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Now that you have been working on making videos, it's the time to talk editing. There are MANY types of software on the market to help you edit your videos and give them a professional look, software that ranges from free to thousands of dollars. So how do you decide which software is best for you?

Your computer likely included one of two video editing programs when you purchased it:

  • Windows Movie Maker – for PC
  • iMovie – for Mac

These programs are very different but they give you a great place to start without any out of pocket expense. I would say to start using these programs to do basic editing. When the edits you want to do and your skills are beyond the scope of these programs, then start researching new programs. Here is an example of an early video, edited with Windows Movie Maker:

[embedplusvideo height=”365″ width=”450″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/13gNLi6″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/dSk1-AYAjs4?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=dSk1-AYAjs4&width=450&height=365&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep4842″ /]

And here is a video after my skills improved, about a year later:

[embedplusvideo height=”365″ width=”450″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/13gN7kB” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/q312dQdoOvM?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=q312dQdoOvM&width=450&height=365&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep3550″ /]

I still like Windows Movie Maker for some videoe dits, especially when I need to get something done fast. It is very basic but it gets the job done because I can easily add music, still images, cut out pieces of the video I don't want, add transitions, and speed up clips. And, it accepts the videos made with my Sony Camcorder, which Camtasia Studio would not process.

Many programs include a free trial during which you can find out if the program is a good fit for you, your editing style, and your needs.  For example, I took advantage of a 21 day free trial for Cantasia Studio. I loved some of the things the software allowed me to do, like add clip art arrows to my posts. I also loved the audio editing – it made my “p”s, which sound crazy on my vids, sound normal. But, in the end, the price tag of over $300 was prohibitive to me.  I may still buy it if I can't get a better solution in Adobe Premiere Pro…

Another option might be the Adobe Suite of programs – Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and After Effects are all included in the suite for about $50 per monthand all of these programs can be used to achieve different effects when editing video.

Here's a video I edited in Adobe Premiere Pro:

[embedplusvideo height=”281″ width=”450″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/13gO0JS” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/ZL8bKOiVoiQ?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=ZL8bKOiVoiQ&width=450&height=281&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep8146″ /]

The intro of this video, by Some Odd Girl, was done in Adobe After Effects — that is something I want to learn how to do next myself!

[embedplusvideo height=”281″ width=”450″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/13gNFqD” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/OiyVh76otB4?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=OiyVh76otB4&width=450&height=281&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep7704″ /]

If you don't want to get into editing, then you will need to be very good “on camera”. This means you will need to write a script and practice it so that you seldom (if ever) say things like “Ummmm” that will need editing out. I found that editing took less time than trying for on-camera perfection so I edit my videos alot. But I do know other peoiple who can't be bothered with editing and they will do as many takes as they need until they get the one continuous clip that is perfect.

YouTube has basic editing software where you can fix lighting and add annotations to a video after it has been uploaded. These are truly basic and the quality will leave you wanting more after a few videos. They are great tools for ading notes to LIVE videos, such as those recorded via Google Hangouts On Air. Here's an example of a HOA video I added annotations to:

[embedplusvideo height=”281″ width=”450″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/12VKGsU” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/iCPydfPhArs?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=iCPydfPhArs&width=450&height=281&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep4199″ /]

This video includes notes, speech bubbles, and also links embedded right into the video using the Annotations tool on YouTube. You can get to the editing tools from the Video Manager after you've uploaded your first video.

To find the right editing software for you, you'll need to try a combination of the following:

  • Try out various programs and see what works for you
  • Learn the programs – I will google “how to (do something on video) in Adobe Premiere Pro” when I don't know how to get the results I want
  • Ask other people what software they use. If you see a video with edits you like, ask the creator what they used to get those effects. For example, I learned about Annotations from Drew Scott and about Adobe After Effects from Some Odd Girl after I asked them how they got the effects they had in their vids.
  • You might use a variety of programs to edit your vids depending on the video – for example, I use Adobe Premiere Pro for alot of my online classes and technical videos and Windows Movie Maker for my “fun” YouTube vids.

Next week, we will talk about uploading your videos to YouTube – how and when and why you should use each type of “upload” that YouTube offers. Until then, happy editing!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.

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