During 22+ years of editing trailers, I have changed my keyboard shortcut layout four times.
The first three were... mehhh... not so impactful, I'd say.
The last one was phenomenal!
My newest keyboard shortcut layout brought a tremendous amount of -positive- change in my:
- Speed
- Immediacy
- Efficiency
- Creativity
- Comfort
- Clarity
- Focus
- Happiness
It was such a radical and profound alteration of my daily workflow that I can't even recall how it was possible to work the way I used to, before making that change.
Speed:
The time needed to make an edit or create multiple versions of a cut was reduced dramatically! Also, moving between layers and in and out of nested effects was improved and now I can move swiftly through the timeline!
Immediacy:
After receiving the client's notes, I work faster on making changes. Also, during 'live editing sessions' where I work side by side with the client, I can immediately implement any creative ideas I have and respond quickly to their ideas too. Considering that these sessions cost more than working alone for a client and usually are booked as 'half' or 'full' days of work, I can make more versions and try more things for them to see, compare, and choose, in the same amount of time. That way, I am bringing more value to them by raising the work/hour or lowering the $$/hour, depending on how you look at it.
Efficiency:
Have you ever been in a super frustrating situation where you had to deliver as soon as possible for an On-Air Broadcast? Once, I was editing a daily video for the Olympics and had to finish editing and start playing back the video to be transmitted from Athens, Greece, to Rome, Italy. The price (for the producer) for not being on time was about $3.000. If you can relate then you know what I mean about efficiency!
Creativity:
Immediate implementation of creative ideas!
Have an idea > Make a version > Review, in no time! That way I can stay longer in my 'flow state' and be more productive without blocking my creativity.
Comfort:
I am used to editing having my right hand on the mouse and my left on the keyboard. Because of the reorganization of the shortcuts, my most used commands are closer to each other, so the fingers of my left hand are moving less and my left wrist is pain-free!
Clarity:
Less complex thoughts mean less brain fatigue, which leads to more clarity, especially after long sessions! My main editing functions are now mapped to one keystroke moves and not more.
Focus:
I don't have my mind distracted, thinking about all the moves I need to do to make an edit. I am leaning more on the creative part of my work, rather than the 'technical' which leads to having more focus on the project.
Happiness:
It is very fulfilling to see myself being more productive, relaxed, valuable, and less fatigued while getting better results! Whenever I 'catch' myself effectively utilizing my latest shortcut setup, I mentally give myself a 'well done' tap in the back!
So, I suggest you shake things up occasionally. Play with different layouts for your shortcuts and you could see similar improvement in your editing processes!
-Yannis
p.s.
What is your personal experience with keyboard shortcut layout?
Have you changed the factory settings of your NLE system yet?
If you have, are you satisfied with the latest version, or not?
If not, do you need help making your first shortcut layout?
Reply with the word 'Shortcuts' and I will guide you towards a better, more functional setup!
