The document is a DIY guide to online video editing, emphasizing that while professional production yields higher quality, individuals can create their own videos using basic software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. It outlines key steps in the editing process, including importing footage, reviewing and selecting key clips, structuring the video, adding transitions and text, and choosing the appropriate format for online upload. The document also promotes the services of Picture Book Films, which offers professional video production for various clients.

1. HOWTOEDITYOUR
OWNONLINE VIDEO

2. First of all - we should point out that
you're not going to get the high quality
video results that you would get with a
professional video production team.
So if you're looking for a video to go on
your company homepage then please
seek professional assistance!
If, however, you need regular up to date
video content for your YouTube chan-
nel or blog, then a trip down to the
video production studio may not be
feasible.
I’m James Johnson of Picture Book
Films and this is my DIY guide to online
video editing.
1
DIYVIDEOPRODUCTION(PART2)-EDITING

3. Professional high end computers and
editing software are extremely expen-
sive and we wouldn't suggest that you
go out and spend thousands on a new
computer and months (or even years)
learning how to edit on them...
Depending on what computer you al-
ready have there will be a basic soft-
ware package suitable for you and your
current set up.
Apple Macs ship with iMovie - which is
a very basic version of Final Cut Pro
(what the pro's use) and allows you to
edit your video on a timeline and do
some cool stuff.
PC users can choose Window's Movie
Maker which has been updated over
the years and is now a much improved
version of its old self.
2
EDITINGSOFTWARE

4. Once you've finished filming, the first
step is to import the footage onto your
computer.
To do this you'll need a card reader
which accepts the memory cards in
your camera - generally SD nowadays
but also Compact Flash or even record-
able DVDs on older models.
Once transferred, we strongly recom-
mend backing up your footage onto a
separate device.
.
3
TRANSFERANDBACKUP

5. You then need to watch all the footage
through your editing software. Make a
note of key sections and important
takes and at what point they appear in
the footage using the time-code.
When the footage is shot the camera
burns a time-code into the footage
which the editing software can read
and display.
4
REVIEW THEFOOTAGE

6. Decide what the most important points
of what you've said are and lose the
rest!
Your video production wants to be
three minutes maximum - any longer
and you'll lose your audience. And if
you have lots of good footage then
make 2 or 3 short videos rather than
one long one.
There are plenty of tutorial videos on
YouTube that cover the basic tutorials
for iMovie and for Movie Maker so we'll
not go into the software specific in-
structions now. But, essentially what
you'll need to do at this stage is drop
the key footage that you want to in-
clude onto the timeline.
By laying down your footage side by
side you can play through it and see if it
all works together.
Does it make sense? Does it fit to-
gether? Is there a call to action at the
end and/or some contact details?
5
YOURVIDEOTIMELINE

7. Once you're happy with the structure
and flow of the video then you can use
transitions to ease the transition be-
tween the different clips on your time-
line.
Another way to do this and to add some
more interest to your video is to add
still images. These could cover your
subject matter - your product, your
team at work or a location relevant to
the subject.
By placing them over the link between
clips you avoid the footage jumping and
increase the overall production value.
You probably want to add titles or text
to your video too. This can be a name
tag (called an aston) to identify yourself.
Or some introductory text to explain to
the viewer what they are about to
watch, or, most importantly of all - your
contact details.
6
TRANSITIONS,IMAGESANDTEXT

8. By now you will have a short video
ready to upload to your website. It
should be coherent, tell a clear story ,
be under three minutes with a clear call
to action at the end.
Prior to uploading your video you'll
need to choose a format and size that
will play easily and still look good.
For online video, we recommend a res-
olution size of 1280 by 720.
This isn't full resolution of 1920 by
1080 but is still considered High Defini-
tion (HD ) and looks great online.
You also want the video to be what's
called "progressive" rather than "inter-
laced".
This is all about how the video plays
and the way the picture scans. Progres-
sive footage will be labelled with a 'p' at
the end - e.g. 720p.
If possible we'd also recommend encod-
ing the video as H.264 codec which
works best on YouTube, Vimeo and
most websites.
7
FORMATANDSIZE

9. Picture Book Films are a highly exper-
inced team that are all passionate
about Video Production. We create en-
gaging and beautiful video content
beause it’s what we love to do.
We create videos for business, online
and corporate use, as well as full-blown
TV adverts.
We have over 25 years experience as
senior producers and directors for the
BBC, Channel 4 and the Discovery
Channel. Our hard-won knowledge and
efficient can-do approach means we al-
ways deliver stunning films - at a price
that won’t break the bank.
We have offices in London and Brighton
and work with a wide range of clients
npth across the UK and overseas.
If you have a project that you would like
to discuss or would like an obligation
free quotation please get in touch.
VIDEOPRODUCTIONLONDON/BRIGHTON
Tel: 0207 099 4947 (London) | 01273 921 290 (Brighton) | Email: info@picturebookfilms.co.uk
www.picturebookfilms.co.uk