Almost all programs have free trials that allow you to test them out before buying. Currently, Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro are considered “industry standard” programs. You’ll need to know them to become a professional video editor. [1] X Research source If you’re new to video editing you can always use an online video editor that enables you to create videos using templates and basic features.
The Timeline: This is where you order, edit, and trim your footage into the final video. Sometimes known as a “sequencer” or “storyboard editor” this is where you do the majority of your work. Most programs show both audio and video in the timeline. It is usually near the bottom of your window The Preview Screen: This is where you watch the draft of your movie while you edit. It usually starts out as a black box with play, rewind, and stop buttons underneath it. It is usually in the upper right quadrant. The Library/Collection: This is where all of your imported audio, video, and pictures are sorted, allowing you to drag and drop them into your timeline for editing. It usually comes with a search function and some labeling tools. It is usually on the left side of the window. [2] X Research source Other sections might include audio controls, a “toolbox,” special effects, a place to add titles, and a second video screen to check imported footage.
Pointer: Usually a standard mouse click icon, the pointer can do everything from trimming footage to moving and deleting clips to adding sound effects. Razor/Cut: Usually designated by a straight razor icon, this chops the footage in your timeline into two separate clips wherever you click. Zoom: Allows you to make closer, more accurate cuts to your video by zooming into the timeline Rolling Edits: Usually two or three separate tools, these make changes to a clip and then move all other clips to make room for your new change. Ex. If you shorten a clip, it automatically lines up the clips following it with the new length.
Enroll in a class at a local college or art studio to get detailed instruction if you feel lost.
Organize folders by project and the date it was shot. Ex. My_Movie_Project_3-22-15 Organize clips by scene and take. Ex. My_Movie_Project_Scene1_Take4 Consider advanced organization software like Adobe Bridge if you are working on large scale projects and need complex labeling and meta-data functions. [3] X Research source
If you’re still lost, look up your camera’s settings on the internet – it should tell you what sort of video you are editing. Many modern programs will automatically conform project settings to your footage, eliminating this headache for less experienced editors.
Some programs let you drag and drop footage from another window into your editing window. Importing footage allows for Non-Linear-Editing (NLE): the process of editing video out of order without changing the original footage. All modern editing is Non-Linear.
You can always drag clips into new spots after you place them, so feel free to experiment. Start working on a few minutes of the video at a time to prevent becoming overwhelmed.
Many programs let you drag the beginnings and ends of clips to shorten or lengthen them. Never permanently delete any footage– you never know what will come in handy, even if only for the “blooper reel!”
The most common transitions are “fade-ins” and “fade-outs,” which is when the image slowly appears or disappears from the screen. For more complicated special effects, transitions, or animations, editors often rely on separate post-production programs like Adobe After Effects.
For a professional looking film you’ll need to do this manually, or hire someone who knows how. [5] X Research source
Taking a few days away from the project before watching can help glean new insights.
Make templates for your favorite effects and titles so you can use them instantly. Learn how to use Multi-Cam editing, which allows you to easily cut between multiple cameras shooting the same scene. [6] X Research source
Hard Cut– an immediate cut to another angle, usually in the same scene. This is the most common cut in film. Smash Cut- An abrupt shift to completely different scene. Jump Cut– An abrupt cut made within the same scene, often of a slightly different angle. J-Cut– When you hear the audio from the next shot before you see the video. L-Cut– When you see the video from the next shot before you hear the audio. Action Cut– A cut in the middle of an action, like someone opening a door, that “hides” the cut in the action. [7] X Research source
Pacing – how quickly does the scene need to progress? Comedies are often fast so a lot of jokes can be fit in. Thrillers or dramas, however, tend feel slower to build tension. Perspective– do you want to highlight one particular character or many? In Scorsese’s classic Goodfellas, for example, every shot concerns or includes the narrator Henry Hill, while movies like The Lord of the Rings often cuts to large group scenes. Themes– is there a certain style or idea that the director has in mind? Are there certain lines of dialogue, images, or colors that should be prominently shown every chance you have?
One recent example is the editing in 12 Years a Slave, where very long takes gave the viewer a feeling for the slow, difficult years the protagonist endured.
Moving too quickly through edits can feel frantic, but this may work if the scene is high-pressure or nervous, like in scenes from the sci-fi film Snowpiercer.
Ask yourself why an editor made the decision they made– how does it help advance the video? What examples of editing do you like or admire? A good place to start might be recent Oscar winners for Editing or Vimeo’s “Best Of” videos. [8] X Research source When you see something you like, try to emulate it to learn how it was done.
