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June 14, 2021

How to Get Better at Video Editing



Video editing is a complex craft, and everyone has to start somewhere. Whether you’re working with an antiquated version of Windows Movie Maker or if you’re using something a little more professional like Final Cut Pro X, you’ll need to be able to actually use your video editing tools to make the most of them.



In this guide, we’re going to take a look at some of the ways you can improve your skills at editing videos. When we’re through with this article, you may be more willing to put the effort into learning advanced schools like motion graphics and motion tracking, and you’ll have the skills to take on advanced projects.

Use Software Like Adobe (News - Alert) Premiere Pro

Learning how to edit videos becomes a lot simpler when you know that you can rely on advanced video editors that will give you access to a wide range of tools. The best programs, including Pinnacle Studio, Adobe Premiere Pro, and more will allow you to edit video and audio far more effectively.

Instead of fighting the program to get it to do what you want, you’ll instead be met with an intuitive user interface that will make it a lot easier to get the basics of editing. For example, Adobe Premiere Pro will allow you to easily drag and drop clips along a timeline, and this works for both video and audio tracks.

If you’re working on Mac, then some of the best video editors at your disposal include Final Cut Pro X and Apple (News - Alert) iMovie, with the latter being a little simpler and easier to approach. When the program you’re working with is intuitive, your job of learning will become far easier, and your skills will be more easily transferable.

Use Your Video Editor Frequently

As with anything else in life, practice makes perfect, and that’s also the case when it comes to editing video clips. Try to take every opportunity you can to edit videos, even if you don’t see how it could immediately benefit you financially. There’s nothing wrong with editing videos for friends and family.

For example, if one of your best friends just had a wedding, take your footage and create a compilation of your favorite clips. This kind of gift will mean a lot more to someone than a random present that they included on their wedding registry since it will be creative and it’ll come from the heart.

Even if you’re conducting edits for yourself, there are so many things you can practice, including transitions, trimming, and using templates. With the help of programs like Wallpaper Engine, you can even turn these videos that you make into a creative desktop background!

Motivate Yourself to Continue Video Editing

Everyone needs a reason to keep learning, and if you feel like you’ve reached a wall in your footage editing experience, then you may have to take a different approach. Take on part-time gigs so that you’ll get paid to video edit and you’ll see that you can make good money with the right set of skills.

Audio and video editing is a challenging skillset, and you’ll need to dedicate yourself to it fully if you intend to learn the most advanced features of your software. If a project calls for special effects, then you’ll be a lot more willing to learn how to implement them in your video editing if you’re getting paid.

Even if you’re not making money off of your video editing, you may still benefit from spreading your media to other people. Consider starting something like a Youtube channel, where you’ll have people to support you and motivate you to keep publishing your videos.

Don’t Be Afraid to Start Small

If you’re just getting started with video editing, you can take on simpler projects. For example, take a screen recording of something you did on your computer and create a small tutorial based on it. This will teach you about superimposing text and using your timeline and other tools at your disposal.

Simple projects will also teach you the ins and outs of how to export footage that you’ve put together. Your video editing project can be as professional as possible, but if you export it with poor quality, then you won’t be doing justice to your work because the file will either end up bloated or come out in poor quality.

Like with any other tool or app, when you’re learning video editing, you’ll have to start with the basics to ensure that you’re ready to move on to the more advanced features. Once you’re more confident in your skills, you can move on to advanced techniques like cross-platform video editing.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide has helped you further refine your video editing skills. Remember, just keep at it and you’ll be sure to get better over time.



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