REBEL RESOURCES: HOW TO EDIT VIDEO AT HOME USING LIGHTWORKS

THIS GUIDE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH HOW TO USE LIGHTWORKS TO EDIT VIDEO CONTENT AT HOME

As we look online more and more for digital content to consume, video is the most popular form of media we choose to watch. A lot of us would love to get our own YouTube channel going, whether it's casual Vlogging, or perhaps guides for subjects you're passionate about. While there are hundreds of different programs you can use to edit video, while you're just getting started out it's probably best to use free software, rather than pay for some expensive professional software (Like Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro). For this guide, we're going to be using Lightworks, a free video editing program you can get for Mac, Windows, and even Linux.

1. What gear will I need to edit video?

While you're just getting started out, you won't need much equipment. In fact, you're more than likely ready to go with what you own already!

CAMERA(S): Obivously to edit any video, you'll need some video to begin with! And you'll need a camera for this. Most modern DSLR cameras are able to capture incredible quality video. However, not everyone is going to have access to cameras like this. Instead, look to your smartphone! On the assumption you own a fairly modern smartphone, you are capable of capturing perfectly good quality video for use online on social media or YouTube. Get comfortable with the different settings your smartphone camera has available to you. iPhone's tend to keep these settings more simple, and Android phone's have a lot more Pro features. Either way, no matter what type of phone you own, you're capable of creating quality video content. Most popular YouTubers just use their phones to make their content!

COMPUTER: The computer or laptop you already own will be more than capable for basic video editing! While working with the video you'll be recording on your phone, you don't need any particularly powerful hardware. Any fairly modern Mac or Windows computer will do absolutely fine, as long as you make sure your computer's hard drive has enough space to install the software, as well as hold the video files you want to edit. Some people choose to keep their video files on a USB stick or external hard drive, in order to keep space on their computer free. This is also perfectly fine, but it is recommended that if you do this, the USB device you choose to use is a USB 3.0 device or higher. A lot of normal USB sticks tend to be USB 2.0 and this can cause major slowdowns when editing video. Be sure to double check this before you start editing!

EDITING SOFTWARE: There are hundreds of different video editing programs available to you. The most popular programs are Adobe Premiere Pro (Mac and Windows), Final Cut Pro (Mac), and Avid Media Composer (Windows and Mac). However while you're just getting started out, you'll want to use some free software. Your Windows PC or Mac may already come with some free video editing software. For the sake of this guide, we're going to be using the free program Lightworks. It's available for Windows, Mac and Linux computers. It may be free but it is fully capable, and will work perfectly for your YouTube or social media videos.

2. Getting started!
First, you'll need to download the correct version of Lightworks for your computer. Simply go to https://www.lwks.com/index.php?option=com_lwks&view=download&Itemid=206 and then select either the Windows tab or the Mac tab to get your download link. Once you've got the program installed, we're ready to go!

3. Creating a New Project

1. Once you've launched Lightworks, you'll need to click the “Create a New Project” button on the screen.

2. Once the New Project box pops up, you'll need to enter the relevant info. Come up with a memorable name for your project, and select the frame rate you'll be using for this video. Check your phone's video settings to make sure what frame rate you've been recording in. If you are going to be editing video clips with different frame rates, then choose the "Mixed Rates" option from the dropdown menu. Once you're happy, click the Create button.

3. Lightworks will load up a new project on your screen, along with a tab labelled Log.

4. Import your video files

1. Click the Local Files tab.
2. Now click the Places tab to navigate to the drive or folder containing the video files you want to edit. Note: You can't import files with a different frame rate to what you previously selected when creating the project. The program will indicate this as an error with a red mark.
3. Choose your file import method from drop-down list. You can choose anything from: Create Link, Copy Local and Transcode options. Choose Create Link for now, but make sure not to move your video files from their original location after doing this.
4. Now click on the video file you want to import. If you wish to select multiple video files, then hold the Control/Shift key while selecting your files. Click the Import button once you're done.
5. Once you've imported the video files you want to work with, the Content Manager panel will switch to a new "Bin" containing all your selected video files.

5. Playing back your video files in the Viewer

1. To preview the video clip you want to edit, you can either double click it to load it into the Viewer, or simply drag it from the Content Manager to the Viewer panel. The clip will then be loaded into the Viewer. The name of the individual file will be displayed at the top of the Viewer panel.
2. You can use the media control buttons on the Viewer panel to play your video file.

3. To move quickly through the video file (in case it is of a substantial length), you can use the red Frame Marker, located in the Indicator Strip at the bottom of the panel.

6. Edit your video clips!

1. Once you have a video file in the timeline, you can hover your mouse over the clip to a section you want to make a cut. Your mouse cursor will change to a white brackets icon, that looks similar to ][. Click the left mouse button in order to make a cut.

2. Now when you hover your mouse over the cut you've just made, the brackets icon will display as yellow instead of white. This will indicate that you've successfully made a cut.

3. The Viewer panel will now switch to Trim View mode. It will display the video frames on both sides of the cut you've just made in your video.

4. You can click the Preview button below the Viewer panel to see how your video now looks with the cut in the project.

5. When you want to exit from the Trim View then simply hit the Close button.

   You can use these tools to edit your clips down to the sections you want to use in your final video. You can use the same functions to edit out any audio you don't want to be used in the final video.

7. Export your finished video

Once you're happy with your finished video project, it's time to export!

1. Select either the individual video clip or entire timeline you want to export to a video file. Right click with your mouse, and then select the Export function from the drop-down menu. 
2. Choose your export format.There are many different options here between camera formats, media files, interchange, backup, targets, sub-menu headings and presents, etc. For now, just choose the MP4 format. The free version of Lightworks will allow you to do this, but if you select other options then you'll be asked to buy a premium version of the program.
3. The program will now open a box with export options based on the format you chose in the last step.
4. Enter the requested information in each field, such as the name you want to give to your finished video project. Make sure to also choose a location on your computer you'll easily be able to find the finished video!
5. Once you're happy with what you've chosen, click the Start button. Depending on the length of your project and quality of the video files, the export process may take a little while. Make sure you keep Lightworks open and your computer turned on until this is completed.
6. Once the process is completed, you'll be able to upload your finished video to social media, YouTube, or any other site you wish to use!

You should now be capable of simple video editing with Lightworks, and start producing your own videos for social media or YouTube! While there are definitely much more powerful programs to use for video editing, Lightworks will really help you get started and get comfortable with video editing software. This is only a basic guide, and Lightworks has much more functionality if you want to try more complicated features like special effects and transitions. There are hundreds of free guides on how to use these functions on YouTube if you want to expand your knowledge further.