Video editing is one of the most sought-after skills in our world today. By developing your video editing skills, you can position yourself as a valuable asset and a qualified candidate. The interesting thing about this skill is that it gives you the pleasure of bringing your imagination to reality. In other words, you get to be the creator of something fascinating. If you have an interest in becoming a video editor, reading this piece is undoubtedly the first step to becoming a professional. You’ll learn its importance and benefits, in addition to the best video editing apps that are good beginners, which includes you, of course.
I’d pay attention and patiently read through every paragraph if I were you.
What’s Video Editing Skills About?
Video editing is one skill that enables you to arrange and alter video shots to create a cohesive structure. Just like I mentioned earlier, it allows you to bring your imagination to reality, thereby becoming your own creator and probably feeling the way God felt after he created the earth, looked at it, and called it “beautiful.” Yeah, that’s right. I feel that way after every creation
As a video editor, you are a potential candidate for industries such as cable, news broadcasting, film, and television that produce a wide range of works. To edit videos and have them look beautiful, you must possess certain technical and soft skills. Furthermore, regardless of the industry or role, there are core skills encompassed in your ability to effectively edit videos, and they include:
Self-motivation
Attention to detail
Problem-solving skills
Key Points
1. Video editing skills give you the pleasure of being your own creator
2. By developing your video editing skills, you pass as a potential candidate for the filmmaking industry and other related industries.
3. To expertly edit videos, you need the three core skills, which are self-motivation, attention to detail and problem-solving skills
4. Don’t be an analog in a digital world.
5. Having a skill in video editing allows you to participate in the great artistic legacy of the film and television industries, where editing is recognized as an artistic award category.
How I Started My Journey to Becoming a Professional Video Editor
So, a few months ago, I didn’t know a hack about video editing or anything around it, but I know about its existence. Anyway, I was fine with that until the day I heard two friends arguing, and one said to the other, Why have you chosen to remain an analog in a digital world?
Perhaps their argument was about something different, but I couldn’t help but ask myself the same question every single day. So one day, while searching for a digital skill to learn on YouTube, I came across an 8-minute video titled “Zero to Pro in 30 Days.” That was how my journey to becoming a professional video editor started.
Obviously, I had to take further steps toward learning this amazing skill after this video, but it pointed me in the right direction and gave me the motivation I needed. To put it another way, this video was my stepping stone.
Benefits of Video Editing Skills
Remember, I urged you to patiently read through every paragraph without skipping to quickly get to the section that satisfies your search intent, which is the part where I listed the 5 best video editing apps that are good for beginners. Well, I still maintain that you read patiently through every line.
Just in case you’ve been skipping, just know that you lack one of the three core skills, which is attention to detail. Having said that, let me now enlighten you on the importance and benefits of possessing video editing skills. The following points are the reasons:
Why you should learn video editing:
The ability to edit videos is highly valued in every sector of the economy that either creates videos or uses them as a means of communication and persuasion. In addition to the television and film industries, individuals with video editing skills are frequently employed in the following:
- Government agencies and political campaigns
- Internet content creation companies
- Traditional and digital advertising agencies, and other large corporations.
Apart from getting employed in any of the above industries, you might be interested in the world of digital content creation, like me. People who own small businesses or startups are compelled to use digital video advertising to spread their brand to the rest of the world. Of course, they will want to be able to produce video content of professional quality to differentiate themselves from the other similar groups of professionals in their field. That’s where it benefits you and me.
Furthermore, having skills in video editing is a great way to ensure that the video content you put out there, whether an online stream, a YouTube tutorial, or a digital marketing campaign, looks professional and compelling.
Lastly, by intercutting, combining, and juxtaposing pieces of a film file, you can convey more intricate and sophisticated stories by mastering the skill of editing. For this reason, having a skill in video editing allows you to participate in the great artistic legacy of the film and television industries, where editing is recognized as an artistic award category.
Read Also: Digital Marketing Campaign: Examples & Templates to Scale Any Business
Best Video Editing Apps For Beginners
It has been an amazing experience so far throughout my video editing journey. I have learned quite a lot, and I’m still learning, but the major credit goes to the first five video editing apps that I have used so far to get through this exciting period.
