The best video editing platforms, tips, and tricks for beginners.

1. VIDEO EDITING
BASIC PRINCIPLES

2. Choose your
Platform
• Deciding which platform to use can be stressful,
especially if you have never worked in video editing
before
• There are three main programs to use for beginners
and one for more advances users
– OnlineVideo Platform
– IMovie
– Windows Movie Maker
– Adobe Premiere Pro

3. WeVideo • Difficulty Level: Beginner
• This is a (sort of) free online platform
• Users are able to easily insert images and clips (or use WeVideo’s)
and drag and drop them to their specified spots
• You can also insert music and transitions to effectively relay your
subject to the audience
• Only allows 5 minutes of video time with the free version
• https://www.wevideo.com/academy
• This link has a lot of really great video tutorials to improve your user
ability within the WeVideo platform

4. Bietable • Difficulty Level: Beginner
• Free online platform
• Allows you to choose from their animations, videos,
and images. Or you can upload your own.
• You can add text and choose your own color styles and
themes
• Upload your music or use theirs.
• Extremely user friendly for beginners
• Can be slow
• https://biteable.com

5. Kizoa • Difficulty Level: Beginner-Advanced
• Free online platform
– Students receive free premium account with their .edu email
account
• Offers more than just video editing
– Collage Maker
– Ordering Prints
• Offers photos, transitions, effects, text, animations, and
music.
• You can Use a template or start from scratch
• A lot of editing options
• https://pf.kizoa.com/i-
Contact/hmenuc2.jsp?rmode=40&phpsession=&lang=en-
us&country=US&param=register&domain=www.kizoa.co
m

6. IMovie • Difficulty Level: Advanced
• Many students are often familiar with either Imovie or Windows
Movie Maker (no longer available) through video projects done
throughout their middle and high school careers
• These platforms should already be available for free on your laptop
device depending on whether you are working on a Mac or Windows
system
• Very similar toWeVideo but will allow you to have more control in
video editing and you wont have to deal with slow internet
connections
• IMovieTutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbzDXk4vKk

7. Adobe
Premiere
• Difficulty Level: Professional
• This is the most complex platform as well as the most professional
• This platform will allow you to freely edit and manipulate videos in
the most creative way possible
• If you are familiar with IMovie or Windows Movie Maker and want to
challenge yourself, this may be your best platform
• This is an expensive program that must be purchased through
Adobe.

8. PRE-EDITING
TIPS
• Brainstorm
– Pick a topic or focus
– Develop that visual in your head “image” or “scene”
– In order to create a strong digital narrative your images need to really tell the
story
– Just as you would create a flow of video clips, you need to have a good flow of
imagery
• Create a Storyboard
– Develop a script
– Create a frame by frame visual guideline
– Will help keep you on track and hold that specific vision
• Understand your Output
– What social media platform will you post the video?
– Helps to determine the length and style of video
• Don’t shoot to edit
– Cutting takes up a whole lot of editing time and is a huge headache
– When filming keep that in mind
– When using images, find images that really compliment each other through
contrast and parallelism

9. Contrast • Different from the design principle of “contrast”
• Refers to the cut between two different scenes that are
complete opposites
• Images
– Image viewing you as a child transitions to an image of you as an adult
• Videos
– Going from a video of a man driving a car to a video shot of a
man taking public transportation
• Contrast also can be achieved through image to video
transitioning

10. Parallelism • Connecting two seemingly unrelated scenes by cutting
between them and focusing on parallel features.
– Goal is to create an association between the two shots or
images in the viewers mind
• Example inVideo
– Video cuts from a someone dialing a telephone in NewYork
to a shot of another answering the phone in India.
• Example in Images
– Image of you cooking transitions to image of you presenting
the final food.

11. Simultaneity • Cutting between two events occurring at the same
time
• Example inVideo
– A cut of a kid running late for school to a cut of the teacher
impatiently waiting
• Example in Image
– An image shot of a baseball player getting ready to bat
transitions to a team anticipating a good hit

12. Transitions DONT’S

13. Transitions DONT’S
• Use wild transitions

14. Transitions DONT’S
• Use wild transitions
– Curtains

15. Transitions DONT’S
• Use wild transitions
– Curtains
– Fracture

16. Transitions DONT’S
• Use wild transitions
– Curtains
– Fracture
– Checkerboard

17. Transitions DONT’S
Unless there is REASON
– It’s distracting
• Use multiple transitions
– Looks messy and unprofessional

18. Transitions DO’S
• Use simple transitions

19. Transitions DO’S
• Use simple transitions
– Crossfade and Dip to Black
– Looks professional

20. Transitions DO’S
• Use simple transitions
– Crossfade and Dip to Black
– Looks professional
• Use one transition
– Creates a sleek and unified video

21. Music • Music pulls the viewer in and allows them to feel the
emotion the video is trying to convey.
• Use Instrumental music
– Music with words is often distracting, especially when
including text or voiceovers.
• Match the music to the vibe of your video
– How-ToVideo
– Positive and Up-beat
– Serious and Professional

22. Using Text
Appropriately
• Do not use paragraphs or sentences in your
video.
• The brain processes visuals 60,000 times
faster than it does text.
• Our brains are wired to take in this visual
content faster and more effectively than we
are words.
• Ninety percent of the information sent to our
brains is visual, being trained to consume the
visual content as quickly as possible

23. Using Text
Appropriately
KEEP IT
SIMPLE

24. Using Text
Appropriately NARROW
DOWN TO
PHRASES

25. Using Text
Appropriately UTILIZE
NATURAL
PAUSE

26. Smartphone
Video
Editing
Apps
• Adobe Premiere Clip
• I-Movie
• Magisto
• Viddy
• Movie Maker Filmmaker
• Funimate

27. Helpful
Links
• FREE HD STOCK AND B-ROLL FOOTAGE
– https://www.videezy.com
– http://www.videvo.net
– https://videos.pexels.com
• FREE HD IMAGES AND STOCK PHOTOS
– https://www.pexels.com
– https://pixabay.com
– http://www.freeimages.com
• WHERETO GET MUSIC
– http://freemusicarchive.org
– https://www.audioblocks.com
– http://www.bensound.com

28. More
Helpful
Links
• Using Adobe Premiere Clips
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjaPGhcdcF8
• ShootingVideo onYour Smartphone
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mplsuup0R74

29. Having
Trouble?
• LibraryTechnology Mentors
• Shiloe Rich (HeadTech Mentor)
– Monday andWednesdays: 1PM-3PM
– Tuesdays andThursdays: 12PM-3PM
– Fridays available by Appointment
• StandardTech Mentor Hours
– Monday–Friday: 1PM-4PM
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– Monday andWednesday: 7PM-10PM