This article about Best 8 video editing tips for newbies: You need to know how to edit videos for YouTube better.
Learning to edit videos is a valuable talent and can be pretty gratifying. Video is more vital than ever for various purposes, such as promoting a product or service, creating social media content, or launching your YouTube channel video editing software.
Video editing is an essential component of filmmaking since it determines the pace and feel of a piece as much as the footage itself. As with any creative work, some guidelines may be disregarded but are typically best to follow initially. There is no “correct” or “wrong” method to edit video, but several principles and practical tips will help you learn how to edit video faster and with less trial and error.
To get started, you need to have the best video editing software and one of the best video editing laptops, but if you’re ready to begin, keep reading for some vital tips. Whatever style of video you want to make, whether a documentary, commercial, comedy reel or YouTube interview, these video editing tips for beginners should help you get started with everything you need to generate a stunning video – regardless of your skill level.
See our recommendation of the video editing app best headphones for video editing for excellent audio and best laptop for video editing. If you’re making expressly for social media, you may also be interested in our TikTok video editing post.
Best 8 video editing tips
1. Follow the 321 rule
On the same topic best free video editing software tips, the matter of the medium, we’ve all suffered the agony of forgetting to hit save and losing massive effort. Saving your project often (and versioning it so you can undo excessive editing mistakes) is a given, but what happens if your hard drive fails and your raw footage is gone forever?
That has the potential to be much more disastrous. Backup professionals swear by the 321 rule – three copies in at least two separate locations, one of which is off-site – but as long as your raw footage is on at least two physical discs and you send your project off to your backup destination regularly, you’ll be OK. Given the size of most videos, an online service like Google Drive might be a viable target for an online backup, but you’ll likely need to pay a bit more than typical.
2. Simplicity is your ally
Aren’t effects and transitions exciting?
Well, kind of. Before you get all stars to wipe happy, consider your audience and the kind of film you’re attempting to depict. When switching between clips, there’s typically no need for a transition – even a clean dissolve – when a simple cut would do. But, as we’ve previously said, you shouldn’t allow it to stop you from playing with the tools your software provides – it’s an essential part of learning to edit. However, conserve the effects for when they are essential.
A wipe may indicate the passage of time or a change in place, but a fade to black (or even white) is an effective method to finish a scene as long as it is not overdone. When adding text to your video, please keep the same notion in mind: keep it clear and easy to make.
3. Do not be afraid to attempt it.
‘The concept of directing a picture is the creation of critics – the whole eloquence of cinema is created in the editing room,’ declared Orson Wells. While this is still true, current editing is different from splicing and practically cutting film.
It’s now non-destructive, meaning that no matter how wild you edit, your original footage remains completely intact. You can load anything into your editing software and alter your cuts as much as you want without losing anything. If a transition between photos doesn’t feel right, experiment with several options until it does.
If a clip is overly open, tighten it up until the pace of your video picks up. There’s a reason why talented editors are so sought after: there are artists, and there’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for creating a decent video. It’s all about how you feel.
4. Consider color.
Computer color grading editing screen
Some believe that the best editing is completely invisible; it’s noticeable when a viewer observes obvious variances in-camera color. The editor must get the color perfect, order, and pace. That implies more effort, color correcting each clip for consistency, and then color grading the final footage to give your video a more polished appearance. You don’t have to make everything Matrix-green, but a grade (even if it’s just a primary LUT for a filmic wash) can make all the difference in the finished result and elevate a simple edit to a much more professional level.
5. Cut it short
How to Edit Videos a keyboard with brightly colored keys
Pro editors will likely utilize Avid keyboards or well-worn Macbooks adorned with colorful stickers. These only exist because keyboard shortcuts are fundamental to the editing process; if you’re bumbling about and merely clicking a mouse, your edit will take considerably longer than if you know what to press to complete critical tasks. You don’t have to deface your equipment, but learning the basics and purchasing a gaming mouse with additional buttons that can be set to rapid operations makes your job as an editor much simpler.
6. Make use of the B-roll
B-roll footage might be incredibly vital, depending on what you’re attempting to put together. You’ve probably seen on-camera interviews when a camera focused on the subject abruptly shifts to one aimed at the interviewer, nodding thoughtfully. This footage is often captured after the event and used to carefully edit away speech stutters or gaps without a visible leap in the footage.
We’re not proposing you follow the overly enthusiastic method used by many current editors, with a cut every two seconds or so, but moving to a second camera may help convert briefly terrible footage into a usable clip.
7. Establish reasonable expectations
Consider what tools you’ll be able to utilize and what you’re ultimately attempting to accomplish before you begin recording.
Shooting in 4K, for example, can provide excellent quality footage, but at the sacrifice of frame rate and resolution will place tremendous demands on your editing machinery, potentially making the process much more stressful if you don’t have the computer to match your ambition (see the best prices on our best computers for video editing if you feel you need to upgrade).
On the other hand, if this is for work, many customers will be disappointed with a 1080p final output, and blowing up lower-quality footage should be avoided. So, before you record a single frame, evaluate the strength of your technology and software and establish precise needs for the ultimate output.
8. Maintain organization
File management screen for a video editing project on a computer.
This isn’t so much editing advice as it is a mental health one: if you’re stitching together a video made up of many little pieces, rummaging through a single bucket full of arbitrarily named files will drive you insane.
Before you even think about editing, go through the footage and correctly name all files to represent the scene and the take, then store them in folders divided by topic and organize them so you can locate them fast when you need them. Another helpful suggestion is to create folders for your sounds, music, and graphics, then place your project file at the root of the main folder containing everything. It may go against many creatives’ impulses, but we recommend that you don’t throw anything out. You never know when that erroneous take may come in useful free video editing software.
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