You may be looking for more advanced features in your post-production software that will allow you to add transitions, titles, additional video or audio tracks or even work with a chroma key (green screen) background. In that case you’ll need to access a dedicated video editing program. Video editing software is a bit like digital calendars. There are hundreds of options out there and everyone has their personal favourite. In this chapter we’ll take a brief look at a few options you may already have on your computer as well as a couple editing programs that you can access for free to help get the job done.

Microsoft Clipchamp

Microsoft has been a little inconsistent with it’s included editing programs recently. Windows 10 may include Windows Movie Maker, Video Editor, or Microsoft Clipchamp. If you’re on a Microsoft machine running Windows 10 or Windows 11 you should have access to Microsoft Clipchamp either preinstalled along with your operating system or available as a free download through your Office 365 account. Clipchamp is also available as a web-app using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge so you don’t need to install anything on your personal device.

The free version of Clipchamp has a good variety of advanced features to choose from including:

• Easy video editing Trim, position, enhance and more
• Auto composition Powered by Microsoft AI
• Free filters & effects Background removal and more
• Basic stock media Audio, video, graphics and stickers
• Text to speech AI voice overs in over 80 languages
• Autocaptions With smart voice detection
• Speaker coach Improve your presentation skills
• Up to 1080p HD exports

Clipchamp includes a lot of “Content Creator” templates which makes making flashy social media clips quick and easy. There are plenty of tutorials available online to get started with so if this is a program you want to get started with just do a quick search for Clipchamp Tutorials and you should find what you need. Here’s one to get you started.

Apple iMovie

iMovie is pre-installed on all new Macs, iPhones, and iPads, and is available for free on the App Store. This video editing program has had a long development life with Apple and includes a wide range of professional features while still being easy to use. You can easily choose and assemble your clips, add titles, music, effects and transitions and export video files including 4k support. features like Magic Movie allow you to use Apple templates to create a completed video in just a few taps. iMovie is an excellent option if you’re a Mac user and a great way to start learning the art of video editing.

Again, plenty of tutorials and how-to videos exist for the iMovie program so if you’re looking to get started with this application a quick web search should get you what you need. Here’s one to get you started.

OpenShot (approved by ICT)

One of the cross platform options for video editing is OpenShot. This program is an easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful video editor available for free on Mac, PC, or Linux operating systems. Some of the features of OpenShot include:

• Trim and Slice
• Animation and keyframes
• Video Effects
• Title Editor
• Slow motion and Time effects
• Drag and drop video, audio, and images for editing.

OpenShot is has been through the ICT Technology Assessment approval process for use at USask. See the ICT Knowledge Base Article Here.

Here’s a quick Tutorial for beginners on OpenShot.

Blackmagic Divinci Resolve

If you’re looking for a professional grade video editing software that will handle RAW, ProRes, 10-12bit video files and allow you to create advance colour correction node trees and so much more there is a free option for you. Blackmagic Divinci Resolve is your professional editing, colour grading, motion graphic and audio post production solution. This is NOT a beginners editing tool, but does offer advanced control over your video editing workflow. If you have previous video editing experience and want to upgrade your skills in a professional software then Divinvi Resolve might be for you. Available for Mac OS, PC, and Linux computer systems, the basic version is free to use.

Here’s a quick start guide to get you started.