A Beginner’s Guide to Editing Videos on a Laptop

Video editing is no longer the domain of professionals. With the availability of powerful laptops and affordable video editing software, anyone can edit videos with relative ease. In this article, we will guide you through the process of editing videos on your laptop. We will cover the basics of video editing and give you some tips to make your videos look more professional. We will also talk about how to resize video online, an essential skill for video editing.

Step 1. Understanding Video Formats

Before we start editing videos, it is important to understand video formats. Videos come in various formats, such as MP4, AVI, MOV, and others. Different video formats have different properties, such as resolution, aspect ratio, and frame rate. You need to know the properties of your video format to edit it properly. For example, if you want to resize a video, you need to know the video’s resolution and aspect ratio.

Step 2. Choosing the Right Video Editing Software

There are many video editing software programs available for laptops, both free and paid. Some of the popular free video editing software programs are OpenShot, Shotcut, and DaVinci Resolve. Paid video editing software programs include Wave.video, Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. Each software program has its own strengths and weaknesses. You should choose a software program based on your needs, budget, and skill level.

Step 3. Importing Videos

The first step in editing a video is to import it into your video editing software. To do this, you need to open your software program and select the “import” option. You can import videos from your laptop’s hard drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage. After importing your video, you can view it in the preview window of your software program.

Step 4. Editing Videos

Once you have imported your video, you can start editing it. The basic video editing tools include trimming, cutting, splitting, and merging videos. Trimming is the process of cutting off the beginning or end of a video. Cutting is the process of removing a part of a video. Splitting is the process of dividing a video into two or more parts. Merging is the process of combining two or more videos into one.

In addition to these basic tools, most video editing software programs offer advanced editing tools, such as adding transitions, titles, and effects. Transitions are the visual effects used to change from one video clip to another. Titles are the text overlays used to add titles, captions, and credits to a video. Effects are the visual and audio effects used to enhance a video’s appearance.

Step 5. Resizing Videos

One of the essential skills in video editing is resizing videos. Resizing a video means changing its resolution and aspect ratio. You may want to resize a video for various reasons, such as fitting it into a specific screen size or changing its aspect ratio for social media platforms. To resize a video, you can use the resizing tool in your video editing software or use an online video resizer.

Using an online video resizer is a quick and easy way to resize your video. Different online video resizers offer free and paid options to resize videos. To resize a video online, you need to upload your video to the online resizer, select the desired resolution and aspect ratio, and download the resized video. Online video resizers are a great option if you don’t have a powerful laptop or don’t want to invest in video editing software.

Step 6. Exporting Videos

After editing and resizing your video, you need to export it in the desired format. The export options depend on your video editing software. Most software programs offer various export options, such as MP4, AVI, MOV, and others. You should choose the export option based on your video’s purpose and the platform where you will upload it. For example, if you want to upload your video to YouTube, you should export it in the MP4 format.

When exporting your video, you should also choose the video quality and the bitrate. Video quality refers to the visual quality of your video, while the bitrate refers to the amount of data used to encode your video. Higher video quality and bitrate result in larger file size and longer export time. You should choose the video quality and bitrate based on your video’s purpose and your laptop’s processing power.

Final Tips

To make your videos look more professional, here are some additional tips:

 • Use a tripod or stabilizer to avoid shaky footage.

 • Use good lighting to avoid dark or overexposed footage.

 • Use good audio equipment to avoid poor sound quality.

 • Keep your video short and engaging.

Conclusion

In conclusion, editing videos on a laptop is a fun and creative process that can be easily learned with practice and the right tools. By understanding video formats, choosing the right software, and utilizing basic and advanced editing tools, you can create professional-looking videos. Remember to resize your videos using online tools or your video editing software’s resizing tool, export your videos in the right format and quality, and use some final tips to enhance your videos. With these skills and techniques, you can unleash your creativity and produce videos that are engaging, entertaining, and informative. Happy editing!