Hi – I’d like to share a tip with you which will make editing so much easier…
I call them SPACER BLOCKS which are color coded –
Let me explain…
First off, thanks to Shotcut I think I’m finally getting a handle on producing a video… I’m trying to tell a story about something and I want the viewer to become engaged with whatever I’m trying to share…
But as I go through my videos I see a lot of them are not very good in that respect… So this is the process I now use when editing or making videos:
In MS Word I create a topic outline with everything I want to talk about and move things around in the outline to make more sense and try to create a flow to the conversation.
I then create my initial narration run in video in ZOOM… saying things over and over until I have them how I want, usually this is really long…
Then I edit that narration clip down and remove in order: any repeated sentences, rants, repeated discussion / any conversation I can’t really prove (using fact checks) / chitter (the ahs, ums, buts) which is the most time consuming and why I do it after the other edit cuts…
I make sure topics are in order.
I remove additional noise leaving that pause in but clip and use the gain-no volume filter.
I check for timing sequencing which Shotcut is amazing for this!
I check and add spacing to for additional transitions voice overs, etc. This I never did before but find this is what really helps viewers… can’t be too short, too long… has to make sense… ask yourself, what would Steve Spielberg do? (smile)
Okay – so now I take a lot of time and energy creating extra content, transitions, slides, etc…
I run through for spelling, biggest issue I have.
I run through to see if the images, etc. make sense with what I’m saying.
I run through to see if the video holds MY focus… is it interesting?
And so, now after weeks or months I’m almost done, but I do just one more pass when I realize there’s 3 seconds of a beginning clip that shouldn’t be there…
UG! And yes, you can clip and move based on info here but what I do is from the start I add what I call “SPACER BLOCKS” to all my tracks and here’s why…
So, first off, you can use Shotcut’s colors to do this process… You can even change the color after adding to the track… very nice feature… BUT the problem is I haven’t figured out how to change the name – so instead I have a folder with color blocks are coded for project chapters – that way I can use them along with the markers for chapters within the video.
a. Pink = Disclosure (set at 0)
b. Green = Intro (set as 1)
b. Purple = Chapter (whatever name - set as 2)
c. Light Blue = Chapter (whatever name - set as 3)
d. Black = Image Spacers
e. Gray = Text Spacers
f. White - Text
Also different shadings can be made for chapter segments…
(You get the idea, right?)
So now, using the blocks with markers it’s a lot easier to see where you are and also clip something out – just add a marker to the beginning and end of where you want to clip… then just cut down all tracks and ripple delete when done which keeps everything you’ve done in perfect timing…
NOTE: For me, I first SAVE (talked about below) – I then put a marker on beginning and end but put small spacers between, so that if I render that portion I keep those spacers…
For moving, I turn on the ripple marker feature but only cut the first track, then take that off and do the rest… at least that’s what I have to do as for some reason the markers go bonkers…
You can also add a note to your spacers which is an amazingly nice feature and kudos to the creators of this amazingly wonderful video editor.
TIP 1: First off SAVE and make backup copies:
File 1: date – 1_title a – short phrase for process part initial clip
File 2: date – 1_title b – short phrase for process part this is my working clip
File 3: date – 1_title c - short phrase for process part this is my copy
File 4: date – 2_title a - short phrase for next process part edited narration clip
File 5: date – 2_title b - short phrase for next process this is now my new working clip
File 6: date – 2_title c - short phrase for next process this is my new copy
TIP 2: I usually make vid’s in segments… it’s just easier…and so you can color code each file to help you realize which project segment you’re in.
The other thing… if I have to move things, I just add a couple extra tracks as needed, take off the magnet, even one that uses a color spacer… then clip, move your clips to respective blank tracks and move — then add magnetics and place where you want in your selected tracks…
I think often times people just don’t use the versatility of these awesome programs or are afraid to use a ton of markers. For me I can have dozens, then I remove them by going to markers, click the 3 bars and remove all markers…
This is what it starts to look like – so much easier to understand when editing…
You have your marker that matches the blocks that you name as chapters, you can even add extra blocks with “names”… just use the filter / opacity to make them unseen. I also like to put a break between sections/bookmarks/breaks…
Reducing LAG/CONFUSION: You can also take clipped edit sections that have bookmarks, render and replace your many snippets in that section:
- Using export/bookmark render that section into a snippet
- Open your new snipped into your project box
- Deselect ripple… then select all snippets, cut them out,
- Click ripple back on, snag your new render at the very top left and drag down into the timeline.
- Remove and replace and other imagery track no longer needed with your color spacers in opacity = clear.
If you notice I kept the text line, when I rendered I kept hidden as more often then not I’ll change what I’ve written at the last minute so might as well leave that on…
I’m also trying to make semblance of the playlist, using the color block boxes, but I also have a red box which I call my PLAYLIST MARKER… It’s helpful to organize but also, put it where you want to bring your new image that you put in the playlist as they usually start at the bottom and it can get really confusing when you’re moving them around…
PS: I’d like to make vid’s for SC, but in the meantime if anyone uses this info to create a video, please make sure to include me in the byline as the originator of these ideas – as I would also show you the same courtesy - Thank you!
