Video Editing

There’s an interesting documentary in the works if you’re a video editor. With an obvious pun for the title, "Off the Tracks" interviews professional editors, trainers, and application developers to dig into why Apple made such a shift, when their existing app suite was already successful. I’ll provide some background, but also some editorial commentary below, as I feel like this documentary has potential to either be very interesting or completely pointless.

Video editing, much like photo editing, carries with it its own set of clichés and pitfalls. And while style is a very personal thing, these are five things you might want to avoid if you want to keep your videos looking professional. 

If you're just getting into video, one of the most important things you can tackle to improve both the look of your footage and the efficiency of your editing is LUTs. This helpful tutorial will get you off and running in very little time.

Summer is in full swing and that means there's plenty of blockbuster films to see over the next few months. One that my son and I are looking forward to is the next chapter in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise starring Jack Sparrow, aka Johnny Depp, along with returning original cast Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. This is the fifth installment of the franchise and it hopes to breathe a fresh take on the story that brings back key characters from the first couple films. In this video, you get a fantastic glimpse into what makes these movies what they are and it gives you a hint at how they do it.

While editing video, there are several effects you can add to the project to exaggerate, dramatize, or put focus on a specific portion. One popular method to do this is to slow down the footage. Many of the new cameras that are coming out today are able to shoot in higher FPS (frames per second), allowing this technique to be achieved effectively in camera. It might confuse some that shooting more frames per second equals slow motion video, but it's right. When you play the higher FPS clip at an average playable frame rate of 24 FPS, the time line for that clip is extended resulting in slow motion.

As consumer-level and professional drones become more and more capable, filmmakers are increasingly turning to them for the unique perspective they offer and as a way to augment existing work. Building on this, PolarPro has just released 12 new cinematic LUTs specifically for DJI's most popular models.

Modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras are capable of shooting razor sharp footage in spectacular 4k 60fps and up. But how do you give your footage a cinematic feel without purchasing pricey anamorphic lenses and professional cinema cameras? Fstoppers is here to help with five great hacks to achieving a cinematic feel to your video without spending a small fortune.

Some of my favorite video editing tricks and tools are quick and subtle edits that have a lot of impact on the final piece. This tutorial from videographer Casey McPerry is definitely one of those tools that I will be adding to my bag.

Most, if not all, have seen the picture profile settings in our cameras. These can include settings for Landscapes, Portraits, or even Cine-style formats for filmmakers looking to achieve that cinematic look. But what do these mean and how do they affect our final image?

Beautiful images are crucial to create an attractive video, but the soundtrack is just as important if not more. Put crappy sound over your breathtaking pictures, and people will probably not even watch more than a few seconds before stopping the film. When creating content for YouTube, finding good music or sound effects can be quite a challenge. But there are solutions, here are three of them to help you out and hopefully make your clips even better!

One of the worst gut wrenching feelings any content producer can face is opening up a memory card only to find that a file is corrupt or missing altogether. Recently we sold most of our Nikon gear and switched over to the new Panasonic GH5 cameras because of their better video features, superior image stabilization, and overall smaller size. Unfortunately we have found that unlike our Nikon cameras, the GH5 can corrupt files pretty easily if you are using their battery grip. In this video, I show you how these files can easily corrupt as well as a few software options you can use to recover any files corrupted during a loss of power. 

There was a time when smooth, stable footage was the stuff of Hollywood, while us lowly plebeians dabbled with our shaky VHS home movies. But now, I can order laundry detergent delivered to my door by pressing a button on my washing machine and those magical devices in our pockets shoot in 4K. Here are four great ways to get with the times and give your footage that smooth, cinematic look.

One thing to remember in life is that there is always someone cooler than you. Today, it's this guy. He decided his '96 Suzuki needed a little boost to be sold, and I don't think anyone could have done a better job. Even I want to buy that little car now.

DaVinci Resolve 14 looks very promising and more videos about it are popping up on YouTube every day. One feature that was left out in many demonstrations until now is the integration of FairLight for audio editing. With the new version of Resolve, it’s possible to edit sound within the software. No need for an additional costly plugin, or any round-trip of a sort. Let’s see how with Casey Faris.

This week I finally got around to editing some footage I shot at SXSW this past year in Austin, Texas. I imported all of my clips into Premiere and began the laborious process of sorting, organizing, and cutting in and out points for all of the clips I wanted to use. Then I laid down a music track to cut against and around this time is where all the fun ended.

There's a trend with our social networks these days. All the networks and apps call it "stories." It's on Facebook now, just like it is on Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger, and Snapchat. It's a way of showing others your day, or, documenting it with video and photos and making it a story. This media that has been added to our daily feeds of consumption is obviously difficult for people who haven't learnt to filter out information that they don't need. I follow over 400 people on Instagram, so if each one has a story for me to watch my day will be filled up watching stories which is a lot of time to spend on things that might not have a positive effect on our daily productivity or work.

