If you’re looking to get started editing videos on a laptop, there a few things you should keep in mind. Keep reading to see our 7 tips and things to know when video editing on laptops.
7 Tips for Editing Video on Laptops
Pick the Right Machine: If you’re in the market for a new laptop and plan to use it for video editing, you’ll want to pay extra attention to the laptop specifications. Things that are important for video editing include a powerful processor, a graphics card, plenty of RAM and of course, storage space. For processors, consider laptops that use AMD Ryzen or Intel Core i7 (or better). At the very least, you’ll want 16GB of RAM (probably more!). Resolution and screen size are other specifications you’ll want to pay attention to as well.
Make an Educated Software Decision: Finding the video editing software that’s right for your needs is essential to becoming an efficient and skilled video editor. For example, editors who plan to utilize graphics and animations regularly should choose Adobe Premiere Pro. That’s because Premiere directly links with other Adobe programs like After Effects. If you’re just getting started, Final Cut Pro X is one of the most user-friendly editing softwares available. And, if you’re really editing videos because you want to experiment with color correction and grading, DaVinci Resolve is absolutely the software for you.
Learn and Use Proxy Editing: Especially if you are editing high resolution footage, like 4K. When you edit with proxy files, you create smaller (and more manageable) versions of your footage that make editing way easier. Using 4K footage in your editing timeline can cause your system to slow down to painful levels, and maybe even freeze your laptop. Learn to use proxies!
Consider External Storage: Video files are large, especially if you’re shooting a large quantity of clips. And even more so if you’re shooting in high resolution! Have a solution for external storage. SSDs are great because you can actually edit your footage when it’s stored on the drive. There’s no need to transfer the data!
Learn Keyboard Shortcuts: The best thing any video editor can do is become intimately familiar with the keyboard shortcuts of your preferred video editing software. If you can cut down on the time it takes you to make certain edits, you need to do it. Becoming efficient at the keyboard shortcuts is a good way to guarantee you continue to have fun. This is especially important when you’re editing on a laptop, where space is more confined and you may be editing in locations where using a mouse is difficult.
Calibrate Your Screen: When it comes to video editing, what you see is not always what you get. The way your screen is calibrated is extremely important when it comes to producing a video that will appear well edited to all viewers, regardless of where they view it. There are a few simple steps you can take to calibrate your monitor or laptop screen for video editing. Learn how to calibrate a screen for video editing today.
Render and Export Appropriately: Once you’re done with your video edit, the next step is rendering the video and exporting a final cut. Depending on where you’re uploading your video, you’ll want to pay attention to different aspects. Check out this guide to export settings for videos.
Editing video on a laptop is a good way to make sure you can edit video anywhere you are. If you choose the correct laptop, calibrate it appropriately, select software that works for you and learn those keyboard shortcuts, you’ll be in business! The only part missing is the footage. Keep these 7 tips in mind as you edit on your laptop. And watch yourself grow as a video editor.
