Editing Video

Once you have your raw footage, the hard part begins. To make your video interesting, you need to be judicious in choosing which video clips or images to use, how to sequence them, and the kinds of cuts or transitions you want to use between clips. For more elaborate productions, you may choose to incorporate an audio track, overlay graphics, apply color correction, or use special effects that you think will make the video more interesting. Good editing can make a huge difference in how well your video grabs and holds your viewers' attention.

There's a wide range of video editing software for you to work with. If you are just starting out, you may want to work with one of the free tools that you can  either find on your computer or download from the internet. Those who want to push the creative envelope a little more will want to invest in a video editor with a broader range of capabilities. 

Many of the techniques you learn in this section are demonstrated using a specific video editor, you will find that the basic concept of what you need to do is the same from one editor to another. If you understand the concept behind the technique, you can often find the specific instructions for that technique in the online help that comes with your video editing software. There are also books on several of the more popular video editors in our Amazon store.