There’s something wonderful about taking a raw product and turning it into something creative. Seeing the result of all of your hard work on a finished product is an awesome feeling.
It’s the same with video editing. It’s a creative process that can result in finished videos that look slick and gorgeous.
Maybe you’re considering a career in video editing, or maybe you just want to export and share some cool videos with your friends.
Either way, if you’re curious about video editing for beginners but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got you covered with some editing basics.
Video Editing for Beginners and Where to Start
First, you need to decide on the type of videos you will be editing.
Are you putting together a highlight reel of existing videos? Creating a montage of your vacation footage? Creating a demo reel to showcase your work?
Determining the subject of your video will determine how you will shoot and edit your video. You also need to determine your demographic.
Regardless of what your subject matter is or your motivation for editing, remember that good video editing is about crafting a narrative in post-production. The most important thing is being able to tell your story. If you can do that, your video will be a success – regardless of the hardware or software used.
Required Software
Now you need to decide on what editing software you need. The two most popular options for video editing software are Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
Both programs are professional-grade software that offer additional features that cheaper editing software like iMovie does not offer.
The largest difference between the two is the exclusivity of Final Cut Pro. It’s only available for Apple products.
Required Hardware
Once you have decided what software you’re going to use, you can decide on your hardware. Check your software’s recommended specs to determine the minimum specs you need, and then aim for more power than you need. The more powerful your hardware, the less time you will have to spend (and wait) for your finalized video to be exported (made in a format that can be viewed outside of the editing software).
Some parts, like your storage and CPU, are especially important.
Your First Cut
Now you’re ready to begin the actual video editing process. Eventually, you will refine your video to the best version possible, trimming down your video and adding transitions and graphics.
For now, though, you need to focus on your rough cut. Your rough cut is exactly that – rough. It doesn’t need final music, transitions, or completed graphics, and the order of clips (and their length) can change in a later revision.
Your goal is to decide what clips you will use and in what order, assembling them in your timeline. Your rough cut should give you a good idea of what your finished video will look like, along with the overall rhythm and pacing of your video.
This Is Just the Beginning
This is just the very beginning of your video editing career. There’s a ton more to learn. Video editing for beginners can be intimidating, but you can either check out your software’s help tutorials or search online for additional help.
If you liked this article, check out the rest of our site for more informative posts.
