Non-Linear Video Editing

Once you learn how video editing works, you will have a lot of fun in finalizing your video clips on the computer. Videotape editing these days is a lot cheaper as compared to editing many years ago. You can do it quickly by using the appropriate video editing program. However, the learning curve is a bit steep and many individuals give up because they are easily intimidated by the program. If you're determined to learn how video editing works, you can handle any tasks no matter how difficult it is.

What you need to do is learn the basics and after that, you can have a lot of fun in editing your videos. When you open any video editing program, you will see an interface with so many windows. In fact, among all computer programs, video editing is the most complex. You can easily get overwhelmed with the many windows that pop on the screen once you open the program.

If you've tried using WMM (Windows Movie Maker), then you already have an idea of what a universal interface looks like. Most programs follow the same on-screen layout. WMM is much easier to use than other complex programs because you will initially see four separate windows on the screen. Other windows can be opened one by one so you will not be confused in using them. Each of the windows has its own function and once you know the different functions, you can work with ease. You can also hide other windows while you're working. Almost all editing programs have 8-20 windows. These windows confuse new users especially if they hardly know anything about video editing.

When you open WMM or any other basic video editing program, you will see that the three windows are located on the top-half section and the bottom half contains a large window. These four windows are the timeline, task pane (on the upper left), collections (middle), and output (on the far right). The bottom window is the timeline or the turquoise section.

The timeline is one of the most important windows in the program. You can build your movie or video in this window and it will serve as its visual representation. A squiggly line or waveform representation can be seen on the screen as well as a running time on top. In the WMM timeline, one line is for the standard video, titles, and video transitions or effects; for audio, there are two lines. At the left side of the screen, you will see the labels and black lines separate them horizontally. Complex programs usually have additional lines for audio and video. If you want to create simple videos, WMM and other free software programs may be enough.

On the task pane, the different tasks are shown and included in the list is the 'edit movie'. Links are also found in the screen which leads to other functions and one of these links teaches you how to edit videos. You can hide/show this window on the menu at the top portion. The collections window contains all the media from your projects. You can watch the edited video/movie in the output window.

In videotape editing, you will be working on these four windows most of the time. You can learn how these four windows work and then learn more about the other windows.