Learning a new skill is always challenging
People online make it look so easy!
Learning video editing is not a hard process, but it does take 6 important parts: equipment, software, a goal, a brand, practice, and patience. None of these are difficult to get, but it does require some time and money.
You can get equipment, like a computer, that is cheaper and does the basics…
But I would take that approach with caution
My husband and I made a lot of choices to save a few dollars and ended up growing out of our things fast
We made a decision that we would only buy things that we will still be happily using in 1 or 2 years
This stopped the problem of getting something good enough for a beginner, but outgrowing it in a month or two
You can choose whatever is right for you, just keep in mind that you won’t be a beginner for long
If you practice like you need to, you will need something strong enough to take care of your needs later
Or you can replace your set up as you go
This goes for everything
- Computers
- Mice
- Keyboards
- Mousepads
- Editing software
Only things that are super easy to update as needed are your internet and external memory
But even then, it is easier to buy one big external memory now and not worry about maxing it out in three months
There is no right answer here
You just need to decide what is right for your current and future situation
Buy a setup that can handle video editing
The first thing you need ot think about is your setup and tools
You can have an amazing editing software, but it would be useless if you cannot run it
There are four equipment categories to think about:
- Computers
- Internet
- Memory
- Extra tools like a mouse or keyboard
Once you have this part of the foundation in place, then it is time to look at the software you can use!
Computer
The first thing you need is a computer strong enough to run the editing software
If you are a PC streamer, this shouldn’t be a problem
There is a lot of opinion around what computers are best, but you should look for at least:
- 16 GB of RAM
- Intel Core i5 (but i7 or i9 is way better)
- 6-8 GB of VRAM graphics card
- 24 Inch 144 Hertz monitor is recommended but not needed
Internet
If you are streaming, your internet should easily handle video editing software
But just to make sure, let’s look at some specs
For the most part, you’ll need at least 20 Mbps of download speed
On bad days, we get 16 Mbps and it works
But editing the video takes a really long time
25Mbps minimum is a safe bet to make sure your needs are met, but most high speed internet will have closer to 100 mbps download
External Memory
When you are downloading a lot of video, it may be a good idea to use an external memory
This keeps you from using all your computer’s memory and prevents the issues that come with that (like the computer slowing down)
I got a 1 TB external memory and it works perfect
We have barely used the available memory, it keeps everything safe, and it keeps our computers happy
Comfortable mouse and keyboard
If you are looking to edit streams, you probably already have a mouse and keyboard
But if you are not gaming with a computer, these will be needed to make the video editing smoother for you
Since we got our equipment to play games and stream, we got this mouse, this mousepad, and this keyboard
They work perfect and are very easy to use and adjust
The mouse and mousepa combination are great because you get the freedom of a wireless mouse with the automatic charging from the mousepad
Choose an editing software
Once you have your equipment, then it is time to choose a software
We like to use Filmora
It is a paid software, but we paid for the lifetime option and don’t regret it for a second
Filmora was very easy to learn and had all the options we needed for YouTube and TikTok
There are some very fun animations and layers that are easy to add as well
But there are many editing options to choose from!
If you want to know more about these options, check out this article
What are you editing videos for? What is the goal?
Once you have the foundation done, now it’s time for the fun part!
Why are you editing videos?
Many streamers will edit their videos to post on social media (like TikTok) and others will want to grow on YouTube as well
Making decisions on where you want the videos to go will help you learn about what you need to do
You don’t want to make 10 minute long horizontal videos if you plan to post on TikTok
It won’t work out well for you
But creating only shorts and wanting to grow on YouTube isn’t the best option either
Don’t start using your precious time on video editing unless you know why you are doing it
The reason should not be “because I should”
Priorities need to be created
For example, if you stream inconsistently because you struggle to find the time every week to be consistent…
It is not time to start video editing and growing a different platform
Get your stuff together on Twitch (or where every you want your main platform to be) first
Once you have that down, then you need to decide what comes next
What do you like to watch?
If you enjoy being on Tiktok and staying active there, TikTok might be a great choice for you
Personally, I think that growing on YouTube is a high priority
But that is very time consuming
Choose what works best for your interests and the time you have to spend
What do you have to offer (Humor, skill, information, etc.)?
Once you know where you want to show up, now it is time to figure out what you have to offer
You have to make a decision here, but it doesn’t have to be one thing
You could make informative videos that are funny
The point here it to find something and be consistent with it for a while
If you do something for a few months and are not growing, then you can try something else
People like to know what to expect
They get to know your brand
A brand is the consistent parts of your content
Brands include:
- Colors
- Pictures
- Logos
- Statements
- Props
- Activities
- Or anything that you can become known for
The point of a brand is to make you memorable
If someone saw your video without your name or face, they would be able to tell who it is
This creates a strong connection between you and your watchers
Video is very powerful
Our brains have not evolved to understand the difference between real life and video
So when you connect with your watchers on video, the same parts of their brain light up as when they are meeting with a friend
That’s why people feel like they know people on social media who probably don’t even know they exist
You get to know that person that you are watching as well as you would know a friend based on the information you get online
So be consistent
That is how you go from a good gamer that people watch sometimes to a gamer with raving fans that can’t wait for your next video
Some things that you can offer are:
- Tips and tricks
- Game updates
- Above average gameplay
- Humor
- Instructions on playing the game
- Movement, positioning, aim tutorials
- Walkthroughs for quests
- Character guides
A good way to get ideas is to pay attention to what you watch and what people as you
Both are great content ideas!
Remember that you don’t have to pick one, but try not to pick more than 5 and keep them consistent
Once you know what you want to offer your audience, then you can start looking for game clips that will match your content
Keep in mind that you can change the vibe of a video with sound, effects, and layering
Practice… A lot!
Congratulations!
You’ve made it far into learning to edit videos
But this is the step that losing most people
You have to practice… a lot
There is no other way to get good at something
Practice basic video editing by cutting out the parts of your stream that were not aligned with your brand
Then add more to your videos in layers
Layering is the part of video editing that can make your video crazy!
There could be basic layering…
Like adding text on top your video
You can add transitions to make one clip smoothly (or intensely) transition to another clip
You can add Broll, but that it getting more complicated
Broll is when you add pop culture clips to your videos to add to the story you are trying to tell
Think about a video when it stopped showing the main video to show a could seconds of a show or news scene
That is Broll
You can make your videos as simple or complex as you want
But everything depends on you being willing to start where you are at and practice to get better
It is a common issue that people (including myself!) run into
We expect to jump into something new and be good at it
Sometimes that happens, but that shouldn’t be the expectation because starting terrible at something is far more common
Test your videos on the platform you chose
Lastly, it is time to test out your work
This can be VERY hard, but don’t take it personally if something isn’t a hit right away
With TikTok, you never really know what is going to go viral
With YouTube, it’s more about the slow build
Keep editing at posting videos
Test out what time of day is best to post, look what all your success videos have in common, listen to your watchers (the helpful ones)
IGNORE THE HATERS
The bigger you get online, the more you will be attacked by haters and miserable people
Let those comments wash away and keep working towards your goal
This is a learning process
You can look at other streamers and get ideas
You can look at trends and give it a try
But at the end of the day, success is about trying new things and seeing how they do
There is no one size fits all in the online world
You have to be willing to fail in order to succeed
But don’t look at those videos as failures
Look at them as learning experience and learn everything you can from them
It is okay to take breaks when you need it
Everyone needs a break sometimes!
Just. Don’t. Quit.