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What is a Video Essay? The Art of the Video Analysis Essay

I n the era of the internet and Youtube, the video essay has become an increasingly popular means of expressing ideas and concepts. However, there is a bit of an enigma behind the construction of the video essay largely due to the vagueness of the term.

What defines a video analysis essay? What is a video essay supposed to be about? In this article, we’ll take a look at the foundation of these videos and the various ways writers and editors use them creatively. Let’s dive in.

Watch: Our Best Film Video Essays of the Year

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What is a video essay?

First, let’s define video essay.

There is narrative film, documentary film, short films, and then there is the video essay. What is its role within the realm of visual media? Let’s begin with the video essay definition. 

VIDEO ESSAY DEFINITION

A video essay is a video that analyzes a specific topic, theme, person or thesis. Because video essays are a rather new form, they can be difficult to define, but recognizable nonetheless. To put it simply, they are essays in video form that aim to persuade, educate, or critique. 

These essays have become increasingly popular within the era of Youtube and with many creatives writing video essays on topics such as politics, music, film, and pop culture. 

What is a video essay used for?

• To persuade an audience of a thesis
• To educate on a specific subject
• To analyze and/or critique 

What is a video essay based on?

Establish a thesis.

Video analysis essays lack distinguished boundaries since there are countless topics a video essayist can tackle. Most essays, however, begin with a thesis. 

How Christopher Nolan Elevates the Movie Montage  •  Video Analysis Essays

Good essays often have a point to make. This point, or thesis, should be at the heart of every video analysis essay and is what binds the video together. 

Related Posts

• Stanley Kubrick Directing Style Explained →
• A Filmmaker’s Guide to Nolan’s Directing Style →
• How to Write a Voice Over Montage in a Script →

interviews in video essay

Utilize interviews.

A key determinant for the structure of an essay is the source of the ideas. A common source for this are interviews from experts in the field. These interviews can be cut and rearranged to support a thesis. 

Roger Deakins on "Learning to Light"  •  Video Analysis Essays

Utilizing first hand interviews is a great way to utilize ethos into the rhetoric of a video. However, it can be limiting since you are given a limited amount to work with. Voice over scripts, however, can give you the room to say anything. 

How to create the best video essays on Youtube

Write voice over scripts.

Voice over (VO) scripts allow video essayists to write out exactly what they want to say. This is one of the most common ways to structure a video analysis essay since it gives more freedom to the writer. It is also a great technique to use when taking on large topics.

In this video, it would have been difficult to explain every type of camera lens by cutting sound bites from interviews of filmmakers. A voice over script, on the other hand, allowed us to communicate information directly when and where we wanted to.

Ultimate Guide to Camera Lenses  •  Video essay examples

Some of the most famous video essayists like Every Frame a Painting and Nerdwriter1 utilize voice over to capitalize on their strength in writing video analysis essays. However, if you’re more of an editor than a writer, the next type of essay will be more up your alley. 

Video analysis essay without a script

Edit a supercut.

Rather than leaning on interview sound bites or voice over, the supercut video depends more on editing. You might be thinking “What is a video essay without writing?” The beauty of the video essay is that the writing can be done throughout the editing. Supercuts create arguments or themes visually through specific sequences. 

Another one of the great video essay channels, Screen Junkies, put together a supercut of the last decade in cinema. The video could be called a portrait of the last decade in cinema.

2010 - 2019: A Decade In Film  •  Best videos on Youtube

This video is rather general as it visually establishes the theme of art during a general time period. Other essays can be much more specific. 

Critical essays

Video essays are a uniquely effective means of creating an argument. This is especially true in critical essays. This type of video critiques the facets of a specific topic. 

In this video, by one of the best video essay channels, Every Frame a Painting, the topic of the film score is analyzed and critiqued — specifically temp film score.

Every Frame a Painting Marvel Symphonic Universe  •  Essay examples

Of course, not all essays critique the work of artists. Persuasion of an opinion is only one way to use the video form. Another popular use is to educate. 

• The Different Types of Camera Lenses →
• Write and Create Professionally Formatted Screenplays →
• How to Create Unforgettable Film Moments with Music →

Video analysis essay

Visual analysis.

One of the biggest advantages that video analysis essays have over traditional, written essays is the use of visuals. The use of visuals has allowed video essayists to display the subject or work that they are analyzing. It has also allowed them to be more specific with what they are analyzing. Writing video essays entails structuring both words and visuals. 

Take this video on There Will Be Blood for example. In a traditional, written essay, the writer would have had to first explain what occurs in the film then make their analysis and repeat.

This can be extremely inefficient and redundant. By analyzing the scene through a video, the points and lessons are much more clear and efficient. 

There Will Be Blood  •   Subscribe on YouTube

Through these video analysis essays, the scene of a film becomes support for a claim rather than the topic of the essay. 

Dissect an artist

Essays that focus on analysis do not always focus on a work of art. Oftentimes, they focus on the artist themself. In this type of essay, a thesis is typically made about an artist’s style or approach. The work of that artist is then used to support this thesis.

Nerdwriter1, one of the best video essays on Youtube, creates this type to analyze filmmakers, actors, photographers or in this case, iconic painters. 

Caravaggio: Master Of Light  •  Best video essays on YouTube

In the world of film, the artist video analysis essay tends to cover auteur filmmakers. Auteur filmmakers tend to have distinct styles and repetitive techniques that many filmmakers learn from and use in their own work. 

Stanley Kubrick is perhaps the most notable example. In this video, we analyze Kubrick’s best films and the techniques he uses that make so many of us drawn to his films. 

Why We're Obsessed with Stanley Kubrick Movies  •  Video essay examples

Critical essays and analytical essays choose to focus on a piece of work or an artist. Essays that aim to educate, however, draw on various sources to teach technique and the purpose behind those techniques. 

What is a video essay written about?

Historical analysis.

Another popular type of essay is historical analysis. Video analysis essays are a great medium to analyze the history of a specific topic. They are an opportunity for essayists to share their research as well as their opinion on history. 

Our video on aspect ratio , for example, analyzes how aspect ratios began in cinema and how they continue to evolve. We also make and support the claim that the 2:1 aspect ratio is becoming increasingly popular among filmmakers. 

Why More Directors are Switching to 18:9  •  Video analysis essay

Analyzing the work of great artists inherently yields a lesson to be learned. Some essays teach more directly.

• Types of Camera Movements in Film Explained →
• What is Aspect Ratio? A Formula for Framing Success →
• Visualize your scenes with intuitive online shotlist software →

Writing video essays about technique

Teach technique.

Educational essays designed to teach are typically more direct. They tend to be more valuable for those looking to create art rather than solely analyze it.

In this video, we explain every type of camera movement and the storytelling value of each. Educational essays must be based on research, evidence, and facts rather than opinion.

Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement  •  Best video essays on YouTube

As you can see, there are many reasons why the video essay has become an increasingly popular means of communicating information. Its ability to use both sound and picture makes it efficient and effective. It also draws on the language of filmmaking to express ideas through editing. But it also gives writers the creative freedom they love. 

Writing video essays is a new art form that many channels have set high standards for. What is a video essay supposed to be about? That’s up to you. 

Organize Post Production Workflow

The quality of an essay largely depends on the quality of the edit. If editing is not your strong suit, check out our next article. We dive into tips and techniques that will help you organize your Post-Production workflow to edit like a pro. 

Up Next: Post Production →

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How to do a Video Essay: The Video Essay Process

• Plan, Prepare & Create

Storyboarding

• Finding, Filming & Editing
• References & Credits
• The Video Essay Process

This section will give an introductory overview of the stages required to create a video essay.  Video essayers advice is to start simple and work through each stage of the video production process. Visit the Resources page of this guide for more.

Identify what is your argument? What is it that you want to communicate to the viewer? Write this down in a few sentences, refer and modify it as required.

Watch Video Essays

Watch a selection of video essays, read blogs and web pages from video essayers and decide what type of video essay you would like to create. Start simple.

A storyboard is a detailed outline (similar to an outline in a written essay) that helps you to organise and visualise the video essay as to what is on the screen, text, media, message and transitions between shots.

Storyboards assist in determining the length, message and meaning of the video essay and help save time with editing and post production processes.

• Free Storyboard Templates

Collect & Edit

Collect video material as downloads, ripping DVDs, screen grabs, mobile phone footage and create voice-overs. Use research skills to find information and statements to support your argument. Maintain a standard of quality and manage your videos by naming conventions and storage.

Use editing software and experiment with available functionality to enhance and support your argument. Add a voice-over, sound effects, music and other aspects of multimodality. Be sure to include references and credits to all sources used in creating the video essay.

Revisit elements of your video essay and modify as required.

Visit the Resources page of this guide for more.

• Where to find video and how to capture it
• Video Editing Basics - iMovie
• Software Guides

References & Credits

References to cite sources used in the Video Essay. Referencing is a formal, systematic way of acknowledging sources that you have used in your video essay. It is imperative that you reference all sources used (including videos, stills, music, sfx) and apply the correct formatting so that references cited can be easily traced. The referencing style used at ECU is the APA style, 6th ed. 2010. Refer to the ECU Referencing Library Guide for accurate citation in APA style.

Production credits Individuals: acknowledgement of individuals and their role in the production. Purpose: A statement for internal use, e.g. “This video was produced for [course name] at [institution’s name] in [semester, year]”

• Referencing Library Guide
• << Previous: What is a Video Essay?
• Next: Modes, MultiModality & Multiliteracies >>
• What is a Video Essay?
• Modes, MultiModality & Multiliteracies
• A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies
• Modes Of Multimodality
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• Video Essay Channels
• Weblinks to Video Essay Resources
• Weblinks to Creative Commons Resources
• Titles in the Library
• Referencing & Copyright
• Marking Rubric
• Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 2:57 PM
• URL: https://ecu.au.libguides.com/video-essay

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How to Write a Video Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide and Tips

• by Joseph Kenas
• January 5, 2024
• Writing Tips

The video essay has become an increasingly popular way of presenting ideas and concepts in the age of the internet and YouTube. In this guide, we present a step-by-step guide on how to write a video essay and tips on how to make it.

While it is easy to write a normal essay, the structure of the video essay is a bit of a mystery, owing to the newness of the term.

However, in this article, we are going to define what is a video essay, how to write a video essay, and also How to present a video essay well in class.

What is a Video Essay?

A video essay is a video that delves into a certain subject, concept, person, or thesis. Video essays are difficult to characterize because they are a relatively new form, yet they are recognized regardless. Simply, video essays are visual compilations that try to persuade, educate, or criticize.

These days, there are many creatives making video essays on topics like politics, music, movies, and pop culture.

With these, essays have become increasingly popular in the era of video media such as Youtube, Vimeo, and others.

Video essays, like photo and traditional essays, tell a story or make a point.

The distinction is that video essays provide information through visuals.

When creating a video essay, you can incorporate video, images, text, music, and/or narration to make it dynamic and successful.

When you consider it, many music videos are actually video essays. 

Since making videos for YouTube and other video sites has grown so popular, many professors are now assigning video essays instead of regular essays to their students. So the question is, how do you write a video essay script?

Steps on How to Write a Video Essay Script

Unscripted videos cost time, effort, and are unpleasant to watch. The first thing you should do before making a video writes a script, even if it’s only a few lines long. Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of writing a script. All you need is a starting point.

A video script is important for anyone who wants to film a video with more confidence and clarity. They all contain comparable forms of information, such as who is speaking, what is said, where, and other important details.

While there are no precise criteria that a video essay must follow, it appears that most renowned video essayists are adhering to some steps as the form gets more popular and acknowledged online. 

1. Write a Thesis

Because a video essayist can handle a wide range of themes, video analysis essays lack defined bounds. The majority of essays, on the other hand, begin with a thesis.

A thesis is a statement, claim, theme, or concept that the rest of the essay is built around. A thesis might be broad, including a variety of art forms. Other theses can be quite detailed.

A good essay will almost always have a point to express. Every video analysis essay should have a central idea, or thesis, that ties the film together.

2. Write a Summary

Starting with a brief allows you and your team to document the answers to the most pressing project concerns. It ensures that everyone participating in the video production is on the same page.

This will avoid problems of mixing ideas or getting stuck when you are almost completing the project.

3. Choose a Proper Environment and Appropriate Tools

When it comes to writing your script, use any tool you’re familiar with, such as pen and paper. Also, find a writing atmosphere that is relaxing for you, where you can concentrate and be creative.

Consider what you don’t have to express out loud when you’re writing. Visual elements will be used to communicate a large portion of your content.

4. Use a Template

When you don’t have to reinvent the process every time you sit down, you get speed and consistency.

It’s using your cumulative knowledge of what works and doing it over and over again. Don’t start with a blank page when I sit down to create a script- try to use an already made template. 

5. Be Conversational

You want scripts that use language that is specific and targeted. Always avoid buzzwords, cliches, and generalizations. You want your audience to comprehend you clearly without rolling their eyes.

6. Be Narrative

Make careful to use a strong story structure when you’re trying to explain anything clearly. Ensure your script has a beginning, middle, and end, no matter how short it is. This will provide a familiar path for the viewers of your video script.

7. Edit Your Script

Make each word work for a certain position on the page when you choose your words.

They must serve a purpose.

After you’ve completed your first draft, go over your script and review it.

Then begin editing, reordering, and trimming. Remove as much as possible.

Consider cutting it if it isn’t helping you achieve your goal.

