• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The DIY Video Editor

All things video for the enthusiastic amateur...

  • Blog
  • Software Reviews
  • Choosing Editing Software
  • Choosing a Video Camera
  • Editing Tips
  • Shooting Tips
  • Sharing & Distribution Tips
  • General Tips
  • Video Courses
  • Audio Tips
  • Optical Discs
  • Quick Video Tips and Articles
You are here: Home / DIY Video Editor Blog / The Friday Roundup – 360 Video, a Cheap Camera Challenge and more!

The Friday Roundup – 360 Video, a Cheap Camera Challenge and more!

Image of humorous reaction to being offered a toy camcorder to use.

Cheap Camera Challenge

OK so the rule is that the best camera for taking videos is the one you have and the best video editing software is the one you have.

The world is saturated with endless marketing that repeatedly conveys the message that the problem is that you don’t have this or that latest thing.

This is patently false. Full stop end of rant.

Over the years I have had so many questions put to me by readers asking whether this software or that camera or piece of equipment will improve their projects.

My answer is pretty much always the same.

When you have exhausted all possibilities with whatever you have and have gained the knowledge yourself to be certain that what you have can’t do what you want… then you can upgrade to the next big thing.

Until then what is most likely holding you back is knowledge, practice, experience and imagination.

That’s why I love these videos that the DigitalRev guys do occasionally.

They take the most ridiculous camera, put it into the hands of a talented video maker and without fail end up with an amazing result.

I think the last time they did it they were using a toy BarbieCam, this time the camera is just as awful and the video maker is Brandon Li.

Shooting better Videos

Never Have I Ever Wanted 360 Video – Insta360 One X Camera

I have never been particularly interested in 3D videos or 360 video for that matter and it is generally a cold day in hell when I do post something about it… until today.

For me these newly emerging technologies always seemed a bit half baked and a bit cheesy so I have never really gotten on board with it all.

To be honest I was much like the guy in the video below but after having watched that video I have seen the light!

I may not really be totally on the bandwagon when it comes to creating 360 movies quite yet but the idea of using a 360 camera to create 2D videos is all kinds of awesome!

Color Correct Like a Pro

LUTs seem to be all the rage just lately with most of the decent video editing software at the consumer level introducing them as a capability.

The problem with features like this that filter down from the pro end of the market is that they suddenly appear without any real understanding of their place in the post production chain.

Of course the advertising is just “use LUTs” and your color grading will automatically look cinematic… whatever that means!

So in order to understand them and the whole color correction and grading process check out the workflow video below.

As a cautionary note the techniques are being demonstrated in Adobe Premiere Pro and in the first section the guy uses a plugin to do the initial color correction.

Don’t be put of by that.

All that plugin does is emulate the color correction tools offered by most fully loaded video editing software.

How To Make Rough Cuts Super Fast

One of the hardest things to try and work out when you first start getting into editing is to know what you are supposed to be doing in the first place!

The first time I ever opened an editor I kind of figured out that I needed to somehow get my assets into the thing… sort of but from there I had no idea what to do.

After a lot of trial and error I finally worked it all out enough to get started but then inevitably found that I was going back to do things I should have done earlier.

I also found that because of the order in which I was doing things I kept messing up sequences and sections of the video in relation to to other things.

For example I would get all the audio lined up and then maybe add some transitions.

Having done that and feeling mightily pleased with myself I would then discover that all the audio had gone out of sync because I had added transitions!

That meant going back and redoing the audio and around and around I went.

There are probably a million little differences in the ways that experienced editors approach the order in which they tackle the overall job but in the video below there is a sensible approach to the job which I quite like.

Video Editing Basics

YouTube Algorithm 2019: The Breakdown

The YouTube algorithm is a highly complex piece of programming that pretty much determines the fate of your videos and channel on YouTube.

It would be physically impossible for YouTube to manually sort, evaluate, categorize and prioritize the millions of videos there already let alone the one being uploaded every second!

So the answer to this is the algorithm and if you want to achieve any sort of exposure on YouTube you are going to have to understand what that algorithm likes and does not like!