I've always been a Windows desktop user, but until this point I've never built my own desktop from scratch. I finally decided to teach myself how to build the ultimate PC for video and photo editing and I'm bringing you along for the ride. 

If you're just getting into shooting and editing video, you're probably running into the veritable plethora of editing techniques and tricks that you need to have at the ready to produce content. Luckily, this great tutorial will get you off and running in Premiere Pro. 

In recent articles here on Fstoppers, you may have noticed the name DaVinci Resolve coming up on a regular basis. It’s a fantastic software for color grading video footage, and it’s evolving towards becoming a one-stop video editing solution. Some of the tools it offers are envied by photographers as they differ quite a bit from what’s available in Photoshop, Lightroom, or even Capture One. Many have been wondering if it’s possible to edit pictures with it and Ted Forbes from The Art of Photography has the answer for you: Yes. More than that, he shows you how to do it.

I saw the first minute of this video on Instagram and walked away from it thinking to myself, wow. The flying in this video was very good, the choice of lenses stood out, and it was filmed in some rather tough lighting conditions. I went back to the video on Instagram, found out who made it, and watched the full thing on Vimeo. While I was watching it again, I realized that this video was way different from what I had expected it to be. At first it began with straight forward camera movements along with flights through some tight spaces/buildings that would require a really good pilot. After a few clips of that, the movements began to get very unique and had me wondering what they were doing to achieve these looks.

I am a fan of good music. We all are. What I like even more is when a music video is directed to the music I like in a creative way that leaves me questioning how it was done, and how I can use the same tricks in my editing if at all possible.

Anyone that has dabbled in the world of color grading knows it's a complicated art and science that can require a certain level of dedication and obsession to really get that perfect look to your videos and work. In order to do that with as little strain on you and your psyche as possible, there are a few things that you can do that will definitely aid in your work, but none are as valuable as setting yourself up with a dedicated monitor for your grading work. While setting up a fully rigged coloring studio is not a trivial expense, thanks to Aram K, you can learn how to create your own setup on a budget and still get accurate results.

A few days ago Blackmagic Design announced DaVinci Resolve 14. The all-in-one video editing software was published in public beta version at the same time, and a few people have played with it to see what the differences are. Amongst them, Casey Faris recorded his experience and explained what’s going to change from the version 12.

Sometimes, whether it's for artistic reasons, historical accuracy, or the sheer novelty of it, you want to take your footage shot with your super-fancy, ultra-modern videographic apparatus and make it look like it was shot on a camera of yesteryear. This great video will show you how to do precisely that. 

As a photographer getting into video, it’s frustrating when you are not able to reproduce what you are used to with Photoshop. For example, the simple task of the replacing a sky in a frame can eat up a lot of time when you don’t know what you are doing. But thanks to DaVinci Resolve and Aram K, the process is actually much easier than you could imagine. It almost makes me wish Adobe would include similar tools in their apps.

DaVinci Resolve is well known for color editing in the video world. But Blackmagic's goal is to create a complete solution for NLE, color, and sound. While 12.5 was already very convincing, the newly announced DaVinci Resolve 14 is even more so. It is up to 10 times faster than the previous version and with new tools for audio, this new release could be what many have been waiting for.

Avid’s Media Composer is, despite all odds, the industry standard for video editing. So if it’s good enough for Star Wars, it’s good enough for you. Luckily, users will now be able to get a dumbed down version for free this year.

When getting into video, filming may not be the biggest issue. Post-production plays a significant role and can be quite overwhelming. There is tons of software out there, and it’s difficult to know which is best for what. Learning how to use these programs is even worse when you are a photographer. The interface looks totally different than what we are used to with Photoshop, Lightroom, or even Capture One. So it’s always nice there are people such as Casey Faris producing comprehensive videos to help us out in getting started. If, like me, you can’t seem to get a perfect grading with Premiere or Final Cut Pro, this crash course on DaVinci Resolve is exactly what you need!

Ahead of NAB 2017, Adobe has announced a ton of new features and updates to their video-oriented products, which include new graphics features, audio effects, interesting AI capabilities, and more.

Filmmakers will be pleased to hear that Canon will now be offering the option to upgrade the 5D Mark IV to include Canon Log starting in July. In addition, a new model will be available with the feature pre-installed beginning at the same time.

The internet is a vast and seemingly endless collection of information as we all know. If you need to learn something new, we can simply Google the question and with almost 100% certainty you will be able to find an accurate answer.