 8. Read Your Script Loudly

Before recording or going on in your process, it’s recommended to read your script aloud at least once. Even if you won’t be the one reading it, this is a good method to ensure that your message is clear. It’s a good idea to be away from people so you may practice in peace.

Words that flow well on paper don’t always flow well when spoken aloud. You might need to make some adjustments based on how tough certain phrases are to pronounce- it’s a lot easier to change it now than when recording.

9. Get Feedback

Sometimes it is very difficult to point out your mistakes in any piece of writing. Therefore, if you want a perfect video essay script, it is advisable to seek feedback from people who are not involved in the project.

Keep in mind that many will try to tear your work apart and make you feel incompetent. However, it can also be an opportunity to make your video better.

The best way to gather feedback is to assemble a group of people and read your script to them. Watch their facial reaction and jot own comments as you read. Make sure not to defend your decisions. Only listen to comments and ask questions to clarify.

After gathering feedback, decide on what points to include in your video essay. Also, you can ask someone else to read it to you so that you can listen to its follow.

A video essay can be a good mode to present all types of essays, especially compare and contrast essays as you can visually contrast the two subjects of your content.

How to make a Good Video from your Essay Script

You can make a good video from your script if you ask yourself the following questions;

• What is the video’s purpose? What is the purpose of the video in the first place?
• Who is this video’s intended audience?
• What is the subject of our video? (The more precise you can be, the better.) 
• What are the most important points to remember from the video?- What should viewers take away from it?

If the context had multiple characters, present their dialogues well in the essay to bring originality. If there is a need to involve another person, feel free to incorporate them.

How to Present a Video Essay Well in Class

• Write down keywords or main ideas in a notecard; do not write details- writing main ideas will help you remember your points when presenting. This helps you scan through your notecard for information.
• Practice- in presentations it is easy to tell who has practiced and who hasn’t. For your video essay to grab your class and professor’s attention, practice is the key. Practice in front of your friends and family asking for feedback and try to improve.
• Smile at your audience- this is one of the most important points when presenting anything in front of an audience. A smiley face draws the attention of the audience making them smile in return thus giving you confidence.
• Walk to your seat with a smile- try not to be disappointed even if you are not applauded. Be confident that you have aced your video presentation.

Other video presentations tips include;

• Making eye contact
• Have a good posture
• Do not argue with the audience 
• Look at everyone around the room, not just one audience or one spot
• Rember to use your hand and facial expressions to make a point.

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

How to Make a Video Essay & Understand the Art of Visual Storytelling

The video essay is considered a powerful medium wherein the art of filmmaking with a depth of critical analysis to compelling ideas or arguments combined. Scholars and storytellers commonly use it, but anyone who wants to create it can do so in just a few minutes. So, let us not wait any longer as we set a stage for you to embark on a storytelling journey through a camera lens, where your ideas will come to life in a captivating and thought-provoking manner. In this guide, we will delve into how to make a video essay and learn more about it, so keep reading and remember information to become knowledgeable about it.

Part 1. What Is a Video Essay - Know More about Video Essay

Part 2. how to make a video essay using the general process everyone should know, part 3. how to edit a video essay after preparing the content on your pc, part 4. faqs on how to create a video essay.

What is a video essay? Video essay is a unique form of visual storytelling that blends the elements of traditional filmmaking with the intellectual rigor of critical analysis. It is a medium where the creator uses the power trifecta, which is the video, audio, and text, to convey their ideas, arguments, or narratives. Also, it covers multiple subjects, such as dissecting themes in a film and exploring historical events or cultural phenomena. The creators provide a dynamic platform to engage their audiences, often offering a fresh perspective on a topic or encouraging viewers to think more deeply.

The other video essay definition is the systematic process that combines creative and analytical skills. Commonly, video essay creation features voiceovers or on-screen text, supported by carefully selected visuals, music, and sound effects when necessary. With these elements, you can create a harmony to communicate the central message effectively, which can be thought-provoking, informative, persuasive, or purely artistic, making them a versatile medium for expression.

Generally, making a video essay is an iterative process, and each step requires careful consideration and creativity. With practice and dedication, you are harnessing the power of this medium to convey your ideas effectively to your audience in meaningful ways. So, if you want to know how to create a video essay, here are the steps you can follow.

Now that you know how to do a video essay, let's go to the next important part: editing. With Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate , you will not have a hard time processing the videos, such as merging videos, trimming, adding subtitles, adding effects, etc. Imagine having all the necessary video editing features for creating the best video essay in a single tool; that is what this app is all about. Even if you are inexperienced in video editing or processing, you can follow the steps below that teach you how to process it.

How should I start my video essay?

Start your video essay with a compelling introduction that grabs the viewer's attention. Also, you could use an interesting fact, a thought-provoking quote, or a relevant anecdote to draw your audience in.

What is included in a video essay?

A video essay typically includes video clips, images, audio, and narration. It presents an augment or explores a specific topic using visual and auditory elements to support your topic. Research, analysis, and creativity are vital components of a video essay.

How long does a video essay take?

The length of a video essay can vary widely, ranging from a few minutes to over an hour. The duration will always depend on the complexity of the topic, the depth of analysis, and the intended audience. If you have a very long video, the engagement with others might be too low. We suggest cutting or trimming the video into several parts if needed.

Can I edit my video essay on my phone?

You can use many video editing apps on your phone to edit video essays easily. If you are an Android user, we suggest you explore the Vid. Fun, and if you are an iOS user, maximize the potential of iMovie on iOS.

How to write a video essay?

Writing a video essay involves a combination of scripting, planning, and creativity. So before you start creating, you must select a precise topic that allows you to have an in-depth analysis but is broad enough to appeal. Research, develop a strong thesis statement, create an outline, and write a compelling script. Remember to review your manuscript multiple times and edit it for clarity, coherence, and flow.

Definitely! You are now ready to create a video essay with the help of the video essay maker we have added here. Always remember to be confident when you are shooting a video on camera, and if you are taking a voice-over, be clear on your point and do not hesitate to take retakes when needed. We hope this article helps you do the video essay you need!

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4 Easy Steps On How To Make A Video Essay

Just like photo essays and traditional essays, video essays tell a story or make a point. The only difference is that it presents the information or story in video form.

However, how to make a video essay is a general question in today’s time. As the development of technology and easy access to the internet has changed the traditional method of narrating a story through written essays has to be video essays. It is quite easy to connect with people through videos as compared to written essays as you can attract them in both express and implied ways. It has risen as an effective and efficient mode of presenting the information. 

Thus, this blog will help you understand how to make a video essay proficiently and the significance of making such an essay. Let’s start by discussing what a video essay is.

What is a video essay?

Table of Contents

The essay is a short formal piece of writing to express one’s thoughts, stories, arguments, and so on. Video essay means narrating the content of an essay in a video through pictures, text, music or narration, etc.

