What's a good way..
 

to keep up to date on new editing techniques and looks?

I've taken editing classes and bought some really good podcast instructionals for my Final Cut Studio. But I still feel like I could use some pointers on editing theory and keeping up to date.

I have basically pretty good intuition and creativity, but I feel like it would open a lot of avenue's to study this sort of thing (like knowing when to try a bleach bypass look, or some good ideas for weddings and so on)

any advice?

I just watch a lot of product from whatever genre I am trying to learn - currently film, so most days off will find me in a cinema of some sort or another. The trick is to watch while maintaining professional interest; too often I begin to drift into the storyline and stop paying attention to pacing and timing.

totally agree, have been trying to follow it like that too, but sometimes I simply don't know how to achieve those looks either

Obviously target audience is a big determining factor here. I read an article somewhere saying that younger audiences with shorter attention spans like to see more jump cuts as it helps keep them into the content. Older audiences are more prone to liking longer shots that explain more through content, as opposed to the way it's cut, if you will.

Being a younger guy myself, if I see a video that has lots of flashy edits and clean quick transitions, I'm more prone to thinking the editor knows what they are doing.

And that, dear friends, is the generational difference in a nutshell. Because when I see that, I can't help but think he doesn't.

Editors -- and everyone else -- are there to do one thing: service the story. Calling attention to one's bag of tricks does nothing but pull viewers out of the story, thus defeating the purpose of a night at the theater (theater: A big room where they show movies and lots of people watch them all at once. Preferably without talking).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I like seizure inducing editing, and I'm a huge fan of continuous shots as well. A ton of how well that editing style works depends on content. I guess I more or less had a particular subject in mind when I made that statement about flashy edits.

Either way, target audience is a huge factor to consider before even deciding how you'll edit.

I agree that it's the editor's job to tell the story, and that excessive use of "tricks" can convolute the telling of the story, but a certain amount of variety is needed to add flavor to the media. I'll notice more if a editor uses nothing but cross fades for a production than if they were to mix it up and throw in some dip to black and jump cuts in there.

I guess we all know that everyone perceives things differently so I won't even bother to go there.