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Beginners Guide to Video Editing With Open Source Software

4.5 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Based on 101 ratings
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Robert Lee Reed (MBA)

Start creating great videos today.

Video editing is becoming a critical skill for anyone involved with social medial. This course is designed to give you a quick start guide to creating great looking videos. You will learn how to crop, slice, trim and edit videos using OpenShot video editor. You will learn how to use a free screen recorder so that you can make videos of images captured directly from your computer display. I will also introduce a free audio editing tool and show how you can remove background noise from your videos with Audacity.

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Start creating great videos today.

Video editing is becoming a critical skill for anyone involved with social medial. This course is designed to give you a quick start guide to creating great looking videos. You will learn how to crop, slice, trim and edit videos using OpenShot video editor. You will learn how to use a free screen recorder so that you can make videos of images captured directly from your computer display. I will also introduce a free audio editing tool and show how you can remove background noise from your videos with Audacity.

This course is designed to give you the skills you need to produce high-quality videos. I am not a professional video editor. This is a benefit because I explain everything in a way that makes sense to other beginners. I will explain all of the terms and processes in a simple, easy to understand format.

The course will use 100% free software. This is a great course for students who are not sure if they want to get started in video editing. Because the software is 100% free, you will not have to make any major investments to start learning to edit videos.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Crop, trim, and slice video
  • Add effects and transitions to video
  • Sync audio and video
  • Design logos and thumbnails for videos
  • Record your computer screen

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to the course in Open Source Video Editing. This is designed to be a beginners course, so we will move slowly through all of the concepts. I hope you find the course useful.

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Welcome to OpenShot Video Editor. This is free software that will allow you to edit videos. In this first lesson, we will cover installing OpenShot as well as performing basic video editing.

In this video, we will continue editing videos with OpenShot. We will learn how to add transitions between clips and add images to our videos.

In this video, we will learn how to use Chromakey to create green screen effects in OpenShot.

In this lesson, we will learn how to combine audio and video from different sources. This can happen when a presenter is giving a lecture, but they are wearing a voice recorder to record better audio than the video camera can detect.

In this lesson, I will show you an alternative method of synchronizing audio and video by viewing the audio waveform. This method has the same result as syncing with visual cues, such as clapping, but it may be easier for some people to use.

Speeding up and slowing down a video clip can add emphasis. In this lesson, we will learn to slow down, speed up, and add a background video that is sped up.

In this lesson, we will learn how to make multiple videos play in the same screen at the same time. This is useful when showing a channel trailer of all the different topics that your channel covers.

In this lesson, we will learn how to slide videos on and off screen while keeping a channel logo in the corner to protect our videos from content thieves.

Audacity is one of the best audio editors. This video will show you how to record audio, edit audio, amplify the audio from quiet tracks, and reduce background noise.

OBS is a free screen recorder that is cross-platform. In this video, you will learn how to download, install, and configure the software to record your computer screen.

This video will introduce Inkscape. This free program allows you to create clip art and graphics for use in your videos.

In this lesson, you will learn how to create a custom thumbnail using a "freeze frame" from your video.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Uses OpenShot, a free and open-source video editor, making it accessible for beginners without budget constraints
Teaches skills relevant to social media, such as cropping, slicing, trimming, and adding effects and transitions
Explains video editing terms and processes in a simple, easy-to-understand format, catering to beginners
Covers audio editing with Audacity, which helps learners remove background noise and improve audio quality
Uses OBS Studio, a free screen recorder, which allows learners to create videos of their computer screen
Uses Inkscape to create clip art and graphics, which may require additional time to learn for those unfamiliar with vector graphics editors