Some are quite handy, while others are more. On the other hand, some didn’t quite give me what I was looking for. Don’t worry, they are not among these five I’m about to introduce you to.
NB: Once you’ve perfected this beginner’s stage, you can go ahead and upload and advertise your credibility on fiverr.com
The following are the top 5 video editing apps that worked for me as a beginner:
#1. Blender
Blender is a free 3D modeling and animation software. It is power-packed and flexible, and it does 3D modeling, rigging, animation, composting, and VFX. And the best part—it has an inbuilt game engine. I did tell you that it was power-packed. Honestly, I still can’t believe it’s a free app.
System requirements:
- Blender runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
- A minimum of 8GB of memory is recommended; however, 32GB or more is recommended.
- You also need a 64-bit quad-core CPU with SSE2 support for the processor.
- A graphics card with at least 2GB RAM; 8GB is recommended
I included Blender as a video editing app because it is a 3D art and animation app. This means that the video editing aspect of it is more of an added advantage. Regardless, you can get by with this app as a beginner since it can perform every basic video editing operation, such as cutting and joining videos, and a little bit of color correction. It’s quite low on the side of transitions, but a simple fade shouldn’t be a problem.
#2. Inshot
I remember a friend recommending this app to me. You see, more than watching videos online and reading articles on video editing, I’d suggest you also get involved with professionals in the video editing field. Inshot is an Android video editing app, but it works on iOS too. When I got my hands on this app, it became a game changer because I got to do video editing quicker and easier.
System requirement:
- Operating System: Windows XP/7/8 /8.1/10
- Processor: Intel, Nvidia, or AMD CPU Processor
- Ram minimum: at least 2 GB of RAM.
- Hard drive storage: 5 GB of free disk space.
- Windows, DirectX 11
I used more of the Inshot mobile app. I like that I was able to do my edits on the fly; it was quite convenient. The app comes with:
- Custom text and stickers
- Background songs and effects
- There are lots of transitions
- Video effect
- Animations and many other cool functions
I’d highly recommend Inshot for beginner content creators, as it lets you fix up a good video or piece of content to post on your social media platforms. Inshot is indeed a great app for aspiring video editors.
#3. Adobe Premier Pro:
This is one of the most popular video editing apps out there now. It is well-equipped for both personal and commercial use.
System requirement:
For macOS
- An Intel 7thGen or newer CPU or an Apple Silicon M1 or newer
- macOS v10.15 (Catalina) or later
- 16 GB of RAM for HD media and 32 GB of RAM for 4K media
- 16 GB of unified memory on Apple Silicon GPUs, 4 GB of GPU for HD workflows on Intel GPUs, and 6 GB of unified memory for 4K and higher resolution workflows
- A fast SSD for storage, app installation, and cache
- 1920 x 1080 monitor resolution or higher (Display HDR 400 for HDR workflows)
- Internet connection
Windows requirement
For Windows, the specifications are a little bit broader. The minimum specifications for Windows devices are:
- An Intel 6th Gen or newer CPU, or an AMD Ryzen 1000 series or newer CPU.
- Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1909 or later
- 8 GB of Ram
- 2 GB of GPU memory
- 8 GB of hard disk space for installation
- 1920 x 1080 display
- An ASIO-compatible sound card
- Internet connection
Adobe Premiere Pro does come with a monthly fee of $22. It does all the work efficiently, but I didn’t enjoy working with this software. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying it is bad. I mean, it made the list, didn’t it? It’s just a matter of preference, or perhaps $22.
#4. Capcut
Capcut seems to be gaining a lot of recognition lately. It’s a mobile video editing app that also has a PC version. I’m sure you must have seen some of the videos that were edited with this app. From my experience, I’d say that Capcut is a bigger, better, and stronger version of Inshot. The interface, features, components, and effects are top-notch.
This video editing app is good for beginners and can also be used for professional or commercial videos.
