Course Intro

  • Name: Edit 101 - basic video edit and video/audio conversion
  • Designed by: Ying
  • Support:
  • Question Form: http://goo.gl/forms/WBPrN80OM5
    • Use it to send me questions, I will put answer here
    • Read this whole page first to check if the anwser you want is already there
    • For IT questions and solution, check bottom part of this page
    • For additional good video tutorials on this topic, check very bottom part of this page
  • scope of the course
    • know the software options, pro/con of different softwares
    • know the video formats and audio formats and why they exist
    • know the capture method of video/audio
    • know the conversion of video/audio formats
    • know the simple edit of video
    • know combine videos and audios

Course Requirement

  • bonus tool: MPEG Streamclip (a free video converter for Mac & Windows)
    • windows/mac version download link: http://www.squared5.com/
    • steps of install:
      • no need to install, just extract the app out and open it directly to use, you can put it on desktop
  • bonus tool: Xnview MP (a free non-commercial image viewer for Mac, Windows & Linux)
    • download link: http://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/#downloads
    • steps of install:
      • just scroll down under the donate button, there are the list of download button if you dont want to donate and just want to use it for free.

Session 1: Know the Video Edit Software options

Mobile Phone Video Editors

  • such as Samsung Video Editor (free), iMovie (paid)
  • Pros:
    • Shoot, Edit, Export, Share all within the phone/tablet
    • able to combine videos/photos/music in a single track timeline with Effects, Transition, Text and simple sound volume control
  • Cons:
    • hard to navigate and arrange when dealing more than 20+ video blocks and elements
    • only limited to single video and sound track
    • no property control and animation of the video blocks and elements
  • Useful situation:
    • simple and draft video editing on the go

Screenshot of Samsung Video Editor

Screenshot of iPhone iMovie

Computer built-in Video Editor

  • Pros:
    • free desktop video editor with computer
    • good enough to combine videos/photos/music
  • Cons:
    • too family-oriented editing workflow
    • only limited to single video and sound track
    • no property control and animation of the video blocks and elements

Windows Movie Maker 12

OS X Yosemite iMovie

Family and Indi-film oriented Video Editor

  • Some of them are free but with limited features
  • Some of them are paid but may not suit for certain workflow
  • Lightworks Free version (windows/mac): limited to HD 720p mp4 video output.
  • HitFilm 3 Express (windows/mac): limited to FHD 1080p mp4 video output
  • VideoLAN Movie Creator (windows/mac/linux)

Professional Video Editor

  • Popular Paid
    • Adobe Premiere Pro CC (windows/mac)
    • Apple Final Cut Pro X (mac only)
    • Sony Vegas products (windows only)
    • DaVinci Resolve 12 Studio (windows/mac/linux)
  • Free but Hard to learn
    • Blender 3D (windows, mac, linux)
    • Natron 2.0 (windows, mac, linux)
  • Free
    • DaVinci Resolve 12 (windows/mac)

Session 2: Know the Videos and Audio File Formats

  • We will focus on these 4 videos formats:
    • mp4, mov, mts, avi
  • We will focus on these 3 audio formats:
    • mp3, aiff, wav
  • list of common Video Formats:
    • MP4: most popular publishing video formats for computer, mobile and internet
    • M4V: same like MP4.
    • MOV: Apple quicktime video formats, popular professional video formats for video transfer and edit
    • MTS: some sony and panasonic camera video recording formats
    • vob: some DVD video formats
    • WMV: Windows media video formats, popular if you use windows movie maker
    • AVI: popular video formats in old days
    • MPG: popular video formats in old days
    • rmvb, rm: popular video formats in old days
    • 3GP: popular video formats used by non-smart phones in old days
    • FLV, F4V: popular web video formats used in old days when Adobe Flash is still popular
  • list of free video players to view these files professionally
  • use VLC media player to check your video and audio property
    • under Tool menu > Media Information, take note the resolution and frame rate and bitrate
  • use VLC media player to save a screen shot of the video at the paused frame
    • under Video menu > snapshot, by default, it will save into your Picture folder

