Editing Videos
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Editing Videos
Once you have recorded a new video, you'll likely want to edit it. Video editing software allows you to remove sections of a video, cut and arrange parts to give it a better flow, and add effects to enhance the content.
Recommended Editing Software
ReCap
Most people simply want to remove parts of a video to cut out unnecessary pauses, transitions and errors. We recommend you use ReCap to do this (although other software and approaches are available, ReCap makes such simple edits extremely easy).
Windows Video Editor
Windows has a free, basic video editor as part of its Photos app which can be used to create, combine and edit video and audio content.
- Download Microsoft Photos (pre-installed on Newcastle University devices)
- Microsoft Photo Video Editing Guidance
Apple iMovie
Apple computers have the more powerful iMovie available for editing and mixing video content. You can download this to your Mac from the App Store if not already installed.
Alternative Editing Software
Looking for more advanced editing features? There are lots of tools available to choose from. However, many share the same features, and the question tends to come down the time you are willing to invest learning them - and your budget!
| Software | Ease of Use | Description | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camtasia | Easy | Screen recording and editing software. Features a range of video mixing, text overlay and transition effects. Costly, but useful for most editing requirements. | Tutorials available |
| OBS | Intermediate | A free, open source tool that offers excellent video editing, mixing and compositing features. | Tutorials available |
| DaVinci Resolve | Advanced | Very powerful editing capabilities but with a steep learning curve. Free version available but will only work with systems with high processing power. | Tutorials available |
| Final Cut Pro | Advanced | A high level editing software for apple users. Expensive and a steep learning curve, but excellent results. | Tutorials available |
| Adobe Premier Pro | Advanced | Often seen as Industry standard for professional editing. Requires systems with high processing power. | Tutorials available |
In most instances, you will find ReCap is the best choice for simple editing tasks. If you need more features, Video Editor and iMovie are best. After that, you are free to use any video editing software you wish, but be aware that these often come with a steep learning curve.
Editing basics
Editing can be a time-consuming task, so it is always best to try and capture your video right first time. Plan what you want your video to look like before you start, consider writing a script or outline, have everything to hand before you press record, and practice practice practice your delivery.
The following list outlines some of the most popular types of video edit. However, remember that most videos do not have to be perfect! Small errors, pauses or stumbles are very rarely a problem. Rather than spend a long time editing a video or creating recording after recording looking for the perfect take, be happy with the odd error and move on - small hiccups are fine and even tend to add a sense of authenticity and realism to your content.
A lot of new video content has unwanted footage at the start and end; usually recorded when setting up and stopping your recording device. 'Topping and tailing' involves trimming the start and end of that video.
Most video editors have the facility to top and tail videos. Some software will have cutting tools, others such as ReCap have sliders which you can click and drag to remove unwanted footage. When recording a new video, try to leave a couple of seconds of silence at the start and end to make topping and tailing easier.
Cutting out unwanted sections in a video is easy and uses the same tools as topping and tailing. However, be aware that cutting parts from the middle of moving footage can cause ugly and distracting jumps in the video.
Don't be tempted to over-edit a video. Most mistakes are usually minor, and the odd stumble and pause is perfectly normal and natural. Cutting these out can create a disjointed, unrealistic and artificial video.
ReCap is designed to record lecture content and presentations. Although you can't overlay title text and images using the editor, you can insert PowerPoint title and image slides. Consider the title cards and graphics you want to display in your video before recording, and make sure you include them in your accompanying presentation slides.
If you need to add on-screen text and graphics over the top of live action video, you will need to use more advanced software such as Microsoft Video Editor or Apple iMovie.
Accessibility guidelines recommend the use of captions for any videos that are produced. If you cannot create captions, at least provide a transcript of the audio from your video. Find out more on the Transcripts and Captions page.
Exporting videos
If you use ReCap, your videos will automatically be available to share directly in Canvas. However, if you want to edit your videos in a more advanced editing tool, you will need to export or download first - and then reupload later.
The most common and recommended video formats, especially for online videos, are MP4 (H.264) and MOV. Exported files will have an .mp4 or .mov file extension respectively when saved.
For advanced video editing software, when you export a video, you may need to set a number of export parameters; these are described below along with recommended settings.
Resolution refers to the number of pixels in your video. A video with a standard HD resolution of 1920x1080 has 1920 horizontal pixels multiplied by 1080 vertical pixels. The lower the two numbers, the lower the video resolution.
HD 1920x1080 or SD 1280x720 are two popular widescreen formats. We recommend you use either of these; a higher resolution and the video will become unwieldy to upload and download; a lower resolution and the video will be of noticeably lower quality.
A codec is used to compress and package up your video to deliver it online. The recommended codec for most video content that you produce is H.264 with the AAC audio codec.
Bit rates are the amount of data dedicated to a second of video. A higher the bit rate, the higher the video quality (and the larger the file). These can be set to be variable, and some programs allow you to set a minimum and maximum bit rate. A frame rate of between 8 Mbps and 12 Mbps is recommended.
Frame Rate is the number of video frames that appear in one second of video. If you increase the number of frames per second, the video will have a perceivably smoother quality. If you decrease the frame rate too much, the video will appear to stutter, and will have a lower-quality feel. A frame rate of 30fps is recommended.