Being a master of keyboard shortcuts isn’t just a party trick to impress friends and clients, it’s a path to a faster and more efficient editing process which makes you more of an asset as a video editor. Whether you’re hoping to earn a Pro Certificate or just become faster in post, one way to get you there sooner is to invest in a dedicated keyboard.

Once you master global color corrections in Premiere Pro, the logical next step is moving on to correcting specific areas of the frame. This is complicated by the fact that the camera and/or subjects are rarely still, but this great tutorial will show you both how to correct an isolated area and to track it across the frame.

One of the basic skills of video post-production is color correction. While Adobe Premiere Pro is full of tools to help you both read and correct the color in your work, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to tackle them all at first. This great video will walk through the basics to get you off and running.

While working on putting together great video work, you will come across breaks in scenes where they need to come back together. In most cases, a transition effect is used to merge the scenes together instead of having one stop completely and the next one begin. A great transition can improve your video, but they can also be used incorrectly and ruin your film.

If you're just starting out in video work, getting a good grip on editing b-roll can do a ton to make your output more interesting and create a stronger narrative. Here's how to cut and edit it in along with your main footage. 

Removing ambient noise, like air conditioning, computer fans, or even modeling lights in Adobe Premiere is a breeze if you have access to Adobe Audition. It only takes mere seconds.

It’s common knowledge that to master a craft you have to practice it every day. As Twyla Tharp says in her classic book The Creative Habit, “I’ve learned that being creative is a full-time job with its own daily patterns… The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration, maybe more.” But what does that mean for filmmakers whose craft is so macroscopic? A film takes years. It includes writing, casting, financing, producing, editing. So how, exactly, do you practice filmmaking?

Last year I told you all about a new commercial music site that was just starting up in beta version. As with all beta sites, there were a few things that customers wanted changed. Artlist.io listened, and has completely rebuilt the site from our requests to release the full version. Check out all of the great new features this subscription based music website has to offer!

Look Up Tables (LUTs) are generally used to changes certain colors and their ranges in video using Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro or any professional video editing software. We often edit our photos with actions and presets in Lightroom or Photoshop, but it is possible to edit these photos using LUTs too. This video by Peter McKinnon shows how to do just that. The next time you like a certain look of your videos because of a LUT you applied to it, know that you can use it on a still image too. 

A lot of photographers have embraced adding video to their business offerings. With the rise of video-capable DSLRs, shooting video as a photographer comes naturally. Editing video, however, does not always make for an easy skill transition.

Creating interesting effects in camera doesn't always have to require expensive filters. With a little ingenuity and a cheap UV filter, you can replicate these cool effects in your own work.

Camera movements can take great footage and push it over the edge to make it spectacular. This awesome tutorial will walk you through five such movements that you can create all from within Premiere Pro. 

With the recent addition of albums to Instagram, photographers have a fantastic opportunity to add videos such as behind the scenes, short vlogs, or even short clips along with their images. However, if you are like me, cinematography is kind of a new world. While setting up the camera to film isn’t incredibly complicated, editing the content afterward is like learning Photoshop all over again: a nightmare! Thanks to YouTube and amazing people like Ben Brown, getting a grasp of Adobe Premiere’s basics isn’t too difficult.

In the world of film and commercial video work, there are so many working components that need to come together in order to have a successful production. So when it comes to bringing all those components together, you want it to be as smooth and simple as possible to minimize stress and streamline efficiency so that production does not fall behind schedule. One of those components that is insanely critical for a finished product is the coloring — not an area you want to skip on.

Want to win $25,000 by showing off your video editing skills? Imagine Dragons has teamed up with Adobe by offering fans full access to uncut footage from the lead single, "Believer," from their upcoming third album. Video editors can download the footage and create their own version of the video for a chance to win numerous prizes.

It so happens that ultraviolet light bulbs (or black lights) weren't discontinued in the 90s. In fact there are plenty of photographers out there who are shooting some incredible stuff under black lights. But shooting video in this guise brings its own set of unique challenges. Here are some tips to create video in this hedonistic and fluorescent style.

Some view editing as the place where the magic happens, while others see it as a necessary evil before they can get back out to shoot some more. Either way, we'd all love to be more efficient at it. These five tips will help you speed up your workflow in Adobe Premiere. 

With the prices of 360-degree cameras dropping every day, and more people embracing the medium, it was only a matter of time before more video streaming services joined the 360 party. Showing up fashionably late is Vimeo. The company announced support for 360-degree video on its blog yesterday.

The video showcases and discusses the latest desktop computers and what features you can get with regards to screens and processor capabilities in the category. I've used a laptop for most of my photography and videography career. The idea of not being able to take the machine with me when I need to go has been my reason for not getting a desktop machine, and the work I do requires me to get up and go when a job arises.