Video Editing Tools for K-12 and Adult Learners
Explore video editing tools for easy video creation and editing. Educators have begun screen recording and screencasting with a serious need.
Preparing content for instructional purposes can drive one to distraction. When I assembled the Screencasting for Educators course, I decided on no-cost tools, video editing tools that got the job done without all the expense.
May I share what I found with you?
Amazing Video Tools
Need video editing tools available for free? If you are on Windows 10 or Mac, it can be challenging. Some entry-level solutions provide you with simple video assembly tools. That is, the ability to do the following:
Trim video from the beginning or end, as well as delete content in the middle
Split and/or join video
Add images or other video clips
Insert attribution free music (e.g. YouTube Audio Library (be sure to login to YouTube first) to their own audio track with simple split/join features
While there are many video editing tools available, they cost money. These solutions are no-cost and cross-platform.
Tool #1 - Recordcast.com
RecordCast.com is an amazing FREE screen recorder AND editor. It's main features include:
Browser-based, no extensions/add-ons required
Lets you record webcam, desktop screen, or both at the same time
Up to 30 minute of video recording and editing
Records system audio
Requires an account for saving; use Facebook or Google authentication for account creation
Allows you to have up to EIGHT projects you can work and save
Saves videos as WEBM without editing or MP4 with editing
Includes a full-featured video editor
Tool #2 - Shotcut
Shotcut’s ease of use allows me to combine various elements, such as images, music clips, and video. It’s an easy matter to add tracks for each, then export the assembled creation as MP4 video. It has a wealth of online tutorials. Check out Kevin's video tutorial.
Tool #3 - MiniTool MovieMaker Free
MiniTool MovieMaker Free has a lot to offer. Some of its features include:
Creating and editing videos in Windows
Smart movie templates
Ability to add text and transitions
Free (no cost) and no watermarks
In fact, some of its own advertising sells it as an iMovie-style editor. I don’t know if I would go that far, but the interface is simple and powerful for video editing newbies like me. I have to admit that I found it a bit poky and slow on the uptake compared to Shotcut.
Tool #4 - OpenShot
Video editing with OpenShot is a breeze, and is cross-platform. It offers a wealth of features in a simple package. You can get up to speed quick.
Review this user guide or watch the video tutorials that begin with The Basics: Official Tutorial, Part 1.
Wait, WAIT, there's one more VIDEO Editor:
kdenlive is a free, open source video editor that some folks prefer above all others. I tried it, decided I was comfortable with Shotcut, but you may find it to be what you need. Here's are two 15-minute tutorials you may find helpful.
Tool #5 - Splitting and Joining Videos
Have a long video and need to split it into pieces? Or maybe you have multiple videos that you need to join together?
Consider using one of these tools to get the job done. They are available at no cost and will make working with a large video (or a lot of small ones) easier.
Optimal video size is anywhere between six and eight minutes long. Trying to split video into small chunks can be time-consuming.
MP4 Tools – This includes a splitter and joiner program that you can use on Windows and Mac.
Filmora’s Online Video Trimmer – This online tool works great for smaller videos that you need to split.
Don't forget, RecordCast's Video Editor will allow you to split/join videos so long as total size does not exceed thirty minutes of video.
Tool #5 - Video ConverterS
One tough challenge you may encounter involves converting videos from one format to another. VLC Media Player, as I've shared before, works well but can be confusing for beginners. Here are two additional tools that I have found to work well.
Video tutorial - http://ly.tcea.org/videocontutorial
A Few of My Favorite Conversion Tools
VLC Media Player: A versatile tool, you can view almost any video (or audio) file, stream content, and convert videos.
Online Video Converter: You can open a file from your computer or select one from Google Drive, Dropbox, or a website address (URL). You can convert to most of the popular formats shown. When you're done, you'll be able to save it to your device or to cloud storage.
Handbrake: This free solution has been around for ages, works slow, but gets the job done. It works on Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux. HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
Two additional video converters are available, but they are more video editors. You can still use them to convert video:
Shotcut.org: This is a free, no-cost, cross platform video editor you can use on Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux devices.
Openshot.org: Also a free, no-cost, cross platform video editor you can use on Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux devices.
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
Reasons you’ll love HandBrake:
Convert video from nearly any format
Free and Open Source
Multi-Platform (Windows, Mac and Linux)
Shrink video without loss of quality
A free web app that converts video files, allowing you to change the video format, resolution or size right in your browser. You can upload files up to 2Gb in size. Uploading speed depends on your internet connection speed.
Tool #6 - Audio Enhancement
A common problem you may encounter when working with your video recordings is that your audio is "too low." It's a complaint I've heard about some of the videos I've recorded in the past.
Short of yelling into the microphone, how can you improve the audio gain or boost the sound level?
Approach #1: The Shotcut video editor
Shotcut has a filter you can apply to your video file while editing that will boost the audio gain. If you apply it while you're editing the video, it won't take long to hear the results.
Approach #2: Free Video Volume Booster (FVVB)
Free Video Volume Booster is a free software used to quickly increase the sound volume of any video file. It supports almost any video format, including AVI, DIVX, XVID, MPEG, MPG, MKV, RM, RMVB, FLV, MOV, MP4, ASF, WEBM, etc.
Due to its simplicity, Free Video Volume Booster can be used by everyone, just select the video files, increase the audio volume of N decibels (we recommend a value between 10 and 20) and then click the button “Optimize”. (Source: FVVB website)
Shotcut Lets You Boost Your Audio with a Filter:
Free Video Volume Booster supports boosting audio AFTER you've made your video:
One More Point: Video Hosting
Don't Let The Learning End!
The purpose of this online, self-paced course is to assist educators in getting more comfortable with screencasting. Screencasting has become a necessity for remote teachers and blended learning educators. This course covers the basics and shares a wide variety of tips and suggestions for getting it done.
Knowing how to create engaging video screencasts, including audio and video components from a variety of copyright-free media can make viewing better for students.
VIDEO EDITING TOOLS FOR REMOTE TEACHERS
Educators have begun screen recording and screencasting with a serious need. Preparing content for instructional purposes can drive one to distraction. When I assembled the Screencasting for Educators course, I decided on no-cost tools, video editing tools that got the job done without all the expense. May I share what I found with you?
