Whether you want to create stunning videos for work or just want a new creative outlet, there are hundreds of great video editing skills to learn. But which ones should you start with? That's what we're here to tell you. We've compiled this list of ten essential skills that can take your videos from decent to a knockout through the power of editing. 

 

Top Video Editing Tips and Skills to learn 

 

 

Top Video Editing Tips and  Skills to learn 

1. Make time to plan 

 

Planning is a vital part of the video editing process. If you don't plan your work, it's very easy to get distracted or lose focus. Planning helps you stay on track and avoid getting lost in the details so that you can stay focused on your goals. 

Planning also gives you a roadmap for how to reach your goal and what needs to be done in order for that goal to be met. That roadmap helps guide your decision-making throughout the project and keeps you from making any unnecessary changes or additions that might not align with the overall vision for your piece. 

 

 

 

2. Storyboard 

 

Storyboarding is the process of creating sketches of your film—either on paper or in a digital program like Storyboard Quick. You can do this all on your own, or with a team if you're working on a bigger project. 

Once you've sketched out what each scene should look like, it's time to take those drawings and turn them into something more tangible. To do that, you'll need to shoot each shot as a video clip from multiple angles (also called “takes”) so that they can be edited together later. 

 

 

 

 

3. Cutdown and editing 

 

Cutting down and editing is one of the most important parts of video editing. It is the process in which you will cut out unnecessary footage or shots to make your final product more concise, smooth, and appealing. 

In this section, we will cover what cutting down means and how you can do it on your own. We'll also take a look at the different tools available for cutting down your videos as well as how they might benefit you throughout the process. 

 

 

 

 

4. Be organized 

 

It's easy to be organized when you know where everything is. If you're new to video editing, it's a good idea to start with a basic file manager—like Preview on macOS or File Explorer on Windows—to get used to moving around files and folders. Later, when you're comfortable with the process, try out something more advanced like Shortcut (macOS & Windows) or Lightworks (Windows). 

Organizing your project files may feel like common sense but many people still don't do this properly. Whether it's the number of clips in each scene or missing audio tracks, poor organizational skills can lead directly to problems during the edit later down the line. There's no need for fancy software here: stick with something simple and easy-to-use like Google Drive for cloud storage or plain old Finder/My Computer if you want something quick but less reliable! 

 

 

 

 

5. Less is more 

 

When you're editing a video, less is more. That being said, don't overdo it with effects. If you use too many effects or do too much to your video, it can begin to look amateurish. It's always good to have an eye for subtlety when editing videos; this means that you should use just enough visual elements and effects in order to create a well-edited piece of work! 

In the end, it comes down to finding a good balance between visual elements and audio effects so that people watching are entertained by what they see as well as what they hear (or vice versa). 

 

 

6. Color grading 

 

Color grading, or color correction, is the process of adjusting the colors in your video. It can be used to make a video look more natural, dramatic, or artistic.

There are many different ways to use color grading. Some videos will benefit from more subtle changes than others. For example, you may want to enhance certain colors in your video instead of making them stand out too much by making them brighter or darker than they would naturally be. In other cases, you may want to bring out certain tones and hues only when they're needed. for example, you might enhance greens when a person wears green clothing but leave their skin tone untouched. 

 

 

7. Audio mastering 

 

Audio mastering is the final step of the audio production process, and it's one that many people overlook. In fact, you'll often see a lot of tutorials on video editing that gloss over this essential part of creating your finished project. However, mastering is just as important as any other step in video editing! The idea behind mastering is to make sure that all of your clips sound good together and play well with each other.

This means adjusting levels so they're all at similar volume levels and making sure there aren't any noticeable differences between audio sources or transitions. It also means making sure there aren't any pops or cracks when it comes time for those cuts from one shot to another—you don't want your viewers hearing them! If you notice something like this during your own edits, do not hesitate to ask for help from someone who knows what they're doing (we recommend an audio engineer). 

 

 

 

8. Image stabilization 

 

Image stabilization is the process of removing jitter and shake from a video. It can also be referred to as image smoothing or motion compensation, and it involves applying a stabilization algorithm. The result is smoother motion in the video, which makes it look more professional and polished. This type of editing is usually used for handheld footage or footage captured on shaky cameras. 

Here's how image stabilization works: First, you apply an offset filter that calculates what the original image should look like if there was no camera shake or blur present. Then you subtract this offset from your original footage, which results in a clearer and more stable final product! 

 

Don't forget to plan, organize and get your audio right if you want to craft a good video. 

Don’t forget to plan, organize and get your audio right if you want to craft a good video. 

Planning is an important part of any video production. Without planning, you can end up with a disjointed mess that may confuse your audience or worse – bore them. Planning will help you identify the purpose of your video, the target audience, and how best to engage with them. You should also consider what kind of message you want to convey in your video before starting on the script or storyboard for this project. 

Organizing footage can be time-consuming but it pays off in the end because editing takes less time when all clips are neat and organized in folders according to their use (dialogue scenes vs background scenes). If there are multiple people speaking on camera as well as extras around them talking or making noise during filming – then make sure they’re separated into two separate folders so that only dialogue selections show up when editing later on! If there are certain parts of each scene where there is no talking but just background noise such as washing machines whirring away – make sure these sections aren't included within any dialogue selections either! 

 

 

Conclusion 

I hope you've enjoyed our blog post today and have learned some top tips for improving your video editing skills. If you'd like to read more about this topic then head over to our website where we have lots of other articles written by industry experts who will help you with all sorts of different aspects of your business.