This is why it is a bit challenging to make a videos essay as compared to writing a traditional essay. Hence, the importance of learning how to make a video essay arises.

The following picture shows the steps that will help you get going with your project.

How to make a video essay?

Following are the steps involved in how to make a video essay:

1.   Contemplate your topic wisely

• The first and the foremost step in how to make a video essay is to choose a topic for your essays. You can’t jump on to other steps before finalizing your topic. Your topic must address a brief content of the essay. Since it’s a videos essay therefore you have to decide a catchy title with a view to attract and allure your audience.  
• While contemplating a topic for the essay you should always keep in mind that the product or content is the second thing but the title is the first thing to tell the audience about the essay.

2.   Create a script and structure

• After deciding a topic now you have to create a story from your idea. Since video essays work as written essays, therefore you have to build a story on your idea in an interesting way.
• As in a written essay you have to build a structure and outline to present your story, likewise in a video essay you have to drive a video in three stages beginning, middle, and end.
• This step is very mandatory and has to be observed very cautiously. Create your narration or pictures, text beforehand so that you narrate the actual story in the perfect format.
• As soon as you will make your outline then you can write your script in an efficient and effective manner. Writing a story is an art so make it worth watching.

3. Decide the right clips and images

• By now you have decided your title, outline, and structure for your video essay. Now the next step in how to make a video essay is to choose the right clips and images to tell the story in the best manner.You can  create clip  by selecting the most relevant parts of your footage and trimming them down to fit your story’s pacing and structure. Additionally, consider using images that help illustrate your points or add visual interest to the video.
• Since this is the best advantage of a videos essay that you can use pictures and clips to share your views so you also have to make the best use of them accordingly.
• Always use only those pictures, clips, and texts which directly suggest your point of view or argument or your experience and so forth.
• To choose the most suitable clips and texts and images you must have a rich library of the same. The rich library will help you to find exactly what you need and want to support each and every point you make and to rebut the point you want to rebut. Conclusively, you will craft a better video.

4. Edit the video into a single essay

• You have everything ready to go and you are only left to collect and merge all the chosen images and footage into a single video to give it a form of narration.
• While editing your video essay you can use any tools related to editing the videos as there are several videos editing too . It will help you to garnish your video in an attractive manner. You can make changes in the video while remembering your targeted audiences.

How long should a video essay be?

A 10-minute video essay that is clear, focused, stylish, and well-crafted is much better than a 60-minute video essay that is loose, vague, obvious, and thrown together. Thus, concerning traditional written essays, the following are the idea of the expected length of a video essay:

Bonus Point

What are the best video editors.

Following are the best video editors that are free of cost:

(i) Lightworks: It is the best free choice for those who want to create professional-quality movies or videos without spending a penny.

(ii) Hitfilm express: It is also free-to-use video editing software. This software adjusts color balance, trim clips, and exports your projects in different video formats.

(iii) Movie Maker Online: It is a video editor that runs in your browser. to edit a video, you have to upload an unusual vertical project timeline where you can crop clops and add filters or transition effects.

(iiii) Canva: Canva is renowned for offering tens of thousands of templates in every format imaginable for use on every publishing platform. The features that make Canva video editor a fun, special, and effective tool include real-time collaboration, self-recording plus screen recording that is ideal for classes, training, and webinars, pre-licensed audio tracks, content planner, and publisher, as well as brand kit and colors. Canva’s video editor is also accessible on your browser (for online editing), desktop download (if you want offline editing), and mobile (iOS and Android).

If you are well versed with this blog, then sure, you know how to make a video essay efficiently and effectively.

Video Essay As Form Of Marketing

The video essay is the latest popular style of essay in which a short video is made to narrate a story or anything as per the genre of the essay. That is why it has emerged as an effective tool of marketing as now companies can sell advertises their products through video essays instead of advertisement videos. This is more efficient than traditional advertisements because it does not directly intend to do marketing. Instead, it depicts the importance of the product through pictures, video clips or story narration, etc. But all this is possible only when you know how to make a video essay.

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• How To Write An Essay Plan?

With the emergence of technology and awareness of technology in people, the method of academics has completely changed and video essay is one of the modern aspects.  In video essays, You can create clip by selecting the most relevant parts of your footage and trimming them down to fit your story’s pacing and structure. Additionally, consider using images that help illustrate your points or add visual interest to the video. It has also become a tool of digital marketing owing to its advantages. But all this is possible only when you know how to make video essays and all the guidelines thereto. It will help to make a good video essay.

Hope you have found out from the above information how to make a video essay, but if you still have any doubts, then you can help from our experts through essay writing help , write essay for me in a very short period, and how to write my essay in an easy way.

What Makes A Video Essay Great?

According to Max Marriner, intellectual accessibility, genuine or hard-hitting evidence, and an engaging host are key formulas for making a good video essay.

Who Made The First Video Essay?

Mathew Turner created a viral youtube essay arguing that Daniel LaRusso, the young hero of the 1984 film, The Karate Kid, was actually the movie’s villain. You first need to know the story behind the video he posted to youtube.

How Do You Structure A Video Essay?

The video essay will have the same features as an essay; an introduction, argument, discussion, and conclusion. Students should be enabled to approach the development of the video essay in the same way as their academic essays; research, write, plan, prepare, edit, and submit.

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Visual Rhetoric

Video essay resource guide.

PAR 102 (M-Th, 9 AM- 5 PM) Fine Arts Library Media Lab (same hours as FAL) PCL Media Lab (same hours as PCL)

About video essays

What are they.

“The video essay is often described as a form of new media, but the basic principles are as old as rhetoric: the author makes an assertion, then presents evidence to back up his claim. Of course it was always possible for film critics to do this in print, and they’ve been doing it for over 100 years, following more or less the same template that one would use while writing about any art form: state your thesis or opinion, then back it with examples. In college, I was assured that in its heart, all written criticism was essentially the same – that in terms of rhetorical construction, book reviews, music reviews, dance reviews and film reviews were cut from the same cloth, but tailored to suit the specific properties of the medium being described, with greater emphasis given to form or content depending on the author’s goals and the reader’s presumed interest.”

Matt Zoller Seitz on the video essay .

what makes a good video essay? 

Tony Zhou on how to structure a video essay

Kevin B. Lee on what makes a video essay “ great “

why should we use them? what are their limits?

