How to use Shotcut

How to use Shotcut

Editing Videos with Shotcut (Video)

Shotcut is a simple, fast, and easy to grasp editing software that we use to edit all the videos recorded by lab members. Shotcut is installed on all three computers in the wet lab, but for the most consistent results I recommend using Computer A (first on your left when you walk in). This video encompasses most of what you'll ever need to do to import/edit/export videos, but there are a few other things you may want to know of if you edit something yourself:

1. To add text over a video, you add a "Text filter" to a particular clip, much in the same way as the sound was muted with a filter in the video:

Make sure that you've clicked the small monitor icon at the bottom of this menu; otherwise the text filter and a few others won't be visible. Also note that the text filter, like all other filters, lasts until the end of the clip it was applied to, so make sure to split regularly unless you want the text through the whole video!

2. If you're using Computer A, when you "Save" a project (which allows for editing the project file in the future), it should direct you to the "Shotcut Projects" folder. Please continue to save project files in this location!

3. Additionally, if you're using Computer A, when you "Export" a project (which gives you the finished, watchable mp4 file), it should direct you to the "Edited Videos" folder. Please continue to export videos to this location, and remember to upload the completed video to the Google Drive as well!

Also related to exporting: unless the video was shot vertically (like on a phone), make sure the resolution is 1280 x 720 with 24 frames per second when exporting; the default settings will lead to longer export times and larger file sizes, and we generally don't need the additional video quality.

4. This is purely anecdotal, but occasionally, when importing a video clip to Shotcut for editing, Shotcut assigns an incorrect length to the clip, leading to some problems when editing. For example, if the clip is longer than it actually is, the last few minutes of video are just blank. Or, if the clip is shorter than it actually is, it simply cuts off everything after a certain arbitrary point. The cause of this issue is unknown, but simply deleting the broken version and re-importing the clip again has solved it 100% of the time so far. You should still always check your clips upon importing them though, in case this bug or something else unexpected happens.

And that should be all you need to know to do simple video editing in Shotcut! If you've just recorded a video and don't care to do any of this, please, by all means contact the video editor (currently "@Stewart Smythe") on Slack.