Fast, Fresh, And Exciting – How To Edit Amazing Videos

According to a report, an average individual will invest almost 100 minutes per day watching online videos in 2022. 

Yeah! You read that right. 

This increasing fondness for videos puts the onus on a video editor to make videos that allure the viewers. Although you might have shot excellent snippets, the other half of an overall good result is amazing video editing. 

So, if you, too, are stuck on how to edit videos and make them more exciting, then we got you covered. Following are the professional tips for editing video:

Tools selection

A video editor is a yin to the yang of the video editing field. If you wish to choose an ideal video editing tool , you need to keep in mind things that work for you and support your editing style. You can select the hit and trial method and work with various video editing tools before making the final decision. 

But before you finalize the tool , do look for the following features in your tool :

• Suitability to your budget
• Ease of use
• Multi-format support
• Perks including special effects, transitions, music, etc.
• Consistent and quality consumer support
• Advanced editing options
• An easy and smooth digital interface

Editing phases

The video editing process is a complex task that needs to be carried with perfection. Thus, to effectively carry out video editing, you need to follow the process in three phases. These must be carried out smoothly in their stages. You should complete one stage before moving to another to avoid any merging.

These three phases for effective video editing workflow are:

• Rough cut: This cut involves the removal of noticeable flaws and notable errors in your video. In this, it is all about editing only for the best takes and timings with no color grading, no sound and video FX, and no graphics.
• Fine cut: Here, the focus is more on the details of the clips. The cut includes color grading, picture lock, sound FX, sound sweetening, no video FX, and graphics.
• Final cut: The sound and sequence of images are finally selected and put in order. There are very few changes, as this stage is mostly about rewatching and reviewing the work. 

Know shortcuts 

Time management is a crucial aspect of video editing. Therefore, using keyboard shortcuts for a video editor is the fastest and most efficient way to manage his time and enhance the workflow. There are plenty of options that come in handy through keyboard shortcuts. Once these shortcuts are at your fingertips, you will eventually save you a lot of time.

Some keyboard shortcuts that you should learn includes:

• Undo: Ctrl./Command + Z
• Redo: Ctrl./Command + Y
• Duplicate: Ctrl./Command +Shift + A
• Mark In: I
• Mark Out: O
• Clear: Delete
• Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl./Command. +Alt + K

Knowledge of technical terms 

The terminologies, or the technical jargon as we call it, is an essential characteristic of the video editing industry. Learning the lingo would help you do your research, find the right tutorials, and even communicate with other video editing experts. Moreover, understanding such terms can save time in learning new concepts. 

Some basic terms in the video editing field are mentioned below with their meanings:

• Jump Cuts: Cutting boring and predictable moments to maintain visual interest
• L Cut: Video is the predecessor of audio
• J Cut: Audio is the predecessor of video
• Montage: Sequence of clips that reflects the passage of time
• Match cut: Two visually similar scenes are cut.

Files organization

You can’t afford to be messy and expect good video editing results. So, to achieve efficient results, you need to label all your clips to appear in the final video by making a project directory. 

A project directory is like a folder containing multiple folders within folders. According to their types, it has labels like raw footage, music, sound, photos, graphics, etc. You can also label each file with its brief content description. Through this practice, you can find your files easily whenever you need them.

Right hardware

Having quality hardware is an essential requirement if you want to be an excellent video editor someday. It should be good enough to support the storage of huge files so that it does not bottleneck your tool. This will help you focus more on video editing rather than slow rendering. 

In case you are facing slow performance, you can opt for the following to upgrade your performance:

• Invest in a faster storage device
• Increase the RAM of your computer
• Get recommended processor and video card

Some key specifications for your hardware for video editing includes:

• RAM/Memory: 8-32 GB RAM [16 GB is most ideal]
• Processor: Multi-core intel includes i4,i7,i9 processor [i9 is the best] 4 or more processor cores
• Storage: 256 GB hard drive, preferably SSD, 72000 RPM
• Graphics: NVIDIA and AMD minimum 2 GB memory 
• Ports: Firewire or Thunderbolt built-in or external

Focus on coloring

Color is one of the significant elements of any video. With the proper planning of how to use colors, you can:

• Highlight particular objects
• Evoking specific emotions
• Set the atmosphere of your scene
• Convey visual tone and mood

Therefore, the two essential steps of coloring which you cannot afford to miss are: 

• Color correction: It involves adjusting and editing aspects like brightness, saturation, contrast, and ensuring the natural color of everything.
• Color Grading: It involves creating a specific mood for your story apart from using filters and effects. 

Now that you know how to edit video quickly, here are some untold tricks for video editing:

• Pre-plan what you wish to achieve ultimately through your video.
• Trim unwanted frames to highlight the more important stuff.
• Try switching your shots to various angles to keep the content exciting and engaging.
• Add captions and subtitles for more accessibility.
• Make your previous clips long to adjust transition time.
• Edit your video first, and then choose music that fits.

Final words

Video editing is a creative universe. No matter how much you know, there will always be an unexplored corner that can change everything. Now that you know the professional tips and tricks for editing videos, make sure you create the magic.