Kevin B. Lee’s  experimental/artistic pitch for video essays

Kevin B. Lee’s mainstream pitch for video essay

“Of all the many developments in the short history of film criticism and scholarship, the video essay has the greatest potential to challenge the now historically located text-based dominance of the appraisal and interpretation of film and its contextual cultures…”

Andrew McWhirter argues that t he video essay has significant academic potential in the Fall 2015 issue of  Screen

“Importantly, the [new] media stylo does not replace traditional scholarship. This is a new practice beyond traditional scholarship. So how does critical media differ from traditional scholarship and what advantages does it offer? First, as you will see with the works in this issue, critical media demonstrates a shift in rhetorical mode. The traditional essay is argumentative-thesis, evidence, conclusion. Traditional scholarship aspires to exhaustion, to be the definitive, end-all-be-all, last word on a particular subject. The media stylo, by contrast, suggests possibilities-it is not the end of scholarly inquiry; it is the beginning. It explores and experiments and is designed just as much to inspire as to convince…”

Eric Fadden’s “ A Manifesto for Critical Media “

Adam Westbrook’s “ The Web-Video Problem: Why It’s Time to Rethinking Visual Storytelling from the Bottom Up “

Video essayists and venues

Matt Zoller Seitz (various venues) A writer and director by trade, Zoller Seitz is nonetheless probably best known as a prominent American cultural critic.  He’s made over 1000 hours of video essays and is generally recognized as a founder of the video essay movement in high-brow periodicals.  A recognized expert on Wes Anderson, Zoller Seitz is also notable because he often mixes other cinematic media (especially television) into his analysis, as in the above example, which doubles as an experiment in the absence of voiceover.

Various contributors, Press Play Co-founded by Matt Zoller Seitz and Ken Cancelosi,  Press Play  (published by Indiewire)   is one of the oldest high-brow venues for video essays about television, cinema, and other aspects of popular culture.

Various contributors, Keyframe   (A Fandor online publication) Fandor’s video essay department publishes work from many editors (what many video essayists call themselves) on and in a range of topics and styles.  Check it out to get an idea of all that things a video essay can do!

Various contributors, Moving Image Source A high-brow publication for video essays.

Tony Zhou, Every Frame a Painting The master of video essays on filmic form, Tony’s arguments are clean, simple, and well-evidenced.  Look to Tony as an example of aggressive and precise editing and arrangement.  He’s also an excellent sound editor–pay attention to his choices and try out some of his sound-mixing techniques in your essay.

Adam Johnston, Your Movie Sucks (YMS) Although an excellent example of epideictic film rhetoric, this channel is a great example of what  not  to do in this assignment (write a movie review, gush about how good/bad you think a movie is, focus on motifs or narrative content instead of  film form  as the center of your argument).  What you  can  learn from Adam is a lot about style.  Adam’s delivery, pacing, and editing all work together to promote a mildly-disinterested-and-therefore-credible ethos through a near-monotone, which I’ll affectionately dub the “Daria” narratorial ethos.

Adam Westbrook, delve.tv Adam Westbrook is part of an emerging group of professional video essayists and delve.tv is his version of a visual podcast.  Using the video essay form, Adam has developed a professional public intellectual ethos for himself through skillful overlay of explanation/interpretation and concept.  Check out Westbrook’s work as a really good example of presenting and representing visual concepts crucial to an argument.  He’s a master at making an argument in the form of storytelling, and he uses the video essay as a vehicle for that enterprise.

:: kogonada (various venues) If you found yourself wondering what the auteur video essay might look like, :: kogonada is it.  I like to call this “expressionist” video essay style.  Kogonada is the ultimate minimalist when it comes to voiceover/text over–its message impossibly and almost excessively efficient.  Half of the videos in his library are simple, expertly-executed supercuts , highlighting how heavily video essays rely on the “supercut” technique to make an argument.  Crafting an essay in this style really limits your audience and may not be a very good fit for the constraints of assignment (very “cutting edge,” as we talked about it in class), but you will probably draw inspiration from ::kogonada’s distinct, recognizable style, as well as an idea of what a video essay can do at the outer limits of its form.

Lewis Bond,  Channel Criswell Narrating in brogue-y Northern English, Bond takes his time, releasing a very carefully-edited, high-production video essay once every couple of months.  He’s a decent editor, but I feel his essays tend to run long, and I feel rushed by his narration at times.  Bond also makes a useful distinction between video essays and analysis/reviews on his channel–and while most of his analysis/reviews focus on film content (what you don’t want to imitate), his video essays stay pretty focused on film technique (what you do).  Hearing the same author consciously engage in two different modes of analysis might help you better understand the distinction between the two, as well.

Jack Nugent,  Now You See It Nugent’s brisk, formal analysis is both insightful and accessible–a good example of what it takes to secure a significant following in the highly-competitive Youtube marketplace.  [That’s my way of slyly calling him commercial.] Nugent is especially good at pairing his narration with his images.  Concentrate and reflect upon his simple pairings as you watch–how does Nugent help you process both sets of information at the pacing he sets?

Evan Puschak, The Nerdwriter Nerdwriter  is a great example the diversity of topics a video essay can be used to craft an argument about.  Every week, Puschak publishes an episode on science, art, and culture.  Look at all the different things Puschak considers visual rhetoric and think about how he’s using the video essay form to make honed, precisely-executed arguments about popular culture.

Dennis Hartwig and John P. Hess,  FilmmakerIQ Hartwig and Hess use video essays to explain filmmaking technique to aspiring filmmakers.  I’ve included the channel here as another example of what  not  to do in your argument, although perhaps some of the technical explanations that Hartwig and Hess have produced might help you as secondary sources.  Your target audience (someone familiar on basic film theory trying to better understand film form) is likely to find the highly technical, prescriptive arguments on FilmIQ boring or alienating. Don’t focus on technical production in your essay (how the film accomplishes a particular visual technique using a camera); rather, focus on how the audience interprets the end result in the film itself; in other words, focus on choices the audience can notice and interpret–how is the audience interpreting the product of production?  How often is the audience thinking about/noticing production in that process?

Kevin B. Lee (various venues) A good example of the older, high-brow generation of video essayists, Kevin’s collection of work hosted on his Vimeo channel offers slow, deliberate, lecture-inspired readings of film techniques and form.  Note the distinct stylistic difference between Kevin’s pacing and someone like Zhou or Lewis.  How does delivery affect reception?

Software Guides

How to access Lynda tutorials (these will change your life)

Handbrake and MakeMKV  (file converters)

Adobe Premiere  (video editing)

Camtasia  (screen capture)

File management

Use your free UTBox account to upload and manage your files.  Make sure you’ve got some sort of system for tracking and assembling everything into your video editing software.   UTBox has a 2 terabyte limit (much higher than Google Drive) and is an excellent file management resource for all sorts of academic work.

Adobe Premiere saves versions with links to your video files, so it’s imperative that you keep your video files folder in the same place on every machine you open it up on.  That’s why I keep all my video files in a big folder on box that I drop on the desktop of any machine I’m working on before I open my premiere files.  The Adobe Premiere project walkthrough  has more details on this.

