Video Editing Info

Video editing can be linear, non-linear, and vision mixing. Most of today’s videographers use the non-linear system wherein they use software and computers; linear uses videotape while vision mixing is more on live video signals.

Video editing is similar to film editing. Their goals are the same. Segments of video are modified or re-arranged to form a final video. Unwanted footages are isolated from the desired ones. After editing, the desired footages are arranged to create a new and more interesting video.

Videographers used to spend a great deal of time and money in editing videos or movies. Quality degradation was also one of their biggest problems. Every time the video is copied, its quality is diminished. Videotapes were cut with razor blades, guillotine cutters, used with ferrofluid, and spliced with tape. However, with the many improvements in technology, existing tapes were inserted cleanly into a new tape (preserving its quality at the same time). In linear editing, when one scene is lengthened, later scenes are added again. Simultaneous play back of multiple sources can be done through the use of vision mixers.

Most of today’s videographers opt for non-linear editing because it is much faster and easier. Before the use of computers, transitional analog used laser disc players or VCRs. Video recordings were captured on the hard drive. Captured footage is manipulated by editing software programs like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Studio, Xpress Pro, and Media Composer (Avid) after the contents are ingested in proper codec.

In today’s times, it’s much easier to capture footages in high definition and you can readily edit the video clips using any software. You will simply arrange the clips on the timeline and add titles or music tracks. You can also create effects to finish the video. After the video is edited, you can now burn in on DVD and CD ROM or you can also do web streaming and distribute it in videotape, iPod, and QuickTime movies.

With the increasing popularity of non-linear video editing, more software programs have emerged in the market like Final Cut Express, Express DV (AVID), Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio, Sony Vegas, Cyberlink Power Director, VideoStudio (ULead), Easy Media Creator by Roxio, Magix (Edit Pro and Pro X), and Muvee. If you don’t want to spend on these expensive programs, you can settle with free software programs like Windows Movie Maker and IMovie. You can also surf the internet and find other free programs that you can use together with the installed software in your computer.

It’s up to you whether you will do linear or non-linear editing. For starters, you can settle with non-linear editing because it is easy to learn. Even inexperienced videographers will find it easy to work on the various software programs available today. You can practice using WMM or IMovie (for Apple) because these programs are the simplest. You can create your own videos or movies at home as long as you have a computer.

Video editing is not just for the pros. Why don’t you try it now? If you have a camcorder, you can capture the special events in your life and edit it using the appropriate software. Video editing has gone a long way and people today are luckier because they don’t need to spend huge money and waste many hours in editing a short video.