Trimming Videos and Adding Transitions

In this lesson, I'm going to use the playhead to trim out parts of a video. This can help you clean out mistakes or other unneccessary parts that may be in your video.

Trimming Tutorial

Refer to the short tutorial below to learn how to operate the playhead to trim your videos.

The Guide: Trimming

The Timeline

Step 1: Use the play head to locate the section you want to begin trimming. Dragging the play head along the tracks will move you to specific points in your video. Remember, drag by the centerpiece if you're only trying to move the play head along the timeline.

The Play head

Step 2: Once you have chosen the section you want to delete, use your cursor to drag the red or green tab on either side. After you drag the tab, the timeline you intend to cut will shade over.

Cut

Step 3: Use the scissors symbol located in the upper left-hand corner of the tracks to cut out the shaded portion of the timeline. Once this portion of the video is gone, a stitch will be created to merge the leftover video.

Optional: If you want to add a transition, right-click on the tracks and select Unstitch. This step will separate the tracks into two separate videos.

The Guide: Transitions

Transitions Button

Step 1: Right-click on the tracks and select Unstitch. This step will separate the tracks into two separate videos.

Step 2: Locate the Transitions button in the toolbar in the left-hand side. This option will bring up various transitions you can use between clips or images in your video.

Drag and Drop

Step 3: Once you have chosen your transition, drag the effect between the two clips. Once this is done, the ends of the clips where the transition is active will appear green.

Transitions are a great way to smooth out various clips or images you may have in your tracks. If you're worried about your video looking choppy after an edit, refer to the transition button to find the right effect for your video.

Control or command Z is your friend!

Use command or control Z to erase the edits if you ever cut out pieces or make any changes you want to undo.

Practice Activity

Now that you have watched the tutorial on trimming videos, try practicing on a sample video. Select the popout symbol found in the upper right-hand corner of the video below. Once a new page is open, download the sample video and practice cutting out various parts of the video. When you are done editing, export your video as a local file and submit the MP4 to this Dropbox.

If you do not have a Camtasia license, you can use the link below to download a free trial.

Camtasia Free Trial

Sample Video.mp4

This concludes the lesson on trimming videos and adding transitions. For more of the Camtasia Collection lessons, select from the options below.

Camtasia: Production Pieces

Remove a Color (Green Screen)

Incorporating Annotations

References

Graphics: Canva

The Camtasia Collection

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