of, there are people recording it and putting it out there for the world to gobble up.
And while there are some truly excellent video producers out there, and always some valid exceptions to the rule, most of the stuff that you find on the big platforms isn’t worth your time. I’m referring here to the usually short and maybe slightly entertaining or “funny” video clips that people share to be “cute” or gain more followers or whatever. There are millions of these videos and yet only a small percentage are worth your time.
Even if you have EXCEPTIONAL content, it’s super easy to get lost in the weeds and utterly ruin your video. With the hope of affecting higher quality content in general, here are ten ways people ruin their otherwise amazing video clips..
Number 10
Recording with a potato. Poor quality video benefits no one. Unless it’s the Zapruder film or some other historically significant event, low-quality video clips (and yes, that includes the audio/sound) sink the entire experience. When you prepare your video for the Web, don’t be tight with the resolution. Present your work in the best format and resolution possible. Nothing worse than trying to watch a video that’s published in low-definition 480p or worse.
Number 9
Videos that are too short or too long. This one is pretty relative, so here is an example. If you’re putting some funny animal clip out there, don’t crop the video immediately before and after the animal does it’s thing. Like you try to enjoy the cat that jumps into a paper bag, I want to watch what happens before and after, not just the 1.5 second event itself. Let it breathe man, give your videos some room. This isn’t 1995 where you’ve got to measure every bit and byte of bandwidth. So do your viewers a favor and share longer clips that provide some context.
Likewise with long videos, like tutorial videos especially, just get to the point; the viewer is there to get some help with something important, so just spill it already, and spare everyone the long diatribe and lazy editing.
Number 8
Over-editing your videos. This includes adding “cool” special effects like with transitions, filters, colors, sounds, text, and so forth. It also includes making cuts where they are not needed, especially in short videos, just keep the camera rolling and don’t overthink it just because you’re rocking the latest video editing software. Keep it simple and let the video speak for itself.
Number 7
Having an epileptic seizure while recording. For the love of video hold the camera still (and focused) while recording. Especially if you’re in a controlled environment where there is no excuse, you’ve gotta hold that thing steady or get a tripod or something. Some leeway is granted for videos taken on the fly, like when recording some outdoor event, concert, or whatever. But even then, if you’re going to bother recording at least TRY to pay attention to where the camera is pointing and get a focused, steady shot.
Number 6
Recording with the camera held in portrait mode instead of landscape. News flash: you can hold the phone sideways when taking a video. It captures more of the story, more context and details. Otherwise you’re just filming the sky, ceiling, and getting those ugly dark boxes above and below your video when displayed on most websites. Not to mention broadcasting your IQ to anyone unfortunate enough to suffer through your amazing portrait-mode video.
Number 5
Advertisements. Any ads before, after, or during a video ruin the entire experience. Even those little tiny ads that nobody can even read. Seriously if you have to insert advertisements in your video content, you are doing it wrong. Also: invasive or overly obvious watermarks and logos count as advertising and ultimately serve to lower the overall quality of your video.
Number 4
Adding horrible cringy background music. This mostly applies to the shorter “meme” like video clips. You know, some animals doing remarkable things, does not require a touching ballad background song to amplify the “feels”. Adding pointless background music is a blatant attempt to manipulate the viewer beyond what’s provided in the video. No matter how good your intentions are, I guarantee that your cheesy background music theme song rockin’ rappin’ whatever soundtrack is going to 100% absolutely ruin your video for 90% of the audience.
Number 3
Putting a completely stupid looking exaggerated face on the video thumbnail. Like the gaping “wOW” look at this face with a pointing finger. Or the “this is SO hilarious” laughing face. Flabbergasted oafs with mouths agape. And so forth, ad nauseam. If you catch yourself adding some imbecilic mug shot to your video, please stop, and examine yourself. Unless you’re literally making cartoon videos for pre-schoolers, adding some cheese face thumbnail is pure cringe and tells anyone over the age of five to simply avoid.
Number 2
The narcissistic intro. It seems most of the “influencer” and tutorial type videos these days include the obligatory and cliché, “don’t forget to like and subscribe” introduction. It’s always painful to get to that point in a video. Even after jumping past it, you’ve got this acrid aftertaste that lingers with you. Like you try watching further and taking the author seriously, but you know deep down, thanks to the sad, desperate and usually mindless plea to “click the like button” that they’re only doing it for the numbers or other superficial “reasons”.
Number 1
Reaction selfies. A newer trend that I’ve seen in videos: superimposed “reaction selfies”. You’ve probably seen these videos, where the person recording is shown along with the video, like they are there watching the video with you. Making facial reactions, rubbing their chins, and making stupid looking faces while the video rolls on in the background. It’s like, come on. Just let us watch the video without cringing us to death. I have to swallow my vomit while watching you stare at me for five minutes? You literally are adding nothing of value whatsoever to any video.
Bonus!
AI/moron text/translations. Another “getting popular” trend.. displaying some text over the screen, such that it interferes with the video itself. Some cases it’s just moronic AI translation babble displayed in some horrible font with plenty of misspelled words. In other cases it’s some super important text that is added by the author. The point here is: if you absolutely must add some sort of text, make 100% sure that it’s not obscuring any of the actual video content. Unless of course, that’s what you’re going for.
Also things like spelling, grammar, and accurate translations actually matter to your audience, especially those who rely on translations to understand the video. Maybe take a moment to watch your own video and double-check that super cool automatic AI translation you’ve thrown into the mix. Does it even make sense bro.
Outro
So those are the top 10 ways to ruin your video. Based on my own preferences, which I consider relatively mainstream and mostly just common sense. And don’t get me wrong, I heart video big time. I applaud and celebrate well-made video and quality clips. But the rush toward monetization is ruining most of the videos I’ve seen. Hopefully this post helps in that regard. It would be 100% great to have more video creators sharing higher quality content.
This content originally appeared on Perishable Press and was authored by Jeff Starr
Jeff Starr | Sciencx (2025-06-18T17:30:20+00:00) Top 10 Ways to Ruin Your Video. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/06/18/top-10-ways-to-ruin-your-video/
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