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"[New] Step-by-Step Guide for YouTube Video Editing Pros and Amateurs Alike"
Step-by-Step Guide for YouTube Video Editing Pros and Amateurs Alike
How To Edit YouTube Videos
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Affordable Strategies for Engaging YouTube Opening & End Titles
How to Create YouTube Intros & End Cards - Free and Easy
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Part1: Intros
Elements of an Intro
Intros should only last about five seconds, and that can be cut down to two or three if you have a larger following.
When your intro video is longer than five seconds viewers are more likely to click away. The first 15 seconds of a video is when viewers are most likely to decide to click on one of the recommended videos, or go back to their search results and choose something else. The odds of them leaving within these first 15 seconds are greater if you do not get right to the main point of your video. That is why long intro sequences are bad for your watch time.
Whether it is better to put your intro at the very beginning of your video, or after you introduce your topic, will depend on your viewers. You may want to try it both ways and then look at your retention report (found in your YouTube Creator Studio under Analytics) to see which works best for you.
Top Intro Sites
There are a few different sites where you can download animated intros, customized to include your username or logo. Here are two of the best:
FlixPress.com
This is probably the most popular intro site. There are a lot of great animated intros available for under $5, or even for free.
IntroMaker.net
This is another site with really professional looking intros for $5. They only have two free options, though.
Creating an Intro in Filmora
You can create a simple intro card in Filmora.
- Choose your background. You may want to use a short clip as your intro, or you may just want a colored background.
- Drag your clip or background into the video track of your timeline and trim it down to five seconds.
- If you have a logo, import it into Filmora and drag it into your picture-in-picture track.
- With your logo selected, click on the Green Screen icon. In the pop-up, select the background of your logo to make it transparent. For this to work your logo cannot be the same color as its background.
- Click on the editing icon with your logo selected and choose an animation.
- Go to the Text/Titles menu and choose an animated title that suits your channel. Drag it into your text track and edit it to include your name.
- The last piece of your intro is sound. You can choose a song from Filmora’s library and cut it down to five seconds, or import your sound effect.
- Export your video and save it for use in all of your other videos.
Part 2: End Cards
When your video ends, YouTube will recommend a selection of videos users may want to watch next. Often, these recommendations will not include more of your videos.
To keep viewers on your channel, you can create your End Card which recommends other content you have created.
Elements of an End Card
An end card includes clips from two or three of your videos, muted, and shrunk down to thumbnail-size. Using spotlight annotations you can make these thumbnails click-able.
It is also important that your end card includes multiple calls to action. A call to action is meant to spur a viewer to some kind of action. Writing ‘Check out this video’ above one of your thumbnails is a call to action.
You should also have a subscribe link somewhere in your end card, ideally a very noticeable button with a proven call to action like ‘Subscribe Now!’.
Some creators will leave their end cards at that and play music overtop, but it can be even more effective to include a voiceover where you ask viewers to subscribe and watch your other videos.
How To Make an End Card
- Choose a static background. You may want to download an end card template or create one in a drawing program. If you do, make sure to include calls to action like ‘Watch more!’ and ‘Subscribe’.
- Drag your background into your timeline at the end of your video.
- Import two or three of your previous videos and drag them into your picture in picture tracks. Each clip should be on its track.
- Trim the clips in your picture in picture track down to the same length as your end card.
- Shrink your clips down to thumbnail-size by dragging their corners in the preview window.
- Position your clips so they are spaced evenly by dragging them in the preview screen.
- Mute your clips.
- If your background does not include any calls to action, choose a title from the Text/Titles menu in Filmora and create at least two – one asking viewers to subscribe, and one asking them to watch your suggested videos.
- Export your video from Filmora and upload it to YouTube.
- Go to your Video Manager and select Annotations in the drop-down menu next to your video.
- Go to your end card in the previewer, as that is where you want to add your annotations.
- Click Add Annotation and add a spotlight annotation to your video. Stretch it over one of your thumbnails and then check the Link box under your Annotation’s timing. Insert a link to the video you are previewing.