Session 3: Know the Capture methods of Video and Audio

  • Download online video
    • such as youtube, and other video website
    • steps of download online video:
      1. view the video with your browser with highest quality setting
      2. use Any Video Converter freeware to download it automatically
  • Video Recording Hardware:
    • Cameras and Phones:
      • output video formats: mp4, mov, mts
      • output audio formats: mp3, aiff, wav
  • Video Recording Software:
    • Screen recording software:
      • output video formats: mp4, mov, avi

Session 4.1: Know the File Conversion of Video and Audio formats

  • Common video conversion settings:
    • video size: better same as original video size
      • common size are: 1920×1080 FHD, 1280×720 HD
    • video quality: normal quality for publish, best quality for editing
    • video codec: H.264 (x264) for common mp4, mov video editing and publishing
    • video bitrate: choose original bitrate to match original format quality
    • frame rate: choose your final output video format desired frame rate
      • 24 fps for film and movies
      • 25 fps or 30 fps for common recording and documentation videos
    • video aspect: normally 16/9 since Full HD video is 16/9
    • Audio codec: aac or mp3
    • Audio bitrate: 128 is good enough for most nowaday mp3 quality
    • sample rate: 44100
  • Common audio conversion settings:
    • convert to AIFF: use default conversion setting
    • convert to mp3: use default conversion setting

Session 4.2: Know the Simple Edit of a Video

Most Simple Editing of a video can be done directly inside the video converter software.

  • Trim video: cut a portion of a video and save it separately
    • steps of trimming:
      1. set the start time or start frame of the portion for trimming
      2. set the end time or end frame of the portion for trimming
      3. trim it and save it separately
  • Delete video's sound: delete the audio track of the video file
    • you can either save it as another file without audio
    • or you delete the audio track in editor and save it separately
  • Export video's sound: keep only the audio track of the video
    • you can either save it as another audio file format
    • or you delete the video track in editor and save it separately

Session 5: Know the editing of multiple videos and audios

  • Hands on with DaVinci Resolve 12 (Click on the image to show the large version)




Additional notes for importing video/audio/photo/image

  • For video, audio, they are very straight forward, since they are designed for video editing
  • For photos from modern cameras, they are pretty big in term of resolution, most are 16MP and above, which means at resolution more than 5000 x 3000, that is huge comparing to already big full HD at 1920 x 1080;
    • so you either use Xnview or GIMP to resize your photo to a sensible resolution like 2500 x 1500, and after import on timeline, use Inspector property to set the Zoom view to fit photo properly in the final video
  • Same thing to note for image and picture file, convert them into JPG or PNG image format with Xnview or GIMP before put into Resolve, and make sure check size as well, by right click on image file, and choose Property to view the detail image information, like resolution.


Additional notes for playing the edit video in result video viewer

  • in edit video viewer, the software re-calculate the video combination and then play on the result video viewer, so it takes 5-10 seconds to get responsive
  • to Further improve playback performance, make sure you go Playback Menu > Proxy mode > Quad resolution (which show a low resolution for fast check and viewing); ref tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBOZ4E3ytno
  • Additional tips to make Resolve response faster
    • use better hardware, like more RAM, and faster SSD drive instead of old Hard disk drive
    • make sure no other software taking the RAM, and more disk space for it to cache the video intermediate files
    • some info videos on improve speed:



Addition notes for audio part

  • For audio parts, make sure volume is around -20, between Yellow and Green to set the right volume
  • For set keyframe on audio level, for Windows, hold Alt key + Left Mouse button click; For Mac, hold Option key + Left Mouse button click; To delete a key, just click on the key dot, and press Backspace key


Addition notes for coloring part

  • for example, if you already set the color right for one of the Rabbit video element, you can apply the same color setting to rest rabbit video elements by following steps
    1. select the other un-color-ed Rabbit video elements first
    2. middle mouse button click on the already color-ed Rabbit video element
    3. then those un-color-ed Rabbit video elements will automatically colored to match the one that you middle mouse button clicked on
  • additional tip:
    • above steps basically is a color setting copy method
    • so if you select some color-ed video elements first, then middle mouse button click on a un-color-ed video element, it basically un-color all those selected video elements, by copy the default setting of un-color-ed video elements.


