A Few Good Tools for Video Editing

This blog post, written by  Kyle Henri Andrei for Idealware, looks at a number of cheap or free options that can be used for editing video content and preparing it for public consumption as part of outreach and engagement strategies. The blog provides a clear overview of specific software under the following categories: Free tools; beginner tools; more advanced tools; and other high end solutions. 

Excerpt

"You’ll never shoot a perfect video from start-to-finish in one take. A phone might ring, the wind could pick up, the sun could cause glare, or a dog might start barking. Editing lets you cull the best parts from several takes and combine them into one—or, more simply, cut the bad parts out of a single take.

How much do you need to edit your footage? It depends on what type of video you’re making, or who your audience will be. A video to show your donors at a fundraising gala may require a professional touch, but a “guerilla” or documentary-style video—a quick and simple one designed for the Internet that forgoes high production values in favor of a spontaneous look and feel—doesn’t need to be polished and perfect . You might just add some titles or credits and trim out unnecessary bits, like when your talent forgot a line or stuttered while speaking.

It is possible to over-edit your video. All of the software options we discuss come with special effects that can enhance your video. Don’t overuse them—a little goes a long way. Some effects look cheap and gimmicky and will distract the audience from your message, while others—like “dissolves,” which let you transition between clips, and fades-to-black—can be used safely with some regularity."

Sources

Kyle Henri Andrei (2012). A Few Good Tools for Video Editing, Idealware. Retrieved from: http://www.idealware.org/articles/few-good-tools-video-editing