{"id":50645,"date":"2021-03-16T11:25:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T15:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=50645"},"modified":"2024-07-09T17:33:48","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T21:33:48","slug":"video-editing-tips-for-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/video-editing-tips-for-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Best Video Editing Tips for Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve filmed a YouTube video, movie, or shot a music video<\/a>, and now it\u2019s time for the other half of the battle: the post-processing stage. As with filming, this step requires a good mix of both creativity and technical knowledge. And in this article, we aim to help make the video editing process much easier and more productive by providing a few helpful video editing tips, techniques, and \u201clife hacks\u201d for beginners like you below.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Video
Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While these tips don\u2019t exactly teach you how to make edits to your video clips, they help you learn how to cut your editing time in half and give you better results in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Edit Videos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Choose the Right Software<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Use a Fast Computer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Watch Video Editing Tutorials<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Get the Project Files<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Obey the 321 Rule<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Edit for a Story<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Maintain an Efficient Workflow<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Utilize Keyboard Shortcuts<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Learn Important Terms<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Color Correct Your Clips<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Select Good Music<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Add Text and Graphics<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Export Web Versions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. Choose the Right Software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The first step in improving your video editing process is to choose the right software<\/b><\/a> for you and your work. They normally offer everything you need to perform standard video edits, but you may prefer one over others for their usability, digital interface, and features. The key here is to choose what works<\/em> for you and your editing style<\/b> instead of just the latest, most advanced video editing program out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Top favorites include After Effects, Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer<\/a>, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve<\/a>, which offers a free and comprehensive Lite version. You may also want to try Lightworks, Autodesk Smoke, and Sony Vegas, if you\u2019re looking to try other less popular yet highly capable alternatives when learning how to edit videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Best video editing software for beginners<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Video
    Photo by Amjith S on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Some of the most popular video editing tools for beginners are After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer<\/a>, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve<\/a>, which offers a free and comprehensive Lite version. You may also want to try Lightworks, Autodesk Smoke, and Sony Vegas, if you\u2019re looking to try other less-popular yet highly capable alternatives. Some free video editing tools exist, like Apple iMovie, but they\u2019re often less robust than paid options, offer only a few file formats, or have limited functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For shorter clips, especially for social media, you could use a free video editing app<\/a> to create and compile your video clips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Use a Fast Computer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    No, we\u2019re not about to pit PCs against MACs in this section. You can choose whatever computer brand or model you want<\/a>, as long as it\u2019s fast enough for you to store huge files and allows you to focus more on your editing work without having to worry about slow rendering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It definitely helps to invest in a faster storage drive (SSD)<\/a><\/strong> that will allow you to access your files and software faster, as well as speed up your rendering, loading, and export times. Other things you can do to significantly shorten your editing times is to increase your computer\u2019s memory (RAM)<\/strong> to at least<\/em> 8GB if you\u2019re going to be doing professional or commercial work, and get the recommended video card and processor<\/strong> for your editing software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Video
    Photo by Ryan Snaadt on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s generally easier to customize and upgrade a PC than an Apple computer on your own, but you can use either for a video workstation. You can use some video editing tools on Android and Apple mobile devices and tablets, but they\u2019re often more limited in scope and quality. It\u2019s also much harder to learn editing effectively on an iPad or iPhone than learning how to edit videos in a laptop or desktop computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And don’t forget your monitors either. Setting up a dual monitor<\/a> will allow you to more easily view, organize, and work with large amounts of footage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Watch Video Editing Tutorials<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Youtube, blogs, and educational websites are full of useful tutorials for creating great video content that teach how to edit videos. Most of the tutorials you\u2019ll find will teach how to edit videos for free, which makes them even better for video editors under a budget. Websites like Video Copilot<\/a>, Skillshare<\/a>, and Red Giant Tutorials<\/a> offer lots of very specific tutorials to help you improve your video content. As you look for tutorials to achieve certain looks and complete specific tasks, target the software version of the program you\u2019re using. Many companies adjust functionality and menu settings from version to version.<\/p>\n\n\n

    <\/div>
    Video Editing Basics: Part 1: Exploring Photography with Mark Wallace<\/div><\/div>
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