Are you dreaming of taking YouTube by storm with your awesome online videos? Editing isn’t just about being creative though. It’s also about how you apply the tool along with your technical knowledge. This is of course assuming that you’re an advanced editor. After all, let’s not forget that an online video editor does all the hard work for you. All you have to do is use video templates and customize them according to your goals.
As mentioned, sometimes it’s simply how you use the tools that can make a video stand out. So, check out these editing ideas and have a play around with your own online video editor:
Choose your Software and Online Video Editor
Clearly, the first step is to decide on the best editor for you and what you want to achieve with it. Video creation can be a lot of fun with a video maker that works well with how you think. On the other hand, it can be infuriating if you’ve picked a video editor that just doesn’t match how you think.
So, do a bit of research and check out images of the software interface to get a sense of whether you might enjoy working with it. You’ll also notice that there’s a wide range of a number of features on offer. Whilst many provide free video editing options, most of the software out there asks for a fee if you want more features. Although, you can usually expect to pay fees of only in the tens of dollars per month.
Adjust the Speed
A great tip for adding some dramatic effect very easily is to play around with the speed of your video clips. Perhaps you want to emphasize your product features? In that case, you could consider slowing everything so as to improve the viewers’ experience. Then again, adjusting the speed can also be a good way to keep yours over clips shorter. After all, shorter tends to work best because most people lost their attention span very quickly when it comes to watching a video online.
Give the Visuals Space for Impact
When video editing, always remember that it’s the combination of images and audio that creates the overall impact. So, for example, you can let your tagline come up on the screen but as it fades away, you give the visuals time to do the talking, so to speak. Sometimes giving people space and time to absorb the tagline whilst watching stunning images can do wonders to their feelings of inspiration. So, play around with pauses when you edit videos and see what happens.
Include Music and Effects
Music is clearly an important part of any video editing work. Although, remember that many online clips are watched in silence so subtitles are also critical. This is partly because people are often watching videos in public but it’s also because not everyone can hear well. Having said that, you should still include music and you can even use the music beats to your advantage. For example, it’s always better to cut scenes on the beat rather than in between. Other effects such as animations and logos can also be easily added with your video editor.
Reframe your Video
Some video editor tools offer auto reframe. This means that the software can work out the key actions in your video and reframe the clips according to aspect ratios. It’s particularly useful for resizing to match the various social media requirements. Although, it also means that you can convert a horizontal video into a vertical post with your video editors.
Be Creative with Color
There’s so much you can do with color on any video editor. Naturally, you can change the brightness and contrast but you can also grade the color in and out. This can help you create videos with different moods and perhaps show either a colder or a warmer look, depending on what you’re after.
Leverage Transitions for Major Changes in your Story
Transitions are a very handy way to fix any mistakes. On the other hand, they can also be a creative way to highlight major changes that are going on in your video. You can implement side swipes, a fade-out, or even a filter effect. Simply have a go and see what it all looks like. Most software allows you to download videos for free so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to play around.
Final Words on Optimizing your Online Video Editor Experience
Today’s video editing software allows you so much freedom and flexibility when it comes to creativity. You’ll first have to get comfortable with the technical aspect of the tool and just having a go is often a good approach. Having said that, you can easily apply some creative effects with some speed adjustments, clever story transitions, and some reframing. Don’t forget to also make the music and visuals work for and don’t be afraid of dramatic pauses. Then, you’ll be well on the way to becoming that star professional creative video editor you’ve always dreamt of being.
