I started editing videos in 2019 during my sophomore year of high school. Despite how time consuming, frustrating and meticulous the process is, I fell in love with creating videos. It’s rewarding to see your hard work posted to Youtube or on TV. 

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In this blog, we’ll answer the basics about editing, from different softwares, basic editing and things to look out for. 

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What software should I use? 

As someone who has used most editing softwares out there (except final cut pro), I’ve learned what I like and don’t like in editing software. I have specific ways I like to structure my workflow which aligns more with programs like Premiere or Davinci or editing software with integration with other softwares for creating graphics like Premiere (can you tell I’m an Adobe girl). 

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But, to find what editing software you should use, it will take trial and error. Every software has benefits and drawbacks and depending on what you want in a software will choose which you pick.

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Premiere:

Pros

Integrated with Adobe suite

Industry standard

Versatile Formats

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Cons

Difficult to learn

Cost

Requires high end software (good CPU, GPU, and high RAM)

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DaVinci Resolve:

Pros

Everything is integrated into one platform (audio, video and Fusion VFX)

Free version offers 95% of features

One time fee of $295 for Pro version

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Cons

Requires high end software (good CPU, GPU, and high RAM)

Difficult to learn

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Final Cut Pro:

Pros

Great performance and speed

Magnetic Timeline

One time fee for Pro version

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Cons

Apple Exclusive

Difficult to learn

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Capcut:

Pros

Easy to use

Free 

Good for quick content

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Cons

Limited features

Prone to lagging 

Privacy Concerns

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Canva:

Pros

Easy to use

Free (for most things)

Easy to collaborate with others

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Cons

Limited advanced editing (color grading, effects, etc.)

Projects limited to 10 minutes

Limited export options

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The Basics

No matter what software your using there are a few key video editing terms and knowledge you need to know

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Audio Levels

One of the most important aspects of a video is the audio. It might seem straightforward but audio can create many challenges. Depending on what sound your audio is, from speaking to music, it requires a specific range of acceptable decibels. This diagram shows the levels for speaking, sound effects and music. Dialogue: -6 to -12; Sound Effects: -10 to -25; Music: -20 to -30.

In & Out Points

One feature many video softwares have is in and out points. These can be used to clip certain parts of the video before adding it to the timeline.

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Terminology

‍B-Roll: Supplementary footage added to enhance the story

Timeline: The workspace where the edited video and audio is

Rendering: The process of generating a final video file from the timeline

Keyframing: Marking specific points on a clip to change properties (position, scale, volume) over time.

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What to look out for

Even though I’ve been editing videos for a hot minute, I still make mistakes while editing. A lot. Here are the things I check before exporting a video

• Make sure audio levels are in acceptable ranges
• Watch through video to find any problems with video or audio
• Check that color grading/effects are added to desired clips
• Render video prior to exporting, help lessen the amount of time to export

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