Basic Video Editing Skills You Should Know
If you’re launching into video creation then you might be baffled by all the various video editing software options.
Don’t worry though because you can easily pick up the basic skills.
On top of that, you can learn more about an intuitive and free online video editor with many options and creative features.
Basic Skills to Use an Online Video Editor
Before you dive into your video editor software tool, let’s have a look at some of the basic points:
- Trimming and cropping
- Resolution and aspect ratio
- Add features and effects
- Social media distribution
- Organize your workflow
- Understand the power of emotions
Trimming and cropping
One of the first reasons for using an online video editor is to cut out sections from their video clips. Perhaps the pause was longer than you wanted it, for example? Another useful editing feature is cropping. This means that you can remove any offending objects from the edges of your frames whilst the video editor readjusts the size automatically.
Resolution and aspect ratio
You’ll come across these video editing terms very frequently when using any video editor online. Essentially, video resolution determines the detail in your video clips. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a minimum of 1080 pixels. Most iPhone cameras will do this for you automatically and otherwise, you’ll want a device with a more powerful RAM and graphics card. At this stage though, keep it simple and let your iPhone and video editor do the work for you.
Aspect ratio refers to the height and width of the frames in your video clips. Where it gets a bit more complex is that each social media platform has slightly different requirements. So, YouTube recommends 16:9 whilst Instagram uses 4:5 or 9:16 for stories. Again though, your online video editor tool can work this out for you especially if you choose one that allows you to upload directly into your social media platforms.
Add features and effects
When you create videos, you might want to add features and effects. Features tend to include things like stickers and GIFs or funky text. Effects on the other hand usually involve the actual media file. So, for example, you can play around with timing such that your images are speeded up or slowed down.
You can also use your online video editor to jump from one scene to another or simply face in and out. As you get more experienced with the editor software tool though, you’ll be able to test out these options. If you’re just starting with video editors though then the general advice is to keep features and effects to a minimum.
Social media distribution
An important part of video creation is to make sure they are actually viewed by the right people. Having a basic understanding of social media search engine techniques is therefore useful. You can then better optimize your outputs with your online video editor.
Organize your workflow
Whilst the video editor tool arranges your video clips and audio files in a structured manner across your dashboard, you’ll still need to be organized. A good way to be organized is to apply the 321 rule. It basically means that you save your online video in 3 different formats, in 2 different places with 1 of those places physically separated. Having said that, some online video editor tools offer cloud storage space but usually for a monthly fee.
Understand the power of emotions
Any online video is a great way to connect emotionally with your viewers. You’ll need to play around with the right music and images. Through those, you can build that connection with viewers so as to tap into their values and emotions. Another way to enhance this is by sharing stories with your video editor. We naturally become more engaged when we’re following a story in an online video.
Choosing the Right Online Video Editor
As mentioned, you’ll need to get used to the technical terms when you edit videos and work on your story-making skills when you create videos. Then again, don’t forget to use the video editing tools to your advantage because they can do a lot of the technical work for you.
- Ease of use
- Features versus price
- Social media support
- Range of templates and audio files
Ease of use
At the end of the day, if you make a video to grow your online presence then you probably want an easy-to-use video editor. Clearly, if you’re launching into a movie career, you’ll need to get used to the more advanced video editing software platforms such as Adobe Premiere Pro.
Features versus price
Another point to note is that most video editor tools offer a free basic platform with a few features. If you want to access more advanced options then you’ll need to pay a monthly fee that’s usually in the tens of dollars.
Social media support
As mentioned, some video editor tools allow you to download directly into social media. That can be very helpful in terms of getting the right size and format for your video online.
Range of templates and audio files
Last but not least, you can make your video online editing experience so much easier and effective if you use your video maker templates. They have the right structure and composition and you’ll be able to customize and edit your logo and relevant taglines.
Final Thoughts on the Basic Skills for Using an Online Video Editor
Video creation can be great fun as well as being effective. Even a free video editor assures you a professional-looking output so that you don’t have to worry too much about the technical points. Then again, take your time to learn and evolve with the tools and you’ll be able to create videos that are even more unique.