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Reviews summary

Beginner video editing with free tools

According to learners, this course is a fantastic starting point for anyone new to video editing. It provides a clear and easy-to-follow guide using only free, open-source software like OpenShot, Audacity, and OBS. Students particularly appreciate the comprehensive coverage of basic editing in OpenShot and the helpful tips for audio editing and screen recording. However, a few learners felt the Inkscape section on graphics was too brief. While most found the pace suitable, a small number found it occasionally too fast or confusing. Overall, it's considered a solid introduction, especially for beginners wanting to create videos without investing in expensive software.
No paid software required.
"Uses free software, which is great when you're just starting out and don't want to invest heavily."
"Because the software is 100% free, I didn't have to make any major investments to start learning."
"Appreciated learning with OpenShot, Audacity, and OBS as they are freely available tools."
Strong focus on core editing tasks.
"The explanations for OpenShot were clear and easy to follow."
"A great introduction to video editing with free tools. OpenShot section was comprehensive."
"The OpenShot part was well-explained and covered the essentials I needed."
"OpenShot explained well, helped me understand basic cuts, trims, and transitions."
Clear and easy for novices.
"This course is fantastic for absolute beginners. The explanations were clear and easy to follow."
"I had never edited video before, and now I feel confident doing basic edits thanks to this."
"The instructor breaks everything down into manageable steps. Perfect for someone just starting a channel."
"Excellent beginner course! Walked me through everything I needed to know to get started."
Audio quality varies in some lessons.
"Audio quality in some videos wasn't great, which was a minor distraction."
"Experienced technical issues with the video playback and audio sync in one or two lessons."
A few found the pace too fast.
"The OpenShot part was confusing in places."
"The instructor sometimes goes too fast through certain steps, making it hard to follow."
"While mostly clear, there were moments the pace felt a bit quick for an absolute beginner."
Inkscape section lacks detail for some.
"I felt like the quality dropped off in the later sections (Audacity, Inkscape)."
"I found the Inkscape part a bit light on detail, wishing for more depth."
"The Inkscape part felt rushed compared to OpenShot coverage."
"The graphics section on Inkscape was useless for me, didn't cover what I needed."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Beginners Guide to Video Editing With Open Source Software with these activities:
Review Basic Video Editing Terminology
Familiarize yourself with common video editing terms to better understand the course content and instructions.
Show steps
  • Find a glossary of video editing terms online.
  • Review the definitions of terms like 'cut,' 'transition,' 'render,' and 'codec.'
  • Take notes on any unfamiliar terms.
Read 'Video Editing: The Complete Guide'
Gain a broader understanding of video editing principles and techniques to supplement the course material.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Video Editing: The Complete Guide.'
  • Read the chapters relevant to the topics covered in the course.
  • Take notes on key concepts and techniques.
Practice Trimming and Splicing Video Clips
Reinforce your understanding of basic video editing techniques by practicing trimming and splicing clips in OpenShot.
Show steps
  • Import several video clips into OpenShot.
  • Practice trimming the beginning and end of each clip.
  • Splice the clips together in different orders.
  • Export the edited video.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Design a Video Intro and Outro
Practice creating professional-looking video intros and outros to enhance the visual appeal of your videos.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm ideas for the intro and outro design.
  • Create the graphics and animations in Inkscape or another graphics editor.
  • Import the graphics into OpenShot.
  • Animate the graphics and add music or sound effects.
  • Export the intro and outro as separate video files.
Create a Short Video Tutorial
Solidify your knowledge by creating a short video tutorial explaining a specific video editing technique covered in the course.
Show steps
  • Choose a video editing technique to explain.
  • Record a video demonstrating the technique in OpenShot.
  • Edit the video to add clear explanations and visuals.
  • Share the tutorial with others.
Edit a Short Film
Apply your video editing skills to a larger project by editing a short film using footage from online sources or your own recordings.
Show steps
  • Find free stock footage online.
  • Create a storyline or narrative for the short film.
  • Edit the footage together to tell the story.
  • Add music, sound effects, and transitions.
  • Export the finished short film.
Contribute to OpenShot Documentation
Deepen your understanding of OpenShot by contributing to its documentation, such as writing tutorials or improving existing documentation.
Show steps
  • Visit the OpenShot website and find the documentation section.
  • Identify areas where the documentation could be improved.
  • Write new tutorials or improve existing ones.
  • Submit your contributions to the OpenShot project.

