Does Gear Matter? One Pro’s Perspective
As you slowly descend into the living hell that is video creation and editing there is one factor that just will not go away.
That factor is the endless marketing.
You only have to do a search on the subject (or even something vaguely related!), look up a YouTube tutorial or define a term and before you know it you are being relentlessly pursued!
The overall effect of this marketing is to give you a sense that somehow the results you are seeking can best be achieved by purchasing something… anything!
That next upgrade or piece of kit will be the answer to your prayers.
Of course analytically we all know that’s not really true but over time it gets pretty hard to hold your ground.
Check out the article linked here for a professional perspective on this designed to keep you and your credit card safe.
Best Royalty Free Music For YouTube Videos – Top 5 Sites in 2024
OK so the war of the music copyright bots continues right across most video platforms unabated so it’s vital that you have sources of music you can safely use.
YouTube have invested serious money into trying to keep copyright holders safe as well as leave the rest of us alone to use music we have permission to use.
Unfortunately there are a few nasty agencies that own enormous music copyright portfolios and they continue to deploy bots to track down usage of their properties.
Normally I wouldn’t have a problem with that except just about everyone has a story of having to defend themselves against an erroneous copyright claim!
Here’s a current list of “reasonably” safe site where you can access music to use “somewhat safely!”
Video-Editing Trends No One’s Telling You About
At this point in time there are two main forces at work in the world of video editing.
The first of these is the introduction of A.I tools into various stages of your videos production.
The real issue to deal with on this one is what those tools really do and whether or not they are actually useful.
The second force is the ever changing style of the editing itself.
For past two or three years all the successful YouTube channels were subscribing to the techniques of faster and faster cuts on top of busy screens and endless effects.
Currently there is a swing away from that to more “low-tech” editing that has at its forefront… the human touch.
Here’s a good rundown on the whole scene.
Fix shaky video, dull color and more in PowerDirector
One area of just about all brands of video editing software that has improved exponentially is that of correction tools.
In a more general sense, the tools and features that have been added to consumer grade video editors over the years have essentially “trickled down” from the fully professional programs.
However those same fully professional programs never really had a great need for correction tools other than color, because they were dealing with professionally shot video.
The proliferation of video being shot and edited at all levels has meant that at the consumer level things have gotten way better!
So here’s a demonstration of some of that type of feature in CyberLink PowerDirector.
Create High Energy Cinematic Videos Without the Blockbuster Budget
These are a few examples of some of the tools you can use in Filmora 14 to get particular “looks” in your own footage.
A lot of video editors allow the ability to copy the grade of another image or footage to your own and for the most part they are “OK.”
However in Filmora there is an A.I. driven version of this that can give you some pretty accurate results.
Podcasting Tip – Best Loudness & File Format Settings (Audacity Tutorial)
There is a slight difference in the world of audio for when it comes to podcasts.
The main difference is that the target loudness for podcasts is -16db whereas for video it is -14db.
Also the most common file type used is MP3.
Usually when you are editing audio for video it is better to stick with .wav files while changes are being made and you intend to import that audio back on to the timeline.
The final file type of audio for video is determined by the video file type.
So for example an MP4 file will have AAC audio as that is part of the standard.
The Hidden Reason Fusion is Overpowered for VFX
This isn’t really a tutorial video as such but although there are a few tips in there.
The reason I have added this one is because it perfectly illustrates exactly why the fusion page of DaVinci Resolve is used for VFX by so many professionals.
Yes, it can seem complex!
But even a rough understanding of only some of the features in there can open a whole world of editing possibilities to anyone.
All you have to do is be willing to spend a little time learning it and the world is your special effects oyster!
A Faster Way To Remove Backgrounds – Depth Map – DaVinci Resolve
This is a feature I have been using in Resolve for a while now especially since switching to my Sony ZV-10 for most of my shooting.
Before you read any further be warned that this feature is restricted to the Studio (paid) version of DaVinci only.
The reason the camera prompted me to start using this feature comes down to depth of field.
With a phone camera you are mostly going to be shooting in some kind of fully automatic mode which results in a “flat” kind of image where everything is in focus.
For this kind of footage if you want to change the background you are going to need either some kind of green screen or maybe an A.I. driven masking tool.
However shooting with the Sony I have control over depth of field with the aperture settings resulting in subjects that are clearly separated form the background.
This is perfect for the Depth Map feature in Resolve and with the right footage it results in very, very clean isolations of the subject.
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