HOW TO

Learn the basics of video editing

And transform simple shots into sharable edits.

iMovie

Turn videos into movie magic

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We’re a world of snappers and sharers. But while transforming our static shots into Insta-worthy images might now be second nature, video editing can still feel slightly intimidating.

By doing away with the complicated and the daunting, iMovie lets you edit your own videos quickly, easily and directly from your iPhone or iPad.

How? Follow these basic tips, and you’ll go from overlooking moving images to elevating them to sharable status in no time.

Select, trim and arrange your videos

Under the Projects tab, pressing the large plus symbol and selecting Movie from the pop-up options will set you on the path to your directorial debut. After adding your footage to your timeline (just tap to choose photos and videos and press Create Movie), it’s time to start editing.

To trim a single clip, pull the trim handles at the start or end points of a video clip to your desired cut points. This reduces the playable portion of your footage. Got a bit happy with the digital scissors? Dragging the trim handles in the opposite directions or tapping undo (the looping left arrow) automatically reverts your previous action.

Once you’ve added your clips, it’s time to start editing.

If you decide you want to use a number of short shots of a single, long take, just highlight your clip, drag the timeline’s playhead bar to your intended location and tap Split from the base menu. This will cut your video into two, letting you save and scrap the now separated shots as wished.

Top Tip: To ensure your edit flows, reorder your clips by pressing and dragging them to the ideal timeline position.

Tweak your transitions

With the framework of your video in place, it’s time to tie it all together. Whether you’re looking for a gentle flow or something more eye-catching, transitions let you change the pace and overall feel of your video.

Tapping the small box between individual clips lets you choose a transition type. Selecting none – the default option – will insert a simple cut between your two shots. This works well when both clips are from a similar time and place.

Transitions can alter the flow and pace of your edit.

Choose Dissolve or Theme, and you can evoke the passing of time, change in location or just add some variety in a montage.

Top Tip: With the Slide, Wipe and Fade transitions, tapping your selection multiple times changes the direction from which the transition originates or toggles between colour and black and white.

Add some audio

How your video sounds is just as important as how it looks. To add music, sound effects or a voiceover, press the plus symbol before tapping Audio from the pop-up options.
While you can add purchased songs (where licensing permissions permit), tapping Theme Music gives you the option to select from some mood-setting, royalty-free tracks. You can also enhance your edit by adding from the built-in sound effect collection. And if your story needs a bit more explanation, tap the microphone icon to record your own voice narration.

Once added, your new audio clips are visible below the video in your timeline and can be adjusted by dragging their trim handles. Music is automatically set to play in the background, lowering the volume of the track when the above video contains audio. If you want to avoid this, tap the foreground setting when the clip is selected.

Top Tip: To elevate your edits, time your transitions to match the beats in the music for a dramatic, professional-looking video.

Apply the finishing touches

Pictures, check. Sound, check. Now for a few finishing touches. You can alter the playback speeds of any of your video’s clips – from 1/8th to 2x – by selecting the desired frame and tapping the speed button (it looks like a speedometer). Position your playhead at moments of inflection and tap add to add and adjust multiple speed segments to create cool speed ramps.

No video is complete without some credits.

Similarly, tapping the filter button (three circles) lets you upgrade the aesthetic of individual clips or your entire video. Finally, to give your video a bit of extra context, you can add titles by tapping the Text button (looks like the letter T).

Top Tip: All edits can be previewed at any point by tapping the play button. To see the effects of a single change, just slide the timeline to your desired spot before pressing play.