Editing Video

Put all your clips in one folder. Watch them once and mark your favorites. Editors call the good stuff 'selects'. Doing this first saves you tons of time.

Drag your clips onto the timeline in story order: beginning, middle, end. Don't worry about making it pretty yet. This messy first version is the rough cut, and every real movie starts with one.

Cut off the dead air at the start and end of each clip — the part where someone says 'uh, okay, ready?'. A good rule: cut into the action a little late and get out a little early. Your video will feel snappy instead of sleepy.

Cuts feel invisible when something is moving or when the beat of the music hits. Cutting in a still, quiet moment makes people notice the cut, which pulls them out of the story. Use fancy transitions almost never — a plain cut is what pros use 95% of the time.

Try it at home: Edit a 20-second video where every cut lands on a music beat. It feels way more professional instantly.

B-roll is the extra footage of hands, scenery, and details. Lay it over your main clip to hide an awkward jump cut or to show what someone is talking about. Always film way more B-roll than you think you need.

People forgive shaky video but never bad audio. Make voices clear and loud, keep music underneath so it doesn't fight the talking, and add small real-world sounds like footsteps or a door. Then color grade at the very end so all clips match.