Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating recorded video footage. While all true video editing activities are completed post-production, not all post-production operations (like CGI and sound design) fall under the category of video editing.

Video editing dates back to analog recording practices. Film reels required the steps of editing, such as cutting the film and pasting it back together to add or remove frames, to be done manually. Hardware equipment was later developed so those processes didn’t need to be done by hand, but any modifications to the footage needed to be physically applied to the film itself. Today, most video is recorded digitally and can thus be edited using a video editing software. Analog forms of video editing are considered linear, whereas digital video editing is considered nonlinear.

Video editing functions

Most final versions of video recordings have undergone some type of editing. Raw footage, much like raw photography, usually needs some type of refinement, whether it’s simple color correction and cropping, or more advanced editing across multiple camera angles and takes. Common video editing functions include:

  • Color correction
  • Exposure adjustment
  • Blurring
  • Frame cropping
  • Trimming
  • Re-sequencing
  • Cross dissolving
  • Cut-aways
  • Fade in/fade out

Examples of video editing software

Professional and amateur video editors alike rely on software to help them create a finished product. Most advanced editing software requires an expensive licensing fee, whereas simple editors are often available for free or a small subscription cost. The rise of mobile technology means that many software programs are also accessible from smartphones and tablets in addition to high performing laptops and desktops. Similarly, some software requires a local download, and other programs are available as Internet-based cloud services. Major video editing software products include:

  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Adobe Premiere Rush
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Apple iMovie
  • Windows Movie Maker
  • Avid Media Composer
  • Davinci Resolve
  • Vimeo
Vangie Beal
Vangie Beal
Vangie Beal is a freelance business and technology writer covering Internet technologies and online business since the late '90s.

Related Articles

@ Sign

Pronounced at sign or simply as at, this symbol is used in e-mail addressing to separate the user' name from the user's domain name,...

Munging

(MUHN-jing) Munging (address munging), is the act of altering an email address posted on a Web page to make it unreadable to bots and...

How to Create an RSS Feed

In the second installment of RSS how-to, we look at some of the nonrequired (optional) channel and item tags, discuss RSS specifications in-depth and...

Dictionary Attack

(n.) (1) A method used to break security systems, specifically password-based security systems, in which the attacker systematically tests all possible passwords beginning with...

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...

Best Managed Service Providers...

In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...