9 Sound Design Secrets I Wish I Knew Sooner
One of the key concepts most people think of in the creation of video is what things are going to look like to the audience.
Given that it is video we are talking about, the emphasis tends to fall on what the viewer or at least what you think the viewer will be seeing as they watch your video.
The hidden factor in all of this is that one of the most important aspects that will determine how your audience will “see” your videos is actually hidden from view.
That aspect is of course, the audio.
Interestingly there have been studies done on the importance of visuals and audio for when it comes to audience engagement and reaction and those studies show something quite strange.
When the audience is presented with good audio and bad visuals, those audiences can identify that the visuals are the problem.
It could be poor quality footage, bad editing, whatever.
They can see and identify the problem yet at the same time if they are interested in the subject matter, they will persist in watching.
Conversely, if the audience is presented with a video that has great visual quality but poor audio something entirely different happens.
Very often that audience cannot quite put their finger on the problem even though they know something is “off.
And even more importantly, they will click away from that video regardless of how interested in the subject matter they are.
That’s why they say the most important part of video, is audio.
Here are some great tips for getting your audio on track.
A Beginner’s Step by Step Tutorial for PowerDirector Editor 2026
With the update of PowerDirector to the 2026 version CyberLink have been spending some time on re-recording a bunch of tutorial videos on how to use their software.
About a year ago they completely redesigned the user interface and since then have been creating a bunch of videos aimed at specific tasks in the software.
If you are thinking about using PowerDirector be warned that on their user forums and places like PowerDirector FaceBook pages you will see a lot of complaining!
Pretty much all of those complaints and whining come from existing longtime users bitching about that interface!
The reality is that it didn’t really matter what they did with the interface there would be tears before bedtime from those users because they were accustomed to the old interface.
Unfortunately the program has been actively developed for quite sometime now and simply tacking on new controls and features to that existing interface was way beyond unworkable.
Can’t please all the people all the time!
Anyway here’s an updated tutorial for beginners new to the program with a complete run through of how to use it.
Combine Transitions and Sound Effects in PowerDirector
Very often when you are trying to “sell” a transition more effectively you can add a coincidental sound effect to that action.
Newly in the latest version of PowerDirector 365 they have added about 12 transitions to the transition library that have a sound effect baked into that transition.
Of course using a transition with a baked in audio effect may be fine but more often than not you may want to add your own audio effects to your transition.
In fact in my case I prefer to design my own transitions and use my own sound effects with them if I am going to use one so that I have greater control over the end result.
Here’s a look at it all in PowerDirector.
How to Add Text to Video in Filmora 15 for Beginners
Although the title for this one uses the word “Beginners” I think it is worth your time to check out even if you don’t fall into that category.
The reason I say thing is because we are now working in Filmora 15 which is the most recent update to the program and a few things have changed.
More than that, there are quite a few more settings and controls at your disposal compared to earlier versions.
I Made a Full Video With AI (ChatGPT + Veo 3.1)
There has been and probably will be well into the future a lot of discussion as to where A.I. will really fit in to the overall subject of shooting and editing videos.
Many tools out there profess to be end-to-end solutions but in reality the results of those ones still look awfully like A.I and lack what can only be described as that human touch.
Personally I think trying to use A.I as a total solution is a mistake and is failing to understand what it really is.
To my mind A.I. is a tool and can be used as part of the overall process very effectively.
In the video below Artur covers a bunch of tasks that can be done using A.I. to expand your possibilities and create some great looking video.
You will notice for the most part he is creating sequences and footage with the A.I. as a tool but ultimately takes it all into a conventional editor to finish the job.
Basic Training for Adobe Premiere Elements 2026, Part 3 of 8
This is the third in the eight part tutorial series from Steve Grisetti on using Adobe Premiere Elements 2026.
In this video Steve covers everything you need to know about working in the timeline which in reality is where you would spend most of your editing time.
How to Edit Video in Canva (Updated Step-by-Step Beginner Guide)
A few years back now the idea of using an online service for editing videos was pretty much just that, an idea.
Most of the ones that were available were unreliable due to their dependance on the user having a fast and uninterrupted connection to the internet.
On top of that the actual tools they offered were somewhat less than basic.
It was quite common to do a bunch of work on a project only to find that the last ten things you did, didn’t actually get done!
These days things have improved a great deal and although I do not use the service myself, Canva is is offering a pretty sound solution.
Here’s a run through of how video editing works in Canva and what you can do with their service.
How to Make Your Edits More Cinematic in DaVinci Resolve 20 (6 Tips)
Jason Yadlovski is my usual “go to” guy for working in the Fairlight Page of DaVinci Resolve.
Audio is mostly his “thing” but in reality he is more than qualified to work with Resolve on all aspects of the editing process.
He put this video up a few weeks ago and I was waiting for a space in the roster to post it.
These are some really great tips that anyone can apply to lift their edits to the next level.
None of it is particularly technical but delves more into the idea of what you are trying to achieve when you are editing your footage.
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