Video editing facts for kids

Video editing is when you change a video by putting clips in a different order, adding special effects, or making other changes. It's used to create all sorts of videos, like movies, TV shows, commercials, and even short videos for the internet. In recent years, more and more people can edit videos because computers are now powerful enough and easier to use.

A vision mixer. This was used in the early days of video editing.

Editing Videos at Home

Long ago, editing videos at home was very hard and expensive. The special machines needed for editing were so costly that even big TV companies often had only one!

But things changed a lot around 1999 with computers like Windows ME and Windows XP. After that, most home computers could handle video editing. Today, there are many programs you can use. Some are free, and others, like those from Adobe or Sony's Sony Vegas, cost money. Some companies are even trying to make video editing automatic, like Google does with Google Photos.

Different Ways to Edit Videos

Video editing today involves many different steps. In the past, it was mostly about cutting parts out and putting clips in a new order. Now, it includes lots of other things, like adding cool special effects! Each type of editing has a different job:

• Linear video editing uses old-fashioned video tapes. You record clips from different tapes onto one new tape in the exact order you want them to appear. It's like building a chain, one link at a time.
• Non-linear editing system (NLE) is done on computers using special software. Programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Avid are examples. This way of editing doesn't change your original video files, so you can always go back to them.
• Offline editing is when you make copies of your original video footage. You edit these copies without touching the real, original files. Once you're happy with your edit, you use the original files to create the final video in the "online editing" stage.
• Online editing is the final step where you put your video together using the best quality original files. This happens after you've finished the "offline edit." It's sometimes called Post Production.
• Vision mixing is used in live TV shows or other live video events. A special machine called a vision mixer lets someone switch between different cameras in real-time. This is how they choose which camera view to show on screen right now!

Free Video Editing Software

Open source video editing software is usually free. It's often created by people who work together for free, or by groups that don't aim to make money. Here are some examples:

Images for kids

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  An editor working in a linear VCR suite.

See also

In Spanish: Edición de video para niños