Welcome to The Angry Editor. 

For years I’ve teased the idea of The Angry Editor as a regular column here on The Editblog as a way to complain, gripe, nitpick, bellyache as well as air grievances out loud and in public when 280 characters on Twitter doesn’t work. 

I think I need to start a recurring column called “The Angry Editor.” Seems I’m making a lot of notes and observations these days that would fall nicely under that heading. pic.twitter.com/EApwJayV5b

— Scott Simmons (@editblog) January 17, 2018

Actually, I’m just kidding. I’ve always thought of The Angry Editor as a place to point out silly trends I’ve seen in media creation…. and oddities worth calling out. 

Today’s topic:

The lazy jump-cut-laden product video that doesn’t even show you the product

First of all, it’s not unusual nowadays to purchase a product (often from Instagram as their advertising is quite effective) and get directed to a YouTube video as the instructions for how to use it. 

That’s not a big deal as no one wants to print materials anymore. However, in this case, I was recently directed to YouTube for instructions on how to use a glorified lint roller. 

Ok, maybe I need to be educated on this since Uproot Cleaner is not your grandma’s lint roller. When arriving, I was greeted with this monstrosity (don’t worry, it’s only a minute but you only need a few seconds to get it):

First, I’ll point out that the product demo doesn’t bother with any close-ups or insert shots of the product being correctly used. You’d think you don’t need that with a lint roller, but this thing is pretty intense as far as lint rollers go, and I could see it damaging some fabrics (which they mention). 

Second, what’s the deal with all the absolutely unnecessary jump cuts? I know we live in a jump-cut world thanks to you, YouTube, and it’s even an aesthetic, but lord have mercy … can you not find a host that is capable of delivering 1 minute of lint roller instructions without having to cut out their mistakes or their dead-air pauses? These aren’t mistakes and it doesn’t even look like they are cutting out dead air as sometimes they are jump-cutting the space between words!

Even if you choose the hip and cool jump cut style, did the “editor” not watch their work and realize that they are nearly snipping words, and this isn’t even hip and cool and just bad?

I bet they don’t even care. 

But there is quality worth pointing out.

At least she’s wearing a mic.

— Wes Plate (@wplate) August 27, 2022

I guess the creator of this video series isn’t a video professional and can’t be bothered to iPhone some coverage of how to use their product. 

I also bet they just ran their shot through a tool like Timebolt, which is designed to cut out the dead space and give you the so very 2020 YouTube jump cut look with ease. 

Timebolt is honestly a very cool tool and fills a very needed niche in the video creation space these days but it may have unwittingly contributed to this type of video. But when wielded by the rank amateur, the result isn’t a finely crafted but jump-cut heavy modern YouTube clip but rather the travesty you see here for this and the other Uproot Clean product video:

Speaking of insert shots, we do kinda get one in this other video (and a small audio fade would help with the intro here Uproot):

Lord, if you have that much dog hair on your carpet, you don’t need an Uproot you need professional help.

Maybe we just need to stock up on these instead.

No instructional video is needed. 

Now I don’t want to belittle the too many jump cuts when it is warranted … like the Iron Fist fight scenes!

Come to think of it this wasn’t Iron Fist’s finest moment.

So let’s just end this with 10 hours of the finest fence jump ever edited in film. Do you want cuts? Here are your cuts.

Until next time on The Angry Editor … happy angry editing!