Before you start: footage and project
Editing is telling something by choosing what is seen, in what order and for how long. The program doesn't matter: Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut and the rest work on the same ideas. Before opening it, copy all your material into one folder (videos, music, photos) and don't move it afterwards: the program remembers where every file lives.
When you create the project, pick the resolution and frame rate of your final video (for example 1920×1080 at 25 or 30 fps). If in doubt, use your main camera's.
The basic edit, step by step
1. Import and drag to the timeline
Import the clips into the project and drag them onto the timeline, the strip where the video is built: left to right is what happens first and what comes next. Upper tracks cover the ones below.
2. Cut what you don't need
With the razor (C in Premiere, B in DaVinci) you split a clip in two and delete the part you don't want. Remove waiting, repeats and anything that adds nothing: a short, well-paced video looks far more professional.
3. Adjust the start and the end
Dragging a clip's edge makes it longer or shorter. That's how you fine-tune where each shot begins and ends without cutting. If the program allows it, let the other clips close up on their own so there are no black gaps.
4. Add music
Drag the song onto an audio track. Lower its volume so it doesn't bury the voices, and add a fade at the end so it doesn't stop dead. If you can, cut the shots to the beat: it makes a huge difference.
5. Photos and titles
Photos are dragged in just like a video; then stretch their duration to what you need. For a title, add text on a track above the video. Few, short and readable.
6. Export
When it's ready, export. For social media and most uses, H.264 in MP4 at the project's resolution is the safe choice. Watch the whole result before you publish it.
Three tips for your first edit
- Less is more: keep transitions and effects to a minimum. A well-placed hard cut beats any effect.
- Save often and work on copies of the project when you try things out.
- Listen with headphones before exporting: sound mistakes stand out more than picture ones.
What if you shot with several cameras?
Step 1 gets hard: hundreds of clips to place, each camera on its track and at its time. That is exactly what Ingest Pro does in seconds. To see how, read how to sync multiple cameras in Premiere.