Where to find video and how to capture it

About fair use . Make sure your composition complies with the Fair Use doctrine and familiarize yourself with the four criteria.

The best place to capture images is always from a high-resolution DVD or video file .  The first place you should go to get the film is the library– see instructions for searching here .

To import the video and audio from your DVD or video file into your video editing software (like Premiere), you will first need to use a software to convert it to an .mkv.  See instructions on how to do that here .

Camtasia tutorials .  Camtasia is a program that allows you to capture anything that’s going on on your screen .  This is a critical tool for this assignment as you decide what kind of interface you want to present to your reader in your video essay.  Camtasia also allows you to capture any high-quality video playing on your desktop without licensing restrictions.

You can also use Clip Converter to capture images and sound from pre-existing YouTube videos , and it may be a little faster and easier than Camtasia.   I suggest converting things into .mkv before putting them into your video editor, regardless of where you get the material from.

Film theory and criticism

• /r/truefilm’s reading and viewing guide

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Home » Video Editing » The Essay Structure of Video Editing

The Essay Structure of Video Editing

A good way to plan and edit a non-fiction piece is to structure the storyline like you would a formal essay. In this post we’ll take our cues from writing fundamentals and show you how.

Think back to high school English class, and having to write essay after essay. I don’t know about you, but my english teachers drilled a very specific structure into my head for writing these essays and reports. This structure proved incredibly useful when I aced my college writing class, but I also realized over time that I was subconsciously using the basic fundamentals of essay organization in my videos – specifically non-fiction ones.

Some of this came through in the initial planning stages, but a lot of the time I was handed several reels worth of interviews in the editing phase with no clear plan besides “this is what they want the video for.” The basic essay structure was incredibly useful in taking all of that content and forming it into a coherent piece that was easily followed by the audience. So, indulge me for a second while I recap “Essay Writing 101” for you and you’ll see how applying these concepts to an “essay structure” of editing can make things easier for you to edit together a cohesive story  and easier for your audience to get the point .

There are three important characteristics of a well-structured essay that can easily apply to editing a video: An “ hourglass shape ”, a thesis statement  and a “ roadmap ”.

The Hourglass Shape

The idea behind the hourglass shape is to start broad : general background on your topic to introduce it to your audience. As the intro goes along, you quickly get more specific , ending with your thesis statement /main idea, which sets the tone for the main body of your content.

Your main content stays specific to your subject and is meant to backup your thesis – it’s your evidence for your main point. Then at the end, you reach your summary. Your summary  reiterates your thesis in a new way to sum everything up, then you start to get broader in topic, explaining why your main idea matters in the big picture of things.

So: start with a broad background, get more specific until you reach your thesis (main idea), stay specific and support your thesis, sum it all up, then get more general and explain why it matters to your audience in the big picture.

One advantage of structuring your video like this is that your audience doesn’t get thrown into the story “ in medias res ” (latin for “in the middle of things”). Starting “in medias res” is a great technique for narrative and fiction pieces, but it can often be a hindrance to non-fiction work, especially short form where you need to get the audience up to speed quickly.

Another advantage is that you have a clear understanding when organizing the story of what will support your main idea and what won’t , so you can cut your content down to what really matters.

A third advantage to structuring your video this way is that by finishing with how this relates to the big picture, you give a global/grand scale of importance to your message and leave this as the final lasting thought for the audience.

The Thesis Statement

The thesis is the point you are trying to make. Every good essay and every good video try to make a point – a reason why the audience should pay attention. A good thesis has a number of components, but the main two that apply here are:

• A clear and specific message/point you are trying to get across
• Evidence to support your point

There are actually three types of thesis statements : analytical , expository (explanatory), and argumentative ; these just so happen to fit well with common reasons someone would want a video!

• An analytical piece breaks down research /evidence on an issue into the key points so the audience can better understand it, and usually comes to a non-controversial fact-based conclusion (if it even has a conclusion).
• An expository piece explains something to the audience, but it’s not trying to make the audience think one way or another.
• An argumentative piece tries to convince the audience that an opinion or claim is true/valid and supports it with evidence. It can be similar to an argumentative piece, but the thesis and the conclusion drawn are subjective, even when supported by evidence.

Knowing what type of piece you are editing informs what supporting content you need to find and how best to order that content. You need to know what you’re saying and you need to know how to back it up!

The Roadmap

One of the things I was taught in school is that your essay thesis should contain the topics of your supporting evidence , and these topics should be arranged to match the order of your body paragraphs, basically creating a roadmap for your essay.

For example: “People should do [thing] because of [evidence x], [evidence y], and [evidence z]”. The supporting body paragraphs would cover the topics of x, y, and z in that order. This gives the audience an understanding of what’s to come.

In video, you don’t always have the luxury of having your talent or interviewee say that perfect statement that summarizes all of the evidence in the right order. What you do have is the ability to either create your roadmap ahead of time and make sure you get those topics covered, or you can group all of the content you have into the different topics and decide on what best supports your message and how best to arrange it for flow.

This is the basic function of an editor, but you’d be surprised how many go right into laying things in the timeline without an actual plan in place! Having this “roadmap” lets you quickly sift through content to find what fits, have an idea of what transitional content you’ll need, and lay it all in the timeline without having to guess what order works best.

A Practical Example

Earlier this year I did a project for KIPP Academy in Nashville, TN, to be shown at a fundraising event for the expansion of the program from one middle school to K–12 and 6+ schools. I’ve written about this project before from a post-production perspective, but one thing I haven’t talked about is the planning. We sat down with some of the staff from KIPP, listened to their vision and reason for wanting this piece, and we asked them questions about the school, what the ultimate outcome they were trying to accomplish, etc. As we went through this meeting, I started forming a thesis and roadmap for the project.

Their ultimate goal for the video was to “develop a case for why KIPP needs to grow” and based on that, why people should donate and invest in KIPP:

I had my message, they had given me an idea of what evidence we would cover, so I drew out a (super messy) handwritten timeline in my notebook:

Since you probably can’t read my terrible handwriting, here’s how it was structured:

• History of the school
• What they’ve done at the middle school (results)
• Practical (better high school & college grad rate, etc.)
• Personal (character building, neighborhood transformation, etc.)
• How the audience can help

You can see how this initial idea of a timeline in pre-production came together:

This “ essay structure ” of editing had a huge impact on how we made this video, but I use it on everything from small corporate testimonials to huge multi-interview videos for marketing campaigns. This structure can give you a head start in your planning, even when there wasn’t a plan in place to begin with. Give it a try and share your thoughts/experiences in the comments below!

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As a global academic writing proofreading service, we work with professional editors  – all native speakers – who edit in the following languages :

This way, you can also have your academic writing proofread and edited in your second language!

Please note that we do not offer Finnish proofreading, but students can still upload English papers on scribbr.fi .

