Editing video using iMovie on Mac has become the go-to for many amateur video makers. Whether you are starting your own YouTube channel or you have a video project for work or school, iMovie is a great, easy-to-use tool.
While you could probably learn the basics yourself, if you’re not familiar with video editing tools, it can seem a little overwhelming at first. This is especially true if you’re switching from PC to Mac, or you’ve just never edited video before.
Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of six video editing tips you can use to get started, so read on.
1. Use Crop to Zoom
Zooming in on a clip of your video is not as straightforward as you may think. You won’t find any options to zoom in or out. Instead, you’ll need to use the crop option.
Cropping a part of a clip will zoom the clip in and eliminate the outside portion of the crop.
To use this tool, highlight the clip you’d like to zoom in on. Click the crop button located above the preview video. Choose Crop to Fill and drag the part of the video that you want to zoom in on.
Click the checkmark to apply your changes.
2. Add Photos
Adding photos to your video can bring some dynamics and keep your editing style interesting. You can insert photos to go in between video clips or add in-video photos using a picture-in-picture tool.
To insert photos between video clips, use the Ken Burns effect. Add images by clicking Photo Library and dragging whichever photos you’d like to use to the timeline.
Photos are given a four-second duration by default, but you can change that by clicking on the edge of the photo and sliding it to make the duration longer or shorter. To tweak the effects of the Ken Burns, double click on the photo.
If you want to add a picture-in-picture effect, add the photos to your timeline and then drag the image above the video clip that you want the picture in. Click the Video Overlay Settings button, and choose Picture In Picture.
You can then resize the photo and drag it to place it wherever you like on the video clip.
3. Detach the Audio
When you’re learning how to edit video on Mac, discovering how to detach the audio gives you many more options. You can change up the video but continue the audio or show a series of photos without disrupting the audio.
To do so, right-click the video clip in the timeline and choose Detach Audio. The blue portion, which is the audio, will separate from the green portion, which is the video.
You can then place that audio wherever you want, allowing you to get creative with it.
4. Split Your Clips
Learning how to split your clips is almost as important as learning how to compress video. Splitting your clips allows you to get rid of any unnecessary or unwanted content, which can help keep it engaging.
For instance, videos you watch on YouTube have tons of split clips. YouTubers don’t actually talk as fast as you think they do, as they edit out all of their “ums” and “likes.”
To split clips, right-click on the point of the video you want to separate and choose “split clip.” This tool can also allow you to add different audio to various clips or move clips around to be earlier or later in your video.
5. Add Music
Adding Music can completely change up your video, and it is the best way to edit video on Mac. You can have different songs throughout your video, depending on what is happening in each clip.
Perhaps you want softer music while you talk to the camera and louder and more exciting music through various montages. There are tons of different sites you can find that offer free music, and YouTube has its own free Audio Library you can utilize.
To add music to your video clips on Mac, choose what song you want to add and drag it to your timeline. You’ll see it as separate from your video and original audio.
6. Adjust Your Audio
There should be a whole course on adjusting your audio, especially for video editing for beginners. Not adjusting your audio levels is one of the worst mistakes you can make.
If you leave your music too loud, no one will be able to hear what you’re saying. It can also be incredibly distracting.
If your audio is too low, your viewers will constantly have to adjust the volume as they watch, which means they’re paying less attention to what you’re showing on the screen.
To adjust your audio levels, click the horizontal line that runs through each audio track and raise or lower it depending on your needs. For instance, you may mute your original audio if you are using a song over top of it.
Or, you may increase your original audio and decrease the music so you can better hear what you’re saying. It’s best to listen to and check your video’s audio with multiple devices, such as out of your Mac’s speakers and through headphones.
Improve Your Content With These Video Editing Tips
These video editing tips for Mac should help you get started. No matter what you’re creating videos for, iMovie is a great and free tool, so start exploring it today.
If you ever get stuck when editing a video, there are tons of resources online that can help, so make sure to do your research.
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