In Windows Movie Maker, there are shortcut keys for the “Set Start/End Point” options. With “Set Start Point”, everything between the playhead and the beginning of the current clip is removed, and the empty space is filled by all the clips after it. This is similar to Shotcut’s Ripple Delete function, but without the need to create a cut and click on the clip you want to remove. This function also automatically moves the playhead to the time the current clip now starts at. It optimizes the trimming process and allows for quick editing of long videos.
For example, you hit the space bar to start watching your video. You have a lot of silence or blackness before anything starts happening, so once the playhead reaches the part where you want the video to begin, you just pause it there and hit the shortcut key for “set start point”. Everything before the playhead gets deleted, all of the following clips are moved to the start, and the playhead is also moved to the start.
You continue playing the video until a long period of talking or action has stopped. You hit the shortcut key for splitting the clip (S in this case) and continue playing the video. Once you reach a point where the action or talking starts again, repeat the process in the above paragraph: simply pause and hit one shortcut key (for "set start point). All of the silence and/or inaction is cut out, the gap is filled, and you can immediately resume at the start of the current clip by pressing space (or L if you actually prefer that).
Space -> Space -> Set Start Point -> Space -> Space -> Split -> Space -> Space -> Set Start Point -> Space -> Space -> Split -> Space -> Space -> Set Start Point (etc.)
Being able to trim videos with one hand. It’s an awesome feature in Windows Movie Maker, and it’d be awesome in Shotcut, too.