Video Editing For Beginners: Tips & Tools To Get Started

You want to get into the world of video editing but you have little knowledge on the subject? Here is a selection of tips and tools suitable for effective video editing.

1. Centralize your media for your video editing

Before embarking on video editing software, some preparation work is required. First of all, it is best to group the media you want to insert into your montage (videos, photos, illustrations, GIFs, music, etc.). Thanks to this upstream selection, you can more easily later build the scenario of your editing because you will have a better vision of the media resources available to achieve it. Another possibility: you first create the plan for your video and then go find the media that will respond to the imagined scenario. Thus, there are several possible methods of organization, it all depends on your basic project.

2. Establish a storyline plan for your video

Once your resources are centralized in a folder, you can start thinking about your video scenario (or as the pros say: your video storyboard). The goal is to establish a detailed plan with the major parts (chapters) of your video editing and define a logical order in which they should appear. In particular, you can rely on the media resources sorted upstream in order to define the course of the story.

3. Sort your media according to the defined scenario

Do you have your scenario in mind? Remember to sort your videos and images according to your main parts. This upstream classification work will allow you not to waste time looking for your media during video editing and above all it will prevent you from being forgotten.

• If your video edit is short: you can simply create a folder and classify your photos and videos in the order in which they should appear (by numbering them for example).
• If your video edit is long: you can create multiple subfolders for each major part of your video editing to help you find your way around.

4. Think about the choice of video format: landscape, portrait, square…

The question to ask is: where would you like to broadcast your video? » . It is important to choose your video format before you start editing so that it is best suited to your broadcast medium.

Here are some examples of use cases that can help you make your choice:

• On computer : landscape format
• On mobile: portrait
• On Instagram: square format for a post, portrait format for a story
• On Youtube : landscape format

5. Choose video editing software adapted to your level

If you are a beginner in the field, choose video editing software that matches your level and is suitable for your editing project. If you venture on too complex software, you could quickly be discouraged.

For beginners, it may be interesting to turn to the following tools:

Good to know: Canva is known for creating visuals, but the online tool also has a free editor for video editing. Here are some tips to start using it effectively.

You will find below detailed sheets which present the functionalities of the various video editing tools on the market:

6. Think about harmonizing colors and texts (sizes, fonts)

For a harmonious rendering of your video montage, make a limited selection of colors for the texts or for your backgrounds (to avoid the “rainbow” effect which can sting the eyes). For texts, it is preferable to standardize fonts and sizes for each title or subtitle.

7. Take care of the introduction of the video: short and punchy

Taking care of the beginning of your video is essential: you must hook the viewers from the start. Propose a short and punchy teaser (little text) that will allow those who watch it to understand from the first seconds what it is about. The choice of the first media (videos, photos) that you will display first is also essential. Objective: capture the attention of your audience from the start in order to encourage them to watch the sequel.

8. Pay attention to transitions between sequences

Video editing software has transitions (fade, wipe, etc.). Use them to allow a smooth sequencing of your video sequences. Without these transitions, your video could appear “jerky” because the images will follow one after another in a too disjointed and abrupt way.

9. Don’t add too many elements: text, stickers, effects…

If you overload your videos with text, stickers or even effects that are too “flashy”, this can have two consequences: your audience will be “lost” if there is too much information (too much text to read, for example ) and it can also tire the eyes of your spectators in the long run. Tip: keep it simple, and add short texts or other elements when it’s really relevant. In 3 words: do not overload.

10. Make sure the video is understandable without sound

If your final video is going to be posted on social media, this tip is a must. Many people watch videos without sound, so it’s in your best interest to make a video that is understandable in “mute” mode. If people are speaking in your video, consider adding captions. If your video includes illustrations, you can associate short texts. Once you’ve finalized your edit, test your video without sound to make sure viewers understand what it’s about even if they haven’t turned on sound on their smartphone.

11. Achieving a “gentle” conclusion for a successful finale

If the introduction is important, so is the conclusion. It is important to take care of the end of your video. If the ending is too abrupt, it can lead to feelings of disappointment because viewers don’t expect the video to end at all. We must therefore think carefully about how to bring about this end. Here are some ideas for a “gentle” conclusion: choose quieter music, add several text slides that make it clear that the video is ending, end with a “thank you” slide for the people who contributed to the project.

12. Choose the right format for exporting your video

You have finished your video editing and you want to export it to your computer or smartphone? Pay attention to the output format. The mp4 format is the most used. Choose this format if you want to distribute your video on social networks. For higher quality, you can choose MOV, WMV or AVI formats but you should know that your video will have a larger weight. If your video is too heavy when exported, you can use video compression tools to reduce its weight.