- Repeat for any other thumbnails. For your subscribe button, change where it said ‘Video’ to ‘Subscribe’ and enter your channel URL.
- Click Apply Changes.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Part1: Intros
Elements of an Intro
Intros should only last about five seconds, and that can be cut down to two or three if you have a larger following.
When your intro video is longer than five seconds viewers are more likely to click away. The first 15 seconds of a video is when viewers are most likely to decide to click on one of the recommended videos, or go back to their search results and choose something else. The odds of them leaving within these first 15 seconds are greater if you do not get right to the main point of your video. That is why long intro sequences are bad for your watch time.
Whether it is better to put your intro at the very beginning of your video, or after you introduce your topic, will depend on your viewers. You may want to try it both ways and then look at your retention report (found in your YouTube Creator Studio under Analytics) to see which works best for you.
Top Intro Sites
There are a few different sites where you can download animated intros, customized to include your username or logo. Here are two of the best:
FlixPress.com
This is probably the most popular intro site. There are a lot of great animated intros available for under $5, or even for free.
IntroMaker.net
This is another site with really professional looking intros for $5. They only have two free options, though.
Creating an Intro in Filmora
You can create a simple intro card in Filmora.
- Choose your background. You may want to use a short clip as your intro, or you may just want a colored background.
- Drag your clip or background into the video track of your timeline and trim it down to five seconds.
- If you have a logo, import it into Filmora and drag it into your picture-in-picture track.
- With your logo selected, click on the Green Screen icon. In the pop-up, select the background of your logo to make it transparent. For this to work your logo cannot be the same color as its background.
- Click on the editing icon with your logo selected and choose an animation.
- Go to the Text/Titles menu and choose an animated title that suits your channel. Drag it into your text track and edit it to include your name.
- The last piece of your intro is sound. You can choose a song from Filmora’s library and cut it down to five seconds, or import your sound effect.
- Export your video and save it for use in all of your other videos.
Part 2: End Cards
When your video ends, YouTube will recommend a selection of videos users may want to watch next. Often, these recommendations will not include more of your videos.
To keep viewers on your channel, you can create your End Card which recommends other content you have created.
Elements of an End Card
An end card includes clips from two or three of your videos, muted, and shrunk down to thumbnail-size. Using spotlight annotations you can make these thumbnails click-able.
It is also important that your end card includes multiple calls to action. A call to action is meant to spur a viewer to some kind of action. Writing ‘Check out this video’ above one of your thumbnails is a call to action.
You should also have a subscribe link somewhere in your end card, ideally a very noticeable button with a proven call to action like ‘Subscribe Now!’.
Some creators will leave their end cards at that and play music overtop, but it can be even more effective to include a voiceover where you ask viewers to subscribe and watch your other videos.
How To Make an End Card
- Choose a static background. You may want to download an end card template or create one in a drawing program. If you do, make sure to include calls to action like ‘Watch more!’ and ‘Subscribe’.
- Drag your background into your timeline at the end of your video.
- Import two or three of your previous videos and drag them into your picture in picture tracks. Each clip should be on its track.
- Trim the clips in your picture in picture track down to the same length as your end card.
- Shrink your clips down to thumbnail-size by dragging their corners in the preview window.
- Position your clips so they are spaced evenly by dragging them in the preview screen.
- Mute your clips.
- If your background does not include any calls to action, choose a title from the Text/Titles menu in Filmora and create at least two – one asking viewers to subscribe, and one asking them to watch your suggested videos.
- Export your video from Filmora and upload it to YouTube.
- Go to your Video Manager and select Annotations in the drop-down menu next to your video.
- Go to your end card in the previewer, as that is where you want to add your annotations.
- Click Add Annotation and add a spotlight annotation to your video. Stretch it over one of your thumbnails and then check the Link box under your Annotation’s timing. Insert a link to the video you are previewing.
- Repeat for any other thumbnails. For your subscribe button, change where it said ‘Video’ to ‘Subscribe’ and enter your channel URL.
