Editing videos is important when it comes to youtube. Because you can’t always get the perfect shot in one take. But it is not just about that. Editing is also needed to make your video clips interesting to watch and also to make them more impactful. However, video editing is not a piece of cake for everybody. While there is plenty of software available today, which claims to be beginner friendly, editing can still feel like a difficult task to some people. However, once you understand certain basics, there is nothing very difficult about it and you in fact keep getting better at it over time. And we are here to share with you all the important tips about editing that will clear your basics and help you get started. So read on to become a better editor!
1. Know The Capabilities
Once you have completed the shooting of your videos, you will edit them using your skills at your editing software on your PC. Therefore you have to know the capabilities of all these things, i.e., your skills, your editing software and your PC before you shoot anything. For example, if you shoot a video in 4k, your PC needs to have a very good processor to handle it, so if you have an average PC, don’t shoot in 4K. Advanced editors can even make a bad shot look great with advanced edits, but if you don’t have that much skill, you will have to focus more on getting a better shot. If you want to learn fast and have only basic editing needs, then you can choose a basic editing software that is easy to work with and master, on the other hand, if you are ready to give more time to learn you can choose a professional software, where you will have a steeper learning curve.
2. Plan It All In Advance
Every video you make is like a story. A story that has a beginning, a middle part and an end. Before you start shooting your video, plan all the shots in advance. Plan exactly how you want each part of the video to be shot and how you will edit it. Having an initial plan in mind will help you shoot the entire video accordingly and the entire process will go smoothly. Of course, you will get better at making the plans as you gain more experience of your work.
3. Keep It Organised
After you have shot your videos and before you edit them, it is necessary to have everything properly organised. There may be a lot of video shots that you need to merge together in a particular order to make your video complete. There will also be various elements that you plan to add in between your video shots to make them more interesting, e.g., images, clip arts, vector graphics, animations, etc. Before you edit, put all the video shots and elements in one folder and rename them properly according to what their position is going to be in the timeline of your video. This makes the entire process much easier and smooth.
4. Add Interesting And Relevant Elements
Elements mean text, images, graphics, animations, transitions, music and everything else that you can add to your video to make it more interesting and appealing to the viewers. Almost all editing software have a library of various such elements, so pick up the ones that match your video type and add them. Don’t hesitate to play with various elements and related editing options available in your editor. Try them all and let the creative animal in you run wildly. You may soon come up with a wonderful combination of elements for your videos that works just fine. Just remember to keep everything relevant. Also, each video that you produce has its own theme and mood, so make sure that all the elements conform to them.
5. Keep It Simple
There are a lot of elements available on the editors and it may be tempting to add all the best ones to grab the most of viewers attention, but believe me, that’s not going to work. Viewers are there to watch a video and not animations, transitions and other graphics. These elements should only be used to make a particular part of your video exciting, and not as a standalone thing. Keep the overall look simple, elegant and modern and use the elements just where they are necessary. Too much of these things can distract the viewers from the actual content of your video and thereby you may lose viewers.
6. Rest Is Necessary!
Editing can sometimes be a tedious task. Therefore it is necessary for you to take regular breaks while you edit. Furthermore, because editing is a creative process and creative ideas generally sprung from your unconscious mind when you are not focused on the work you are doing. So work for a few minutes then take a break and free your mind totally. Come later with a fresh mind to have a fresh view at your work and see the magic!
7. Backup And Save Regularly
Shooting your video footage and then editing it involves a lot of work and effort. And if you somehow lost your work it can be very distressing to do all of that again. Therefore it is a wise idea to keep a backup of all your files related to your video and also to regularly keep on saving the work you have done while editing.
8. Watch Video Editing Tutorials
There are many good video editing software available these days. Whichever software you use, each has its own set of commands, shortcuts, options and working style. Therefore it is wise to watch some tutorial videos of that software so that you don’t face operational issues. If the software you use is a famous one, you may easily find many tutorial videos on youtube.
Final Words
We have provided you with many useful tips and methods to edit a video. While these tips can’t make you an expert in editing, they can certainly help you get started and speed up your process of becoming an expert by clearing your basics. In fact, there is no one in this world who can tell you the tips to become an expert in editing, because that is a process that needs experience and creativity, both of which belongs only to you and nobody else. So read these tips carefully, follow them correctly and start editing your first video.