Addition notes for Delivery part

  • if you found out that, you can't choose “Single Clip” as format option, then do following steps
    1. look at Top Left color, there are “Gallery | Timeline | Clips” buttons, click on “Clips” button and under drop down menu, choose “All Clips”
    2. then click on “Select All Clips” button right below “Add to Render Queue” button
    3. now you should be able to choose “Single Clip” as the option.

Note: Always make sure you have clicked “select All Clips” in Delivery page if you want the whole timeline to be rendered

Extra notes for Saving and Exporting the Project

  • ideally, it is best to work on the same computer for the project, so you don't have to deal with project management issues,
  • but of course, you can save the project, then choose File Menu > Export Project to export all the editing you have done, and copy that project file and all video files to other computer, and import again and link video locations, so that you continue editing in another computer

Problems and Solutions

  • If your problem are not listed bellow, just email me with email on the very top
  • or don't fight with the computer, and use computer from your friends who already have everything working
    • as even for me a such long-time IT guy, I have hard time to bug out all the random issues as well

Problem: I installed everything correctly, and follow the tutorial correctly, and it just not show the file in Browser

Problem: Security Check on Mac prevents installation the app listed above

  • the software I linked above are verified safe application, you can go to your Control Panel,
  • under Security icon, click it and unlock the lock at bottom
  • choose the 3rd option, allow install software from any source.
  • after done, make sure you choose the previous security option and lock it again to make your Mac as secure as before

Problem: How to CORRECTLY install software on Mac

  • if it is a DMG file, double click to open it,
    1. if it is just a beautiful icon, without installer in its name, just drag the App Icon into your “Application” folder on your left side panel of Finder
    2. then, click the Eject icon on the disk icon of your left side panel to unload the DMG (disk image file)
  • if it is a DMG file, double click to open it,
    1. if it is just a beautiful icon, and it has installer in its name
    2. double click on the installer, it will automatically install into your application folder
    3. then, click the Eject icon on the disk icon of your left side panel to unload the DMG (disk image file)
  • if it is a ZIP file, double click to automatically extract it
    1. if it is just a beautiful icon, without installer in its name, just drag the App Icon into your “Application” folder on your left side panel of Finder
    2. if it is a DMG file, then, back to steps above

Problem: My windows is 32 bit, can't install Resolve 12

Problem: My Mac OS X is too old for Resolve 12

Problem: I tried all the above, and it just not work for me

  • that may be a lot of IT issues causing that,
    • Maybe your computer is too old, like 4-5 years old, I would say borrow a better computer, that is technology is pushing us, and drop support of old hardware due to profit-to-support-cost ratio.
    • If your computer is New, still not working
      1. Maybe your laptop is designed for portability and battery performance, instead of computing power, that is life, you can't have a lightweight strong muscle guy, anyway you get the idea.
      2. so just borrow a desktop or a strong laptop, like those heavy laptop designed for gaming
      • My computer is super power-ed, but still can't get it working
        1. then it maybe due to software issues, like graphic driver or codec, then try converting video into Mov format or Avi format, and try again.
  • “Oh, man, I just can't get it work”
    • watch detail tutorial linked below to see whether is a human cause error, since you may be missing some steps
  • “I need IT support”
    • IT support sometimes may take more time than just use alternative ready to use solution, like a already working computer
    • Don't fight against IT problem if you are not ready to diagnose and filter the cause, only the cause can link to a solution.

Additional Related Youtube Tutorials

  • Of course if you have better video page link, you can email me, and I will add them below, but Google and Youtube are best friend for learning

Tips and Tricks

  • Replace footage already in the timeline
    1. put the new footage in a new folder, and rename it to the old footage name
    2. go to Edit Tab, and select the old clip in Media Pool panel
    3. then, Right Click and choose “Replace Source Folder”, and choose the new folder that contains the new footage with old name
    4. Done, you just swap the folder that resolve is trying to find the footage for that clip (thus it is technically called footage folder swap instead direct footage swap)
  • Your Footage or Audio not shown up in the media browser
    • It means you either didn't have quicktime installed for resolve before 12.5.1
    • or It means resolve doesn't support your footage or audio codec, try use any video convertor to convert them into a file format that resolve can use, like MP4 for video, AIFF, WAV for audio