Learn How to Edit and Create Cool Videos and Graphics for Personal and Professional Use

So, do you want to learn video editing for fun or for a potential career down the road? Great!

With so many digital tools and new ways to learn available, there’s never been a better time to jump into the world of video editing.

Keep reading to find out what some of the best tips for beginning video editors are.

7 Tips on Learning How To Edit Videos for Beginners

1. Use the right video editing software

If you want to learn how to edit and create cool videos and graphics the right way, you have to start by using the right video editing software. There are several good options for beginners, including Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Premiere Pro.

All of the above video editing programs are full of handy post-production editing tools, including the ability to add graphics, such as titles, transitions, filters, and more.

Even top professionals in the video editing industry rely on these programs for their post-production needs, so choosing one of these programs to start learning video editing basics is a great way to get started with video editing as a hobby or a professional pursuit.

2. Use a good computer

Whether you edit videos on a Mac or a PC is totally a matter of personal preference. However, you’ll want to make sure that your computer has strong enough performance specs for learning how to video edit.

The first thing you should ensure is that the computer you use has an SSD hard drive. These are much faster and more reliable than traditional disk hard drives.

Secondly, make sure your computer has at least 4GB of ram. If you’re getting into video editing for professional purposes, you should use a computer with at least 8GB of ram.

All of these specs will ensure fast rendering while you’re working on videos and graphics.

3. Watch lots of video editing tutorials

Unless you’re signed up for a video editing course, you’re probably going to be teaching yourself a lot. You can learn lots from built-in tutorials and guides in the video editing software you use, but there are tons of great tutorials for free online, too.

No matter what process you want to do in your video editing program, there’s sure to be a plethora of videos about how to do it on YouTube.

So, start looking up videos about anything and everything that crosses your mind when it comes to learning how to edit and create cool videos and graphics!

4. Learn keyboard shortcuts for your video editing software

Keyboard shortcuts are a huge timesaver when it comes to video editing, and they’re something that many newbies don’t take the time to learn right off the bat.

If you want to kickstart your learning process, look up a cheat sheet of all the keyboard shortcuts for the program you’re learning how to edit in and start memorizing.

You can even print it out and stick it up somewhere in your workstation for extra quick reference.

5. Practice telling a story with your edits

The whole time you’re learning how to do post-production edits, remember that it’s your job to put video clips together in such a way that tells the audience a story.

Play around with different ways to cut footage, arrange scenes, and add graphics to tell the story you want viewers to experience.

If you’re just getting into video editing for personal use, you have complete freedom over the edits you make. But, even in some professional settings, directors and video makers will give the editors certain creative liberties, so it’s good to practice telling a story on your own.

6. Keep your digital workspace organized

If you want to be able to edit videos quickly, you need to keep everything on your computer well organized.

This means clearly labeling files and folders and organizing them in an intuitive way that lets you find what you’re looking for quickly.

When you’re editing videos, especially when you’re just beginning, you don’t want to waste time that could be spent learning/perfecting your trade trying to track down a piece of footage or a certain graphic you made the other day.

7. Learn important jargon

Just like any industry, the video/graphic editing world is full of its own unique jargon, or special terms, that you’ll need to know, especially if you want to work in post-production editing down the road.

For example, you probably already know what a montage is, but do you know what a jump cut is? What about cutting on the action?

Lookup a video or an article about different video editing lingo that you need to know and commit it all to memory. It will surely come in handy in the future!

Final Words

Learning how to edit and create awesome videos and graphics can provide you with a rewarding hobby or career.

Whether you aspire to create a YouTube channel with thousands of followers for your videos, or you want to work in film/television, follow the tips in this article as you start learning the skills you need.