How to Edit Video on Your Own Computer

I bet you already have what you need

One thing about this tech revolution is that we now have more technology than many of us know how to use! And that applies to video and video editing on your PC. I am willing to bet that you have all the gizmos and gadgets you need to turn raw family footage into something snappier. 

So in this tutorial, I am going to show you - step by step - how to spin video straw into video gold by editing your own video on your Windows PC.

Microsoft Movie Maker

Step1: Confirm Video Editing Software

If you Google the words "video editing software" you will see endless video editing programs. It can be very confusing. Ignore them all. For home video editing on a PC, Microsoft gives you Windows Movie Maker, for free. 

Check your PC right now under programs and see if you have it. If not, download it from Microsoft. You will be ready to edit video on your PC in no time at all!

Step 2: Check out the Movie Maker interface

When you double click the Movie Maker icon, the program opens up right away. It's nice and simple. Here is what it looks like. (Your screen will not look like exactly like mine. I have added the red frames and letters as well as imported some media assets into the project.)

The Movie Maker interface has 5 main areas

It's helpful to think about the interface in its 5 main sections. At the top is the Main Menu (A) where you have drop-down menus for "file", "edit", "view", "tools", "play" and "help". Click on the items to see what they have underneath. (You will be familiar with the idea from other programs you run our your PC.)


On the left of the interface is a list of Tasks (B). These are pretty much the same as the items in the main menu but they are nice and handy here. Next along to the right is an Imported Media (C) window showing the media you have imported into the project. (Video files have a film sprocket border.)


On the right of the interface you see a Preview Screen (D) (currently showing a bear). This is the area you use to preview your movie. You will also drag clips here from your Imported Media and cut them into smaller chunks.


Underneath and running along the bottom is your Timeline (E). This shows you all the clips you have arranged in the order they will appear in your video. You can toggle between a Timeline view and a Storyboard view using the down triangle. 

Step 3: Import media to your PC

Connect camera to computer

 

Decide what you want to include in your video. Your options are: video footage, photographs, music and audio. (You can also add narration.)

Then, use the Import command to get it into your project. If you have existing files on your computer, just click on Import > videos/pictures/audio or music, navigate to the file - and stand back!

If the video is in your camera, you will need to connect the camera to your PC. The command is Import > From Digital Video Camera. You may need to rummage through your old video camera packaging to find that cable or the installation disk. (Tip: A host of technology problems can be solved with the right cable or connector.)

Step 4: Create a rough cut of your movie

Now we are really getting down to business! With your assets imported into your project, it is time to arrange them in the order you want them to appear in your video. And nothing could be simpler. Look at your Imported Media (C) window, choose an "asset" (tech-speak for a video or photo or music track), then drag it down to the Timeline or Storyboard (E). It's all drag and drop!

Just drag and drop to the Timeline/Storyboard

You place your media in the Timeline/Storyboard just like you would assemble frames in a comic. Once you place one item, go ahead and place another.
And if you want to see how your video plays when the pieces are all connected, just click on the Preview Screen (D) play button.
Well done! You have just edited a "rough cut" of your movie on your own PC. Now read on!

Step 5: Fine tune and fiddle!

The last step when editing video on a PC is to right-size your video clips and to add finishing touches like titles, credits, fade-ins and fade-outs, special effects and maybe even narration. This is called the "final cut".

The secret here is to play. Poke around the buttons and see what they do! Video editing on a PC is non-destructive, which means that as you fiddle, you are not changing the original video. Oh yeah, like anything you do on the PC, when you edit, save your Movie Maker project from time to time. (Tip: If you want to try something out, save a new version of your project under a different name.)

Shorten video by dragging in the arrows

Right-sizing video: Make sure you are on Timeline view (click the little down triangle if you are on Storyboard view). Then, click on your video. Two arrows appear at either end of the clip (see picture). Drag the arrows inward to shorten your video at the beginning of the end. 

You can also break up a video by dragging it to the Preview Screen, playing the bit you want, then hitting the "Split" button. That creates a new clip. Repeat as many times as you need.

Special effects, transitions, titles: These effects are really simple to add. Just click on the Edit menu and follow the prompts. When you edit video on a PC, you can add effects such as "old film", sepia, mirror effects - you name it. (If you want to create a slide show, just drop all your images into the "Timeline/Storyboard" and use "Effects" to pan across your images - just like Ken Burns!)

Choose from a large range of video editing effects right on your PC

You have just edited a video on your PC!

Congratulations! You have just edited your first movie on your PC! The final step is to hit the "Publish Movie" button in the Main Menu (A) and choose how you want to watch your movie.

So, what to edit? Well, there is video that you shoot yourself, of course.

Or, you could edit video or film that you have already shot, or that someone else in the family shot. Transferring your 8mm, Hi8 video or VHS tapes to DVD - or better, to a hard drive - allows you to use your new found editing skills to turn those old home movies into a family documentary.

Final Tip: Practice! Video editing is a learned skill and the more you do it, the better you get. You will get faster - I promise!

And stay tuned for more tips on editing video on your PC. Video editing really is a blast!


Guest Post: Author: Nigar Sultana