Career center

Learners who complete Beginners Guide to Video Editing With Open Source Software will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Video Editor
A video editor assembles raw footage into a finished product suitable for broadcasting. This course, designed for beginners, helps build a foundation in essential video editing tasks and provides a smooth entry into this role. The course covers cropping, slicing, trimming, and editing videos using OpenShot, equipping one with the practical skills necessary for a video editor. Additionally, learning to add effects and transitions, as taught in this course, elevates the quality of video projects. The course's approach to explaining concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand format makes it particularly helpful for aspiring video editors.
See salaries and explore the career path for Video Editor
YouTube Channel Manager
A YouTube channel manager is responsible for overseeing and optimizing a YouTube channel's performance, which requires video editing proficiency. This course helps YouTube channel managers produce high-quality videos. The course teaches skills with free software. Learning to crop, slice, trim, and edit videos with OpenShot helps create engaging content. The course's focus on screen recording is beneficial for creating tutorials, reviews, and commentary videos. Furthermore, learning to design logos and thumbnails helps maintain a professional brand identity. By gaining proficiency in video editing, a YouTube channel manager can enhance the overall quality of content.
See salaries and explore the career path for YouTube Channel Manager
Social Media Specialist
Social media specialists manage a company's online presence, often requiring video content creation. This course empowers social media specialists to independently create engaging videos using open-source software. Understanding how to crop, slice, trim, and edit videos, as taught in the course, helps produce polished social media content. The course's focus on using free software makes it accessible for creating content without budget concerns. Syncing audio and video enables the creation of professional-sounding videos for platforms like YouTube and TikTok, making a social media specialist's presence more impactful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Specialist
Instructional Designer
An instructional designer creates learning materials, often using video tutorials to explain complex topics. This course provides instructional designers with the essential skills to produce engaging and effective training videos. The course’s emphasis on using free software reduces the cost. Learning to record the computer screen and edit audio with Audacity helps create comprehensive tutorials. Moreover, the course covers the fundamentals of syncing audio and video, ensuring clear and professional-sounding instructional videos. As an instructional designer, the ability to create high-quality video content is an invaluable skill.
See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer
E-Learning Developer
An eLearning developer designs and creates online courses and training programs which may include video components. This course helps eLearning developers produce video content using open-source software. Understanding how to crop, slice, trim, and edit videos with OpenShot helps them create engaging learning experiences. The course's focus on screen recording is valuable for creating software demos and step-by-step tutorials. Furthermore, learning to sync audio and video helps deliver clear and professional instruction. This course presents the basics simply, which is beneficial for those new to video.
See salaries and explore the career path for E-Learning Developer
Content Creator
A content creator develops engaging material for various platforms, and video is a critical component of many content strategies. This course may be useful for content creators who want to independently produce video content. Learning to crop, slice, trim, and edit videos with OpenShot helps content creators produce professional-looking videos. Furthermore, the course provides a quick start guide to video creation. Learning to record a computer screen along with audio topics is crucial for creating tutorials and presentations. Additionally, creating logos and thumbnails adds a professional polish to videos.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Digital Marketing Specialist
Digital marketing specialists are responsible for planning and executing digital marketing campaigns, and video marketing is a crucial aspect of this. This course equips digital marketing specialists with the video editing skills needed to produce promotional material. The course's focus on free software will be relevant for creating marketing videos without high expenses. Learning to add effects and transitions to videos, as taught in the course, helps create engaging marketing content that captures audience attention. Understanding how to design logos and thumbnails helps create a consistent brand image across marketing channels, making a digital marketing specialist's work more impactful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Specialist
Animator
Animators create moving images using various techniques, and video editing skills are helpful for assembling and refining animations. This course provides animators with skills in video editing using open-source software. Understanding how to crop, slice, trim, and edit videos with OpenShot helps to create polished and professional animations. The course's focus on syncing audio and video ensures that animations have synchronized soundtracks. Furthermore, designing logos and thumbnails is helpful for promoting and showcasing animation work. By gaining proficiency in video editing, an animator can enhance the overall quality of their animations.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Multimedia Artist
