All platforms support sharing videos and clips. Open up any social media app, and you’ll be greeted with them right away. People especially love short formatted videos nowadays. That does not mean that long format is out of style, but bite-sized videos are the way to go, at least for now. Meaning that video editing is needed in all niches and businesses.
Most web pages have an embedded video or two on each of their pages. Video content serves as a hook to keep you entertained and anchored on the same topic and content. Whenever a huge event happens among celebrities, influencers, and streamers, everyone jumps at the opportunity. And in most cases make a video out of it. But raw footage is simply not enough in today’s content-consuming world. You need some editing magic to make those couple of minutes, or even a couple of seconds, count.
There are loads of options out there when it comes to editing software. They range from the simplest to the most complicated, which is preferred by professionals. It is not easy being a professional video editor. You certainly won’t learn it at any regular educational facility. Picking up a video editing course or two will help you immensely, but it is all up to you. Your skills, how much time you have to invest in them, and naturally, from the tools and software that you’ll make use of. In the following entries, we’ll take a look inside the wonderful world of video editing from all perspectives. This might be the first article you have ever read about editing, and you just want a simple guide. Maybe you already have some experience in it, and you would like to get to the next level. We’ll answer all of these questions and more.
1. Your Video Editing Needs and Skill Level
Who better than you yourself could know the answer to this question? Maybe you are not yet presented with the limits of what you could achieve with everyday video editing, but you’ll get the idea soon enough after looking into the following list. We are not going to talk about studio-grade editing or Hollywood-level budgets. That is a whole other World. We’ll talk about what an everyday person could achieve in video editing for their own content. Streamers, social media influencers, not to mention YouTubers, all need the best video editor. There is a lot to choose from and even more aspects to look into. Everyone starts out at zero, so let’s see the first category:
– Beginner Editors: If this is your first or second try at video editing, then the user interface will play a huge role in getting acquainted with video editing. Most start out with a regular mouse and keyboard and only later upgrade their video editing equipment. There are a lot of better gadgets out there that can speed up or even enhance your video editing skills. Everyone likes drag and drop and pre-made templates. They simplify the whole process. iMovie and Windows Movie Maker are excellent starting points. They are easy to use and are great at assisting you at those first couple of cuts and edits.
– Intermediate Editors: Once you are out of the sandbox, you’ll need more advanced features and options to make your videos and edits stand out from the others. This is where you’ll get acquainted with multi-track editing, customizable effects and audio management. Because at this stage, you won’t just edit frames and pixels, oh no. You’ll start tinkering with the audio as well. For this set of skills, what better tool could be mentioned than Adobe Premiere Elements or Final Cut Pro X? They both offer advanced capabilities and flexibility while remaining relatively user-friendly. People who work in social media love using these tools.
– Professional Editors: Now this is where things get interesting. We are entering levels where video editing is not only considered a pastime hobby, but most likely a profession or a way of making a living. Editors at these levels want professional-grade tools and services without any compromises. We cannot help but suggest using Movavi, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci and Avid Media Composer. These tools can, without a doubt, meet the demands of any complex project. Used properly, these video editing software can make high-quality content.
2. Video Editing Budget
The more you delve into video editing software, the more you’ll see that each is priced differently or follows a different pricing scheme. Some require a one-off payment, and that’s it, you’ll have access to all the editing software’s features. Some are subscription based, while some are completely free and only demand additional payment if you would like to use their custom templates or cloud services.
– Free Video Editors: It may come as a surprise, but a lot of high-quality and renowned video editors are free of cost. Such as DaVinci Resolve and HitFilm Express. These editing software products are liked by many hobbyists or people who don’t yet have a budget to pay for a video editor, and they would like to cut and edit their own content the way they want and the way they see it best.
– One-Time Purchase: In this case, you just make a one-time purchase, and you become the proud owner of a great video editing software. No additional fees would be needed, you are set for life. The most well-known video editing software that follows this business model is Final Cut Pro X. The only downfall here is that some additional features or future upgrades might be hidden behind additional purchases.
– Subscription-Based Models: Most of the advanced video editing tools operate on a subscription model. Movavi is one that is recommended as an all-around video editing suite. Adobe Premiere Pro is also well known, it operates under Adobe’s Creative Cloud. In this case, you can purchase a monthly or an annual subscription. The good part of this is that you can constantly get updates and have access to the latest features and cloud-based templates.
Always be on the lookout for special deals or limited-time discounts. They will further lower your video editing costs. It always feels good to save a buck or two here and there, even if you are a huge business or especially as someone who works individually. Don’t forget, an artist, or in this case, a video editor, can only be limited by the tools they are using.
3. Key Features
When you are a beginner, you need to know what to look out for. Not all video editing software is the same. Less can sometimes mean more. Or, in other words, know what you are capable of and look for the right video editing software which will compliment your skills.
– Ease of Use: The fewer dials or options you can fiddle around with, the better. At least when it comes to beginners. But don’t let that limit you. Ease yourself into video editing, challenge yourself, and put more and more time and effort into your edits. The first couple of cuts are always the hardest, later on it becomes second nature to add layers upon layers onto your work. You won’t even notice it, and the most complex UI will look like child’s play.
– Editing Tools: As mentioned before, each editing software feels and works differently. They can greatly impact your workflow. You’ll feel it for yourself if you need any advanced features like multi-track timelines, motion graphics or special effects.
– Export Options: Yet again, there are a lot to choose from, this is where your hardware comes into play as well. You simply cannot export a 4K-resolution video onto a laptop with integrated graphics, or else it will fry itself. Look for software with which you can export your work in various formats, as you never know what your client’s requirements are. Also, look into what kind of codecs are in your proposal or which ones are used by the editing software.
– System Requirements: Video editing can take a huge toll on your system. Especially if you are an editor on the go who does their work on a laptop. Render times may vary depending on how much RAM memory you have, how fast is your CPU and if you have a dedicated graphics card in your computer.
Test Trial Versions and Reviews
To the delight of many video editors, a lot of software and service providers offer test trials or demo versions. It is always good to test out software or tools before you buy the full version. You may never know if a different video editing software would better fit your needs than the others. It also helps if you read into some reviews left by other users or even look at tutorials online and see what each tool has to offer.
Conclusion
Before pulling the trigger and committing to one main video editing software that you will be using for a long time, it is always good to look into multiple options. Which pricing model fits your budget the best? Which user interface are you more accustomed to? These are all small details that can have a huge impact on your work or how you do video editing. Take your time, do your research, and after that, you will have no issues editing the way you want and how you want to. Always keep in mind your needs and your visions. Make the most out of what is in your head and how you want it to come to life through video editing.