System requirement
- Operating system: windows 7/8.1/10/11
- Storage: 10 GB available storage
- GPU: 2GB VRAM
- Ram: 4GB minimum
- Display resolution: 1280×800
#5. Davinci Resolve
Always save the best for last, right? That’s exactly what I did here. In my opinion, this is among the best video editing apps out there for both beginners and pros. In fact, it is my personal preference. It comes with various powerful sections to handle every part of your video editing from pre-production to post-production, such as your farlight for audio correction.
The Davinci Resolve app has one of the most sophisticated color grading panels I have ever seen, and then the fusion panel is absolutely mind-blowing. It is going to take a little while to get the hang of this software, but I can assure you that it is worth it. And guess what? It’s free for the most part, at least. You get to pay a one-time fee of $295 to get access to the juicy parts but trust me, you most definitely have all you need in the free version.
System requirement
For macOS
- MacOS 11 Big Sur or a more recent version
- 8GB of system memory (increase to 16 GB for demanding graphic tasks)
- M1 Apple Silicon CPU (or an Intel Core i7 for older Macs)
- Integrated GPU or discrete GPU with a minimum of 2GB VRAM, compatible with Metal or Open CL 1.2
- A high-speed solid-state drive (SSD)
If you’re utilizing Windows devices, it’s advised to use:
- Windows 10 or a more recent version.
- 16GB of system memory (elevate to 32 GB for demanding graphic tasks)
- Intel Corei7 or AMD Ryzen 7 CPU
- Integrated or discrete GPU with a minimum of 2GB VRAM, supporting Open CL 1.2 or CUDA 11, along with the latest driver for Blackmagic Design Desktop Video (version 10.4.1 or later)
- A high-speed solid-state drive (SSD)
There you have it—the five video editing apps that got me started. I have been nothing short of honest with you on this piece. To further establish trust between us, the file below explains more about what to look out for in any of the video editing apps you want to choose.
Checklist for Choosing the Best App for Video Editing
How I Became a Professional Video Editor
My aim for writing this article is to bring you from where you are now to where I am going in the video editing field. There are other ways that you could achieve this but since I’ve been through this journey, I’ll show you the five steps to becoming a professional. It worked for me.
Which editing app is better than CapCut?
First and foremost, CapCut is a robust video editing tool for Android and iOS that works on both phones and tablets. It’s simple to use, with a slew of great tools available for free. It’s no wonder that it’s gone viral on TikTok and in the short-form video realm. However, many alternative video editing tools outperform CapCut.
It’s genuinely based on my experience, so I think VivaCut is one of them. VivaCut is a video editing tool compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones as well. It includes several tools for editing videos right from your mobile device, making it simple and convenient.
Which is the most user-friendly video editor app?
When it comes to simple and easy, OpenShot does it. This editing app is exceptionally simple yet powerful! It is simple to use, quick to learn, and an incredibly capable video editor. You might want to try it out as a beginner, though.
Can I learn video editing from my phone?
Of course, one of the most appealing aspects of video editing software today is the ability to work directly from your phone.
What should you avoid in video editing?
When it comes to video editing, there are a few mistakes you should avoid as a beginner. Such mistakes include using copyrighted music, poor sound quality, shaky camerawork, and unbalanced audio. If you can avoid these common pitfalls, your video will have better quality.
What are the processes involved in video editing?
Video editing usually consists of several stages, which are:
- Reviewing footage.
- Cutting and pacing,
- Balancing audio, correcting color, and previewing the final version. However, you’re allowed to create a personal editing process. The more courses you take, the more experience you gather, and the more you can customize your editing workflow.
Conclusion
Getting to the point where you become a professional video editor might be a time-consuming process. That being said, steady practice is the most important thing you can be doing if you are just starting. Capturing some footage to use for experimentation is a fantastic method for accomplishing this goal. The purpose of this could be to create a video or to serve as a learning experience.
Furthermore, it is important to make sure that your practice footage is shot from a variety of perspectives, both indoors and outdoors, and should also include more than one person in certain instances. In post-production, you will have a lot of options to choose from, thanks to this. After you have gained a basic understanding of the enlisted app features, you will be able to demonstrate your creative side through the editing process.
