If you are looking for a simple software to edit videos, we introduce you to Wondershare Filmora.
This post is sponsored by Filmora, and after using this software for a few weeks, I can honestly say I’m converted. I plan to use this software for future video editing.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoys making travel videos. Video captures moments in a way that a single photo can’t, and it’s now easier than ever to record, edit, and share video. If you’re one of the growing number of people creating videos, I’d love to share some tips to make the process as easy as possible.
Before we begin, there are two things I want to say.
- You don’t have to be a professional YouTuber to create travel videos. Don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed and don’t compare yourself to video producers. Just do what you can so you don’t have any regrets.
- Please edit the video as soon as possible. If you keep video footage on your hard drive for a month, it quickly becomes two months, three months, two years, never edited. If you don’t edit your video as soon as you get home, it won’t be created!
Should you make videos or stick with photos?
If you think making videos seems a little difficult, think again. I’m not a video pro by any means, but the few videos I made from the trip are some of my fondest memories and were 100% worth the extra effort.
And it’s not just for me, but mostly for my children.
I post my videos on my YouTube channel and my kids love watching our videos. It feels so great to sit together and watch an hour of holiday footage!
This is especially nice because it helps keep memories of your trip alive that you might otherwise forget. I have a video from my trip to Dubai a few years ago that the boys would have completely forgotten about if I didn’t watch it every few months!
But making videos is really complicated? Right?
If you think it’s really hard to make a simple video, I’d love to show you how easy it is.
Here are some quick tips:
- Please keep the camera still
That’s right, never move the camera. As you gain a little more experience, you’ll get better at adding camera movement, but it’s best to keep the camera still at first. Press “Record” on your camera, but don’t move the camera as you would when taking a photo. It’s tempting to move the camera, but when you look again you quickly realize that it’s terrible. Movies are movement, but they shouldn’t be movement!
- Please keep your clips short
Editing is much easier if most clips are around 3-5 seconds long. Of course, there are some clips that need to be longer, but try to keep them as short as possible.
- Don’t forget the movies yourself
Add more interest by showing your face in the video. Lots of landscape photos are boring. Even if it’s just a 2-3 second clip of him taking a few seconds of your face, it’s worth having in there.
- Use a camera instead of a smartphone
I know modern smartphones are great, but they still can’t match the footage you get with a “proper camera.” I primarily use a Canon M50 and it’s a great little camera. If you don’t have a camera, check out Facebook Marketplace or go to your local CEX to get a used camera.
- Learn how to use editing software
Editing software can be very complex and often interrupts the process of piecing together clips. I don’t know how to use software and have a hard drive full of video footage that I’ve never edited. Therefore, choose something simple and learn how to use it properly. The best way to learn is simply to play as much as possible. If you’re taking your laptop with you on a long flight, this is the perfect time to do it!
Wondershare Filmora Video Editing Software Review
This leads nicely to the next point…which software should you use?
Today I am reviewing Wondershare Filmora video editing software. I would like to share it as it is a very easy option for beginners. It has so many features that you can initially download it for free and start trying it out.
We’ve already published a great introductory video on how to use Wondershare Filmora, so we highly recommend you watch it (make sure you sit down and watch it!) before you create your first video. But today I will tell you some reasons why I think Wondershare Filmora is great. New video editor options.
Here are some things I like about Wondershare Filmora
simple chopped
If you’re new to video creation, all you really need to focus on is cutting the clips, cutting out the problem parts, and stitching them together into a cohesive line.
And thankfully, Wondershare Filmora makes this very easy. Editing clips is very easy.
This is pretty much all I do. Combine all clips into one line and shorten all clips to about 2-3 seconds. Cut out any wobbly, out-of-focus footage, or long, boring clips.
aspect ratio
You can change the aspect ratio (shape) of your video to match the platform you upload it to. If you’re creating for Instagram, shoot in portrait mode and use a 9:16 aspect ratio, which will result in an elongated rectangle.
If you’re creating for YouTube, you’ll be shooting in landscape mode and the aspect ratio will be 16:9.
This may sound a little complicated, but it’s not at all.
This feature is great if you decide to shoot landscape footage and create a Reel for Instagram from it, it will crop and frame your landscape footage!
This is something I see a lot of people doing on TikTok and Instagram Reels. They have a lot of old landscape video footage from previous vacations and trips, and now they want to edit this footage to create fun little videos for social media.
Another platform where you can do this is InShot, an app for your phone or tablet. This app is really great, but editing videos on your phone can be a pain, and your phone often can’t handle the huge video files you take with your camera.
split screen
It’s very easy to split the screen and add multiple clips to the same frame.
Beginner tip: If you have a lot of not-so-great footage, this is actually a very good option. There may be some clips that you really want to use, even if they are out of focus or a little wobbly. Splitting the screen into four parts makes each clip smaller, making wobbles and mistakes less noticeable.
easy color correction
Sometimes you may need to brighten up your video a little, or the colors in the footage may not be as vibrant as they are in real life.
It’s very easy to use Wondershare Filmora to correct colors and brighten things that don’t shine the way you want them to.
Animation – including fade out
There are several animations to choose from, such as sliding the clip from side to side. It allows for great transitions from one scene to the next. Personally, I really like using a “fade out” animation at the end of a video. The video ends well and doesn’t feel like it ends abruptly.
Includes a large number of audio options (237 at the time of writing!)
Music is often the most important thing in a video, and it can make your video look cohesive and professional.
There are tons of songs and sound effects to choose from, and they’re all located within the FIlmora software, so you don’t have to scour the internet for your convenience.
effect
There are lots of great effects if that’s your preference. Personally, I think that jazzy effects can make your videos look like his 90’s PowerPoint slideshows, but if used well, they can make your videos even better.
Watch this video created with Wondershare Filmora to see what amazing effects you can create. This video shocked me to the core:
title
I think the titles are one of the best things about Wondershare Filmora and they are what sets this software apart from others. There are a lot of titles to choose from and they look great. As someone who doesn’t like to talk much in my videos, I really like using text overlays to label what’s going on.
film stock library
If you want your videos to look more professional, you can pay an additional fee to access the Filmstock library. If you can find the right stock footage or the perfect clip, you can really make your video!
Cons
The main drawbacks for me were that the software crashed once while using it and the video I was editing wasn’t saved. There is an option to open “Recent Projects” to continue working on the video, but in my case it didn’t show up just once. This can obviously be very frustrating if you have spent a lot of time editing your videos and were almost finished. This could be because you were trying to use the same account on two devices.
Wondershare Filmora purchase price
Filmora has a free trial version, but it will export footage with a watermark logo. For most beginners, I don’t think this is much of an issue.
If you want to upgrade, it’s $51.99 for one year, or $79.99 if you pay all at once. At this price, you get access to more features and a 1-month free trial of the Filmstock standard library. Its price is lower than most competitors, but is it better than the free software that comes with your computer?
As a Mac user, I usually use iMovie. I think iMovie is perfectly suited for simple editing. It’s very easy to use and reliable, but I think it’s limited by the lack of a text option, and it doesn’t have any fun extra features to give your videos that final shine.
For me, Wondershare Filmora is worth the money for the title alone. I’m really impressed with these features as there are plenty of options for openers, closers, subtitles, and bottom third captions.
final thoughts
Overall, I think Wondershare Filmora is a great software for beginners in video editing. It’s not overwhelming or scary. It’s very easy to get started, but it also has plenty of features in case you want to progress further.