- Click Apply Changes.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Part1: Intros
Elements of an Intro
Intros should only last about five seconds, and that can be cut down to two or three if you have a larger following.
When your intro video is longer than five seconds viewers are more likely to click away. The first 15 seconds of a video is when viewers are most likely to decide to click on one of the recommended videos, or go back to their search results and choose something else. The odds of them leaving within these first 15 seconds are greater if you do not get right to the main point of your video. That is why long intro sequences are bad for your watch time.
Whether it is better to put your intro at the very beginning of your video, or after you introduce your topic, will depend on your viewers. You may want to try it both ways and then look at your retention report (found in your YouTube Creator Studio under Analytics) to see which works best for you.
Top Intro Sites
There are a few different sites where you can download animated intros, customized to include your username or logo. Here are two of the best:
FlixPress.com
This is probably the most popular intro site. There are a lot of great animated intros available for under $5, or even for free.
IntroMaker.net
This is another site with really professional looking intros for $5. They only have two free options, though.
Creating an Intro in Filmora
You can create a simple intro card in Filmora.
- Choose your background. You may want to use a short clip as your intro, or you may just want a colored background.
- Drag your clip or background into the video track of your timeline and trim it down to five seconds.
- If you have a logo, import it into Filmora and drag it into your picture-in-picture track.
- With your logo selected, click on the Green Screen icon. In the pop-up, select the background of your logo to make it transparent. For this to work your logo cannot be the same color as its background.
- Click on the editing icon with your logo selected and choose an animation.
- Go to the Text/Titles menu and choose an animated title that suits your channel. Drag it into your text track and edit it to include your name.
- The last piece of your intro is sound. You can choose a song from Filmora’s library and cut it down to five seconds, or import your sound effect.
- Export your video and save it for use in all of your other videos.
Part 2: End Cards
When your video ends, YouTube will recommend a selection of videos users may want to watch next. Often, these recommendations will not include more of your videos.
To keep viewers on your channel, you can create your End Card which recommends other content you have created.
Elements of an End Card
An end card includes clips from two or three of your videos, muted, and shrunk down to thumbnail-size. Using spotlight annotations you can make these thumbnails click-able.
It is also important that your end card includes multiple calls to action. A call to action is meant to spur a viewer to some kind of action. Writing ‘Check out this video’ above one of your thumbnails is a call to action.
You should also have a subscribe link somewhere in your end card, ideally a very noticeable button with a proven call to action like ‘Subscribe Now!’.
Some creators will leave their end cards at that and play music overtop, but it can be even more effective to include a voiceover where you ask viewers to subscribe and watch your other videos.
How To Make an End Card
- Choose a static background. You may want to download an end card template or create one in a drawing program. If you do, make sure to include calls to action like ‘Watch more!’ and ‘Subscribe’.
- Drag your background into your timeline at the end of your video.
- Import two or three of your previous videos and drag them into your picture in picture tracks. Each clip should be on its track.
- Trim the clips in your picture in picture track down to the same length as your end card.
- Shrink your clips down to thumbnail-size by dragging their corners in the preview window.
- Position your clips so they are spaced evenly by dragging them in the preview screen.
- Mute your clips.
- If your background does not include any calls to action, choose a title from the Text/Titles menu in Filmora and create at least two – one asking viewers to subscribe, and one asking them to watch your suggested videos.
- Export your video from Filmora and upload it to YouTube.
- Go to your Video Manager and select Annotations in the drop-down menu next to your video.
- Go to your end card in the previewer, as that is where you want to add your annotations.
- Click Add Annotation and add a spotlight annotation to your video. Stretch it over one of your thumbnails and then check the Link box under your Annotation’s timing. Insert a link to the video you are previewing.
- Repeat for any other thumbnails. For your subscribe button, change where it said ‘Video’ to ‘Subscribe’ and enter your channel URL.
- Click Apply Changes.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Part1: Intros
Elements of an Intro
Intros should only last about five seconds, and that can be cut down to two or three if you have a larger following.
