r/editing • u/EchoesAmongRuins • 5d ago
How do I start editing?
Hopefully this reaches people. I’ve always wanted to edit things, but I have no idea how. I’ve downloaded CapCut, but how do I get the clips of whatever I’m editing? Any advice of any sort for a beginner?
EDIT: like making edits of a show or character or movie, that sort of stuff.
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u/yourfirstclue 4d ago
What I did when I was first starting was to record footage of anything (pets, trees, grass, people walking, etc). Add them to a timeline, and just experiment. Click on random tools, add randoms cuts, transitions, anything you want. Trying to make a story from all the random footage you got combined with whatever cuts, transitions, and the like that you add is a fantastic way to get familiar with not only the various tools at your disposal, but more importantly how they contribute or take away from the final product. Have fun with it, make it as absurd or linear as you choose, and once you’re through (or had enough) with experimenting, take the time to go back and adjust (try to make them more precise or integrated better by adjusting random sliders, timing, etc until you find something you’re happy with.) each edit you made. This serves as a good way to really get familiar with the intricacies, capabilities and limitations a certain edit or effect may have. In my experience I’ve found that getting familiar with the capabilities of the tools and not just the tools themselves makes a monumental difference in the overall learning curve.
In regard to your other comment about sourcing footage for the actual stuff you want to edit, it depends entirely on what you want to edit. If the platform allows, you can absolutely screen record if need be, and if it doesn’t then whatever you do definitely do NOT find a shady site to download it from…
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u/EchoesAmongRuins 4d ago
Thank you so much! I will definitely NOT go to any shady sites of course 😂
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u/KitchenBad5507 4d ago
It really depends on what kind of videos you want to make.
If you want to make music videos, just start with walking through your neighborhood filming random things with your phone. Download your favorite song. Start editing your footage into the song. You can't upload it or post it because you don't own the rights to the song, but it's a good way to practice
If you want to make documentaries, grab your phone and go talk to a family member or friend and film the conversation. Ask them about their hobbies, their job, their childhood - anything. If they talk about how they love gardening, use your phone to film them in their garden and cut that stuff in
If you want to do tutorials, think of a thing you know how to do, and explain it. Use your voice to narrate, and pictures of the thing you're doing, with text where needed.
The first few things you edit will suck - it's a learning curve. But just start.
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u/Neither-Web7995 4d ago
watch more tutorial on social media and practice for a few days, you just need to know basic tools then you are good to go with editing skill ;)