Video Editing Made Easy: Your Guide to Making Videos on Macs
Video content is everywhere these days, and your Mac is the perfect place to try your hand at making videos! Let’s dive into everything you need to know to get started.
First, pick up an external hard drive. Creating videos requires tons of storage, and it’s both convenient and cost effective to have all of your clips and final products on an external disk.
Next, choose a video editing software. Apple offers two great options: iMovie and Final Cut Pro.
iMovie is free and usually pre-installed on Macs. It does offer fewer features than other softwares, but this allows you to familiarize yourself with the software quickly and it runs faster too! If you’re just starting out, this is the way to go.
Bonus step: Every Mac has a built-in microphone that will allow you to record audio with ease. If you’d like a more professional recording, purchase an external mic for studio quality audio.
Now that you have your workspace set up, you can start making videos. You have a few options when it comes to creating video content:
Record your screen. You can record tutorials on how to use certain softwares or Google Suite applications, record yourself playing an online game, and so much more. Use Command+Shift+5 and then choose how much of the screen you want to capture, as well as where you’d like to save the file and other relevant settings. You can later upload this file to your video editing software and add a voiceover to create a great video.
Record within iMovie using the FaceTime HD camera built into your Mac. Head to the Import button in the toolbar (represented by a downward arrow). If you don’t see it, click the Media button in your toolbar, then click the Import button. In the Cameras section of the Import window, select the built-in FaceTime camera. Then select the “event,” or video project, you want to record into, and then press the Record button! To stop recording, press the Record button again. Then head back to the event to which you saved your recording, and the footage will be ready to go!
Import videos that you’ve taken from another device (your iPhone, a DSLR camera, Go Pro, etc.). Transfer the files onto your Mac through SD card, USB, or AirDrop, then simply head to the Import button and select the files you’d like to edit into a video. They will appear in your video editing library and you can start editing right away.
Once you’ve edited your video, export the file and you’re done! Upload your video to Youtube, share with your family, or keep it for yourself. With iMovie’s capabilities, the possibilities are endless.
Need help navigating the world of video editing on a Mac? Reach out to our team for support. Your films await!