Post #1 -- BASIC EDITING FOR BEGINNERS!

 

 

Introduction

Editing video is more accessible to amateurs thanks to the availability of free software and the sharing of information on the web. We created a guide to a variety of video editing resources as well as list out how to get started with editing.

 

Things to Think About Before Starting Out

Editing video can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. But however complex you want the final product to be, you will find the process far more enjoyable if you take a few moments to prepare from the very beginning, preferably before you even start to record any footage.

What kind of videos are you editing?

Different types of videos have different requirements. Maybe you’re just trying to put together a highlight reel from your family vacation and only need to cut down long recorded segments into your favorite moments and splice them together. Or perhaps you want to create a YouTube vlog combining talking head footage with explanatory B-roll clips. Or maybe you’re putting together a full length documentary with hours of footage to sort through, computer generated graphics that you need to create and special effects to add.

What you want your final product to be will inform what and how you shoot, the video editing software you choose and how you approach the entire process.

What capabilities do you want the software to have?

Every piece of video editing software has some sort of learning curve, and there’s a direct correlation between the number of features the software has and how much you will have to do to learn the software.

Think about whether you only want the basics with a drag-and-drop editing model and a fairly shallow learning curve or if you want to invest time in learning a more complicated (but more feature rich) software.

Can my computer handle video editing?

All of your video editing is going to be done on a computer, so you do need to consider whether or not your computer is capable of handling the editing you want to do. As you might expect, the more complex features you want to add to your video (e.g., computer generated special effects), the more powerful computer hardware you will need.

One thing to note: there has long been debate over what operating system is best for video editing. The current reality is that, with the exception of a relatively small number of programs only available on one OS (like Apple Final Cut Pro X) or the other, there’s no significant difference between choosing a Windows or a Mac for video editing.

Recommended Computer Specs for Video Editing

The best way to find out what computer specs you need is to look at what the software you’re going to use recommends. Less powerful software requires less powerful hardware. As a general rule of thumb, though, the following should give you a decent starting point:

• Processor – A relatively recent Intel Core i5 or Core i7 should work well. For budget builds, newer AMD Ryzen 5 gives good performance at a low price.
• RAM – While some software recommends at least 4GB of RAM, you probably want to make sure you have at least 8GB, though more is better. If you’re doing particularly complex or very high resolution video editing (4K+), you’ll be happier with 16GB or more.
• Graphics Card – Whether or not you need a graphics card depends on your software and what you’re trying to do. For some software, you don’t really need a graphics card. If you’re going to be doing more rendering, or if you’re using DaVinci Resolve (which is specifically made to utilize a GPU) you’ll want at least an RX 570 or GTX 1650.
• Storage – Video, especially 4K video, requires a lot of storage. HDDs (hard disc drives) will work, but SSDs (solid state drives) will be faster and more pleasant to use. Get the most amount of storage space you can afford if you’re going to be doing a lot of video.
• Other computer considerations – Aside from these, there are a few other things to consider. Because of the file sizes for video, you’ll want to have fast ways to get video on and off your computer. USB 3.1, USB-C, and Thunderbolt will give you relatively fast ports for transferring to and from digital storage devices. A fast internet connection will help if you upload videos online. None of these are absolutely necessary, but expect to spend a lot of time waiting for things to transfer if you have to work with a slower option.