A multimedia artist creates animations and visual effects for various media, often working with video. This course helps build a foundation in the video editing skills needed to produce and refine multimedia projects. The course's instruction on cropping, slicing, and trimming videos is essential for precise video manipulation. Furthermore, learning to add effects and transitions to video allows for more dynamic and engaging visual experiences. The course's focus on using free software provides a cost-effective way to start developing skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist
Podcast Producer
Podcast producers manage all aspects of podcast creation, and they may produce companion videos that accompany their audio content. This course can be helpful to a podcast producer. Learning to record the computer screen is helpful for creating tutorials or visual aids to accompany a podcast. The course covers using free software. Learning to edit and sync audio assists in improving the overall sound quality of videos. While podcasting is primarily an audio-based format, knowing video editing is useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Podcast Producer
Game Developer
Game developers create video games, and video editing skills are relevant for creating trailers, gameplay videos, and promotional content. This course helps game developers produce video content for marketing purposes. The course covers using free software, thus helping reduce the cost of making promotional content. Learning to record the computer screen and edit audio is helpful for creating gameplay videos. Furthermore, learning to create logos and thumbnails helps create professional teasers. By gaining proficiency in video editing, game developers can enhance a game's overall presentation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer
Web Developer
A web developer creates and maintains websites, and sometimes needs to incorporate video content into their projects. This course may be useful for web developers if they want to create tutorials, demonstrations, or promotional videos for their projects. The course covers using free software. Learning to record the computer screen is helpful for creating tutorials that illustrate website functionality. Furthermore, this course teaches how to create graphics for videos which can enhance a website's overall visual appeal. Although web development is primarily focused on coding and functionality, creating videos helps with the overall appeal.
See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer
Film Editor
Film editors assemble raw footage into a final movie or television show. This course, designed for beginners, introduces the basic video editing concepts of the video. The course will be helpful for students who want to learn the core concepts of film editing such as cropping, slicing, trimming, and editing videos. The course will also teach how to remove background noise from videos with Audacity. The course's approach to explaining concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand format makes it particularly helpful for aspiring film editors.
See salaries and explore the career path for Film Editor
Graphic Designer
While graphic designers primarily focus on still images, video is increasingly becoming part of their toolkit, requiring a basic understanding of video editing. This course may be useful for graphic designers looking to expand their skills into video. The course teaches skills with free software. Learning to design logos and thumbnails, as taught in the course, is directly relevant to creating visually appealing video content. Although graphic design is primarily concerned with visual elements, adding skills in video editing would be useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer
User Experience Designer
User experience designers focus on improving the usability and accessibility of digital products; they may use video to present their design ideas or create user testing recordings. This course may be useful to user experience designers. Learning to record the computer screen is helpful for creating presentations. The course covers using free software. Learning to edit and sync audio assists in creating effective user testing videos. While user experience design is primarily concerned with interactions, the ability to create clear and concise videos would be beneficial.
See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Beginners Guide to Video Editing With Open Source Software.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of video editing principles and techniques. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic editing concepts to more advanced techniques. It can be a useful reference for understanding the broader context of video editing and exploring topics beyond the scope of this beginner's course. It is best used as additional reading.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check

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Rating
4.5 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Effort
1 total hour
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Robert Lee Reed (MBA)
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Uses OpenShot, a free and open-source video editor, making it accessible for beginners without budget constraints
Teaches skills relevant to social media, such as cropping, slicing, trimming, and adding effects and transitions
Explains video editing terms and processes in a simple, easy-to-understand format, catering to beginners
Covers audio editing with Audacity, which helps learners remove background noise and improve audio quality
Uses OBS Studio, a free screen recorder, which allows learners to create videos of their computer screen
Uses Inkscape to create clip art and graphics, which may require additional time to learn for those unfamiliar with vector graphics editors
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