When your intro video is longer than five seconds viewers are more likely to click away. The first 15 seconds of a video is when viewers are most likely to decide to click on one of the recommended videos, or go back to their search results and choose something else. The odds of them leaving within these first 15 seconds are greater if you do not get right to the main point of your video. That is why long intro sequences are bad for your watch time.
Whether it is better to put your intro at the very beginning of your video, or after you introduce your topic, will depend on your viewers. You may want to try it both ways and then look at your retention report (found in your YouTube Creator Studio under Analytics) to see which works best for you.
Top Intro Sites
There are a few different sites where you can download animated intros, customized to include your username or logo. Here are two of the best:
FlixPress.com
This is probably the most popular intro site. There are a lot of great animated intros available for under $5, or even for free.
IntroMaker.net
This is another site with really professional looking intros for $5. They only have two free options, though.
Creating an Intro in Filmora
You can create a simple intro card in Filmora.
- Choose your background. You may want to use a short clip as your intro, or you may just want a colored background.
- Drag your clip or background into the video track of your timeline and trim it down to five seconds.
- If you have a logo, import it into Filmora and drag it into your picture-in-picture track.
- With your logo selected, click on the Green Screen icon. In the pop-up, select the background of your logo to make it transparent. For this to work your logo cannot be the same color as its background.
- Click on the editing icon with your logo selected and choose an animation.
- Go to the Text/Titles menu and choose an animated title that suits your channel. Drag it into your text track and edit it to include your name.
- The last piece of your intro is sound. You can choose a song from Filmora’s library and cut it down to five seconds, or import your sound effect.
- Export your video and save it for use in all of your other videos.
Part 2: End Cards
When your video ends, YouTube will recommend a selection of videos users may want to watch next. Often, these recommendations will not include more of your videos.
To keep viewers on your channel, you can create your End Card which recommends other content you have created.
Elements of an End Card
An end card includes clips from two or three of your videos, muted, and shrunk down to thumbnail-size. Using spotlight annotations you can make these thumbnails click-able.
It is also important that your end card includes multiple calls to action. A call to action is meant to spur a viewer to some kind of action. Writing ‘Check out this video’ above one of your thumbnails is a call to action.
You should also have a subscribe link somewhere in your end card, ideally a very noticeable button with a proven call to action like ‘Subscribe Now!’.
Some creators will leave their end cards at that and play music overtop, but it can be even more effective to include a voiceover where you ask viewers to subscribe and watch your other videos.
How To Make an End Card
- Choose a static background. You may want to download an end card template or create one in a drawing program. If you do, make sure to include calls to action like ‘Watch more!’ and ‘Subscribe’.
- Drag your background into your timeline at the end of your video.
- Import two or three of your previous videos and drag them into your picture in picture tracks. Each clip should be on its track.
- Trim the clips in your picture in picture track down to the same length as your end card.
- Shrink your clips down to thumbnail-size by dragging their corners in the preview window.
- Position your clips so they are spaced evenly by dragging them in the preview screen.
- Mute your clips.
- If your background does not include any calls to action, choose a title from the Text/Titles menu in Filmora and create at least two – one asking viewers to subscribe, and one asking them to watch your suggested videos.
- Export your video from Filmora and upload it to YouTube.
- Go to your Video Manager and select Annotations in the drop-down menu next to your video.
- Go to your end card in the previewer, as that is where you want to add your annotations.
- Click Add Annotation and add a spotlight annotation to your video. Stretch it over one of your thumbnails and then check the Link box under your Annotation’s timing. Insert a link to the video you are previewing.
- Repeat for any other thumbnails. For your subscribe button, change where it said ‘Video’ to ‘Subscribe’ and enter your channel URL.
- Click Apply Changes.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
- Title: "[New] Step-by-Step Guide for YouTube Video Editing Pros and Amateurs Alike"
- Author: Thomas
- Created at : 2024-05-31 12:43:55
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 12:43:55
- Link: https://youtube-help.techidaily.com/new-step-by-step-guide-for-youtube-video-editing-pros-and-amateurs-alike