The problem is that it is an evolving thing that is in some way “learning” as it goes along based on community feedback, needs and reports.

For a roundup of the current state of the algorithm check out this video below from Derral Eves who is one of the better experts on the subject.

Getting Your Videos Online

Infinite Transition by A$AP Rocky ‘Kids Turned Out Fine’

In my opinion there are roughly three levels of transitions that anyone can use in their projects.

At the bottom of the heap are those preset or pre-programmed transitions you find in just about every brand of video editing software.

At this level you are looking at transitions that are boring or mechanical at best or downright annoying and distracting at worst!

If we go up one level we have those same transitions but instead of just inserting them into a project we can tailor them using their settings to more appropriately suit the task at hand.

By just lifting yourself up to this level you will also be lifting up the quality of your projects quite noticeably.

At the top of the scale are transitions that have been completely manually created for that specific cut in the project.

These can be simple like wipes created using available footage going all the way up to a transition that has been planned at the shooting stage with footage captured specifically for that purpose.

In the video below you can get an idea of just how much can go into a transition and the effect it can have.

At the same time you can also get an idea of how an annoying pair of presenters can make is it really difficult to get through a video tutorial like this!

All About Transitions

PowerDirector – Tips to Speed up Editing with Keyboard Shortcuts

One of the downsides to video editing when you begin to engage in more and more complex actions is that it can very quickly become incredibly tedious!

Some people seem to really enjoy that kind of activity but for me personally.. not so much!

The best way to break that tedium is to go faster but the way in which we are introduced to video editing software makes that a little hard and here’s why.

In order to sell video editing software the makers of the software have to overcome the buyers initial difficulties on learning how to use it.

They generally deal with that problem by designing user interfaces that rely on what the new user is most likely to be familiar with and the big one is the concept of pointing and clicking with the mouse.

That’s why you see most video editing software presented in a sort of “point and click,” “drag and drop” your way to cinematic success way.

It gets people over that initial hurdle of getting started.

Unfortunately that very same “point and click,” “drag and drop” method is the one that a little down the road, becomes the main source of going slow.

Pro editors just don’t do that even though there is nothing particularity different about the software they are using.

What the pro’s rely on for the vast majority of the actions they are doing is keyboard shortcuts.

Every editing software I am aware of actually has keyboard shortcuts but generally they are not mentioned too much despite their importance.

The real key to getting faster as an editor and cutting down on that creeping tedium is by learning to use the keyboard shortcuts built in to your editing software and even mapping your own shortcuts to suit your workflow or style.

In the videos below you can see some of the shortcuts available in PowerDirector but the brand is irrelevant, they all have them.

Using those shortcuts will make you faster in the end but to begin with they may seem a little clunky. Just persist and quite quickly you will get up to pace and start flying!

PowerDirector Review

PowerDirector – Tips to Speed up Editing with Keyboard Shortcuts – Part 2

Previous Post: « The Friday Roundup – Editing Sequences and Editing Pacing Tips
Next Post: The Friday Roundup – Handheld vs. Stabilized, Sam Kolder Effects »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Main Categories

  • Home Page
  • DIY Video Editor Blog
  • Choosing a Video Camera
  • Shooting Tips
  • How to Choose an Editor
  • Video Editing Tips
  • Getting Your Videos Online
  • Video Editing Software Reviews
  • Audio Tips
  • Video Courses
  • General Tips
  • CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc Repair and Data Recovery
  • Quick Video Tips and Articles

Software Reviews

  • The Best Video Editing Software
  • Easy to Use Editing Software
  • CyberLink PowerDirector 21 | 365
  • CyberLink Director Suite 365
  • Filmora 12 by Wondershare
  • Corel VideoStudio 2022
  • Movavi Video Editor
  • Pinnacle Studio 26
  • Magix Movie Edit Pro
  • Vegas Movie Studio 17
  • Adobe Premiere Elements
  • muvee Reveal Encore
  • Magix Video Pro X
  • ScreenFlow for Mac
  • Multimedia Software

Footer

  • Contact
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • About
Copyright © 2023 The DIY Video Editor
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT