Video editing for beginners: Cutting, codec and export

In short: In video editing clips are trimmed, arranged on a timeline and provided with sound, titles and transitions; at the end you export to a suitable format.

In more detail: Good videos arise in the edit. Programs are called NLE (non-linear editor): the original stays unchanged, the edit is a list of instructions.

In Depth

Programs

Free: DaVinci Resolve (very powerful), Shotcut, Kdenlive, OpenShot, CapCut (mobile/desktop), iMovie (Apple). Paid: Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Filmora. On the phone: CapCut, InShot, LumaFusion. To start Resolve or Shotcut suffice.

Workflow

1. Review and organise material (folders: video, audio, graphics, music).
2. Create the project with resolution and frame rate (for example 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps).
3. Rough cut: clips onto the timeline, trim start/end, remove the unnecessary.
4. Fine cut: rhythm, transitions sparingly, B-roll (cutaways), J/L cuts (sound runs before/after the picture).
5. Sound: speech clear and louder than music, remove noise, equalise levels (about −14 to −16 LUFS for web).
6. Titles, subtitles, colour correction (exposure, white balance).
7. Export.

Codec, format, export

For publication usually MP4 (H.264 + AAC): widest compatibility. Settings: resolution as project, bitrate (1080p: 8 to 12 Mbit/s, 4K: 35 to 45 Mbit/s) or CRF 18 to 23, frame rate unchanged. Intermediate formats for editing (ProRes, DNxHR) are larger but edit-friendly. Proxies (reduced copies) make editing large videos smooth.

Design and rights

Less is more: clear story (opening, main part, end), short shots, fitting sound. Music and third-party clips only with a licence (YouTube Audio Library, free libraries such as Pixabay, Incompetech: check the licence). People in the picture may need consent (right to one’s own image). Accessibility: subtitles, sufficient contrast, no flicker effects. Back up project and media.

See also: Video codecs, Audio formats, Right to one’s own image