Yes, regardless of the deadline you choose, our editors can proofread your document during weekends and holidays.

Example: If you select the 12-hour service on Saturday, you will receive your edited document back within 12 hours on Sunday.

The footnotes are not automatically included in the word count.

If you want the language errors in your footnotes to be corrected by the editor, you can indicate this in step 3 of the upload process . The words in the footnotes are then automatically added to the total word count.

Need help with your references?

• If you use the APA reference style, you can use our free APA Citation Generator or the articles about APA in our Knowledge Base.
• If you’d like us to check your references for consistency, you can use our Citation Editing Service .

To keep our prices competitive, we do not offer a free trial edit. However, if your document is longer than 30,000 words, we are happy to provide you with a sample edit of 2,000 words to ensure you are satisfied with the editor’s editing style.

Rest assured, our customers are very satisfied with our proofreading services. We’re proud that they have rated us with an excellent 4.7 on Trustpilot. In the unlikely event that you have a less positive experience, we’ll solve that with our 100% happiness guarantee !

After your thesis has been edited , you will receive an email with a link to download the edited document.

The editor has made changes to your document using ‘ Track Changes ’ in Word.  This means that you only have to accept or ignore the changes that are made in the text one by one.

It is also possible to accept all changes at once. However, we strongly advise you not to do so for the following reasons:

• You can learn much by looking at what mistakes you have made.
• The editors do not only change the text, they also place comments when sentences or sometimes even entire paragraphs are unclear. We therefore advise you to read through these comments and take into account your editor’s tips and suggestions.
• Because of the many changes, sometimes there may be double spaces, double periods, or other minor mistakes in a sentence. Checking the changes one by one, you can easily detect these minor errors.

We have written a manual in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.

Check out an example

Our editors are very experienced and will do their utmost to correct all errors in your thesis .

However, with our current rates, an editor can only check your thesis once. This may cause an editor to overlook an error. We can therefore not guarantee that your thesis is 100% error free after you have had your thesis edited.

The editor uses ‘Track Changes’ in Word when editing your thesis.

Don’t know how this works? Then read the following guide  in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.

No, we do not provide you with a clean copy. You will always receive a file edited with tracked changes .

We do this for two main reasons:

• In most papers, there are sentences that the editor cannot edit without additional information from the author. In these cases, your editor will provide guidance but leave you to implement the feedback. If we were to simply accept the changes for you, then these issues would be left unaddressed.
• We believe students should be accountable for their work. Our editors can correct language errors and coach you to be a better writer. However, the end product belongs to you and should reflect your ideas and decisions.

All Scribbr editors are language experts with interests in different subject areas.

You can indicate your field of study when you upload your document . We’ll make sure that the editor who proofreads your work is familiar with your discipline and its specialist vocabulary.

These are the fields of study you can choose from, and examples of the main subjects in each field:

• Business and Management: Business Administration, Hotel Management, Accountancy, Marketing
• Economics: Business Economics, Econometrics, Finance
• IT and Engineering: ICT, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Industrial Design, Electrical Engineering
• Natural and Life Sciences: Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry
• Geography, Agriculture and Environment: Ecology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Urban Planning
• Health and Medical Sciences: Medicine, Obstetrics, Pharmacy, Nutrition, Dentistry
• Arts and Humanities: Philosophy, History, Literature, Cultural Studies, Theology
• Law and Policy: Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Human Rights
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication Sciences

Editors don’t have to be experts in the content of your paper, but they do know how to present it in the best way possible! Our goal is to improve your writing and give you feedback on the readability, structure, logic, and clarity of your text. We know from experience that the most effective editors are specialists in language and academic writing.

We’ve carefully selected and trained all of our editors to proofread theses and other academic documents. Once they’re qualified, we continue to carefully monitor their work to make sure we always deliver the highest quality .

AI Video Editor

The easiest way to edit videos with artificial intelligence

From text based video editing , to generative video slideshows , to automatic video transcription and subtitles , Kapwing has the perfect AI-powered video editing tool that you can use today. AI video editing doesn't have to hard, inaccessible, or expensive. Kapwing's AI tools are free to get started, easy to use, and simple for anyone to learn. The best part is, they exist right in your browser, so no complicated downloads or setup are required to start.

Browse our top AI-powered tools and features, or sign up for our waitlist below to get the latest updates on what's coming next.

All Video Editing + AI Tools on Kapwing

Can't wait? Don't worry - Kapwing is already packed with powerful video editing features powered by AI. Millions of creators trust Kapwing to create video faster and better with the help of smart tools.

With features like Smart Cut, remove video background, smart transcription, and more, Kapwing is the one editor that can help you and your team accomplish a variety of editing workflows.

Check out some of our favorite features below, and explore how AI can already help you supercharge your content creation workflow today.

Our approach to AI has been the same from the start. Instead of falling in love with the hype, how can we use it to provide real value for creators on Kapwing?

We believe AI can provide value when used thoughtfully and responsibly. With new developments in the field from Open AI like ChatGPT, there is a new frontier of possibility when it comes to video editing. We're excited to bring the power of GPT-4 to Kapwing, but if you have other ideas or suggestions for how AI can help you, we'd love to hear them.

How to Edit Video with AI

• Upload or generate video Start a new project and upload a video to Kapwing directly from your computer, phone, or tablet. Alternatively, paste a video URL link to upload to your project. You can also use Kapwing's AI to generate a video from a text prompt, and start editing the generated content right away.
• Automatically trim, enhance, and subtitle your video Using just a few clicks, you can auto-trim with Smart Cut, enhance sound with Clean Audio, and create subtitles with Magic Subtitles. For finer grained control, you can take advantage of text-based video editing to trim our certain sections of the video. All of this happens in one place without leaving your browser.
• Export your final video Hit Export, and sit back and relax while your final video is created in the cloud. Once your video is ready, you can download it to your device, or share it directly to social media.

AI-powered video editing for everyone

Edit and enhance videos quickly and easily.

Our AI-powered video editor will dramatically decrease the hours you spend on time-consuming edits. AI-enhanced editing in Kapwing unlocks one-click automatic subtitles , audio cleaning , silence removal , voice over generation , and text-based video editing : the ability to edit any video just by editing the transcript. (Did we mention our AI editor automatically creates transcripts, too?)

Generate original content with a simple text prompt

Kapwing AI also includes our highly popular AI video generator that allows anyone to create new video content by typing a short text description. If you can dream it, Kapwing can help you make it. Type in any idea and Kapwing will instantly create an AI-generated video that includes video footage, transitions, background music, and subtitles.

Text to video AI is just the beginning. Get help with ideation with our AI-powered script generator , or repurpose your best-performing written content with our document to video converter . Whether you want to generate an original script or transform written content into video, Kapwing AI will help you move faster.

Unlock the power of AI video editing in your browser

All of our best-in-class AI tools are available in Kapwing's web-native video editor , which means every feature we build is available in your browser—there's no software to download and no plugins to install. Kapwing is free to get started and our affordable Pro plan gives you access to all of our advanced AI features.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AI video editing?

Is there an ai that will edit videos, is there a free ai video editor, is there an ai that can create videos, what's different about kapwing.

Kapwing is free to use for teams of any size. We also offer paid plans with additional features, storage, and support.

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Film Editing — Profession of Film and Video Editor

Profession of Film and Video Editor

• Categories: Film Editing Job

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Published: May 19, 2020

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• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

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Top 5 Easy Video Editors

In recent times, quick video editing has become more critical for businesses and content creators. Also, we’ve seen a massive rush of beginner-friendly video editors inundate the market. With the best video editing software, it is effortless for beginners to edit professional-looking videos complete with VFX, even if they have never produced a movie before.

These top five simple video editors will help you find the best video editing software. Compare how simple it is to learn each app, what production tools users get, and where a simple video editor matches your requirements.

Best 5 Video Editing Software

Before learning about the best easy video editors, let’s glance at this table for a quick comparison of all the software. The table below compares the results when a 9-minute video was cut into 5-minute lengths.

The original video size is 377MB, and the resolution is 2560*1440.

• Size: It’s file size of the video when a 9-minute video is cut into 5 minutes.
• Elapsed time: This is the editing time it took to cut the video into 5 minutes.

1. Bandicut

Bandicut is a fast video-cutting and joining video editing software with a user-friendly interface. It enables users to trim parts of a video quickly while keeping the quality of the original video. It also helps highlight the significance of relevant clips or eliminate unnecessary parts, such as midway advertisements. Users can also pull out audio from video to MP3, connect multiple video files, eliminate one or more parts from the video, or break the video into multiple files.

Key Features

• fast video cutter and easy video joiner
• MP4 cutter and AVI joiner software
• Cut video  without compromising quality
• Precisely cut and split the videos frame by frame
• Extract audio  from video to MP3
• High-speed software instantly helps you cut, split, trim, and join videos
• Allows users to cut videos without having to compromise the video quality
• Using the free or trial version of Bandicut, you will likely experience a watermark after exporting the video
• Bandicut is currently only available for Windows computer users

Here’s how to easily cut a video with Bandicut:

Step 1 : Download Bandicut Video Editor.

Step 2 : Import the file you want to edit by dragging and dropping it with the mouse.

Step 3 : Select the section you want to edit and press the start button.

• Adjust the blue sliders to select the sections you want to keep.

• You can also enter a number and select the section you want to leave.

Step 4 : Press the Start button in High-Speed mode.

Step 5 : Now, click the ‘Open’ button to check the edited video.

You can also upload it to YouTube , Vimeo , or Google Drive .

2. Clipchamp

Clipchamp video editor software is another user-friendly and simple video editor for beginners focusing on platforms like TikTok. It comes with smart video editing features that can help you create beautiful videos without requiring professional skills to use this software.

Clipchamp is pre-equipped with easy-to-use templates, facilitating beginners’ crafting of short videos or Reels. It allows users to edit pre-recorded footage, record from screens, or use a webcam directly. This software will enable you to share videos directly on different social media platforms effortlessly.

• Makes layered effects by stacking multiple videos
• Guarantees the safety of video projects with content backup
• Produces AI voiceovers from text
• Easy sharing of videos straight to social media platforms
• No watermarks on videos
• Free to use
• Offers Beginner-friendly templates
• The free version’s output resolution is limited to 1080p
• Restricted creative control
• Not powerful enough for professionals

Apple’s iMovie is a user-friendly video editing software only accessible to Mac users. It produces an instant movie from your chosen media files – through titles, transitions, and music. This quick video editing software can crop videos, cut video/audio clips, and enhance audio quality. You can also add selected text, video, and graphic overlays. iMovie clarifies the organization and management of your video files with its integrated file management system.

• Cancel or remove unwanted background noise
• Adjust and boost colors and tones
• Exploit depth of field on videos shot in Cinematic Mode
• Smoothly produces an instant movie out of your chosen media files
• Works seamlessly on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• Integrated file management system
• Free of charge and pre-installed on Apple devices
• It does not have multicam or motion tracking capabilities
• Provides only 2 video tracks, restricting creativity

4. OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot Video Editor was created with beginners in mind. It enables users to personalize the interface, accommodating it to their individual likings. This level of customization boosts the overall editing experience, making it intuitive and well-organized. This user-friendly video editing software will help you learn video editing with recently developed tools such as compositing, time-mapping, and precise frame-by-frame editing.

• Offers a wide variety of transitions
• Endless video tracks for unlimited creativity
• Accurate control over video and audio properties with keyframes
• Add animations, sound effects, watermarks, and many other exciting things to your videos
• Speed up/slow down your videos according to your needs
• Customize the interface to individual preferences
• All tools are accessible at no cost
• Users may experience bugs or technical issues/glitches
• Exporting videos can take a substantial amount of time

5. Filmora Video Editor

Filmora Video Editor is a highly easy-to-use video editing software. It is suitable for beginners and content creators. It has an interface that’s easy to use and navigate. It comes with an excellent variety of overlays, effects, and transitions. This easy video editor software is good enough to replace many high-end video editing software.

• Edit and improve videos easily
• Attach stylish transitions, titles, and filters
• Sustain and reverse video, equalize sound, and more
• Direct integration with stock asset repositories like Giphy, Pixabay and more
• Integrated screen recording is not often found in video editing software
• Offers a massive set of editing tools
• Offers multi-platform with AI features
• Video editing requires great patience and is a highly time-consuming task
• Occasionally frustrating interface

Related FAQs

Q. What is the easiest free video editor for beginners?

Beginners often prefer simple, easy-to-use, and cost-effective programs to edit their videos. So Bandicut and iMovie can provide the free features without hassle.

Q. Does Windows 10 have a free video editor?

You can use Microsoft Photos Legacy or Clipchamp video editing software on Windows 10/11. However, these video editing programs can only export videos for free up to 1080p video quality. If you want to edit videos while maintaining the original video quality, Bandicut is a good alternative to Photos Legacy and Clipchamp.

Q. Can I edit a video for free?

You can edit videos for free using Bandicut, Clipchamp, etc. Check out the features, advantages, and disadvantages of the five simple video editors introduced above, and choose the editing program that suits you.

In this article, we have guided you toward making the correct choice regarding investing in professional video editing software. While this was not a comprehensive list, we anticipated to summarize the information on the five best simple video editors to help you make an effective decision when purchasing your required tool of the trade. Each option is customized to different skill levels and needs, enhances creativity, and encourages a community of passionate storytellers; these software selections empower beginners to share their stories and content to better connect with audiences.

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