Video Editing: From a hobby, to a career! | Ben Dixon
13th June 2024 - Ben Dixon
Introduction
Have you been immersed in a captivating video, drooling at the seamless transitions and stunning effects by your favourite content creator? Ever wondered just how difficult these are to do and if they are easily doable? Well, you're in the right place to learn how to do all of this. I’m going to share my journey into the world of video editing, and how you can start your own adventure, and hopefully video editing empire!
The First Step: Recording Gameplay
My journey into video editing started with a very simple and highly popular hobby: gaming! I was always fascinated by the idea of capturing those amazing moments and humorous fails alike, whether on my own or with friends, I always wanted to share my experiences with anyone who cared. Initially, it was just for fun and to share moments with friends before the time of discord screen sharing and xbox game captures etc – sharing cool clips with friends or posting them online.
To get started, I used basic screen recording software. There are plenty of free options out there like OBS Studio which I still use now! This is perfect for both beginners and professionals as it is very simple to use and navigate, and is also free (however I do recommend donating to the creator of OBS for his great work and generosity). My setup was not fancy at all – just a a computer that somehow scraped by working, and a passion for gaming and playing with friends every day.
Learning the Basics: Editing for Fun
Once I had my recordings, the real issues began. I had so many clips that did not fit together seamlessly, so I started with putting clips together in a very basic manner, and making “montages”. I never used a mobile device to edit a video as I feel like if I was to learn how to edit a video on an iphone I would not be as advanced as I am today. Instead, to edit the software I used a piece of software called “Lightworks Lite”. Simple tools like these that are free are perfect to get you out there as a beginner, and once you’re out there it is only a matter of time until views start rolling in and you start to get recognised. I spent countless hours experimenting with different skills such as cutting clips, adding transitions, and playing around with different effects, which can all primarily be transferred between different software, if you ever wish to change.
Now you have the right stuff to edit a video I can hear you saying "but Ben, how do you edit a video?". The answer to this is up to you. Its just like a video painting and the whole concept is up to you. The only thing you should be asking is how to do different techniques - which Google and Youtube will be your best friend with. So please, I do not want to hear “how do i edit a video again”. This stage is literally all about learning by doing. The more you edit, the more you will realise how much you enjoy it, but also find yourself making masterpieces in no time.
Taking the Leap: Editing for Others
After months of practising and making my own videos and clips, and also improving my skills, I decided to take the next step: editing for someone else. A friend of mine, who was also a gamer, needed help with his gameplay videos. He loved creating content but struggled with the time to actually go through with the editing process.
Editing someone else’s videos was a completely different experience. It was challenging as you never really know what they want or how they’d react once it is done. But the best part was, my friend never hated any of it, only had minor tweaks that they thought would make it better, and also put their own style into the videos.
Another person I have edited videos for is a YouTuber that goes by the name of “AntScapes”. This YouTuber makes videos in his own little jungle within his garage. I put clips together to make videos of him building different types of enclosures for all of his animals. I have since became very good friends with him and continue to help out where I can still. This shows another benefit of editing videos for other people - you come to learn quite a lot about them and also become very good friends in the process.
The iPhone Debate: Why Bigger Screens Are Better
Now, I have already said this further up, but I do not want you to start video editing on a mobile device. Google is littered with different articles showing you how to edit a video on iphones, and showing off different editing software of an iphone. Please refrain from using these as their screens just do not give you the same experience as a pc or laptop can give you. Sure, it’s convenient, and you might even stumble across this blog whilst wondering "how to cut video in iPhone?", and I am glad if so as I strongly advise against it if you’re serious about video editing, and also pray that you do this on a pc instead.
Additionally, working on a small screen can be frustrating and time-consuming. Achieving consistent speeds and precise cuts is challenging without the precision of a larger display.
The Payoff: A Career in Video Editing
What started as a fun hobby turned into a rewarding career alongside my web developing role. Today, I work as a web dev, helping people to get their presence online, and their content ranked higher on google, but editing videos are still deep into my heart also. My journey from recording gameplay to professional editing was a very easy process and I highly recommend it to anyone that is even on the fence about doing so. If you were to ask me about the best part, it will always be how it all began with something I loved doing.
So, if you’re interested in video editing, my advice is simple: start now. Happy editing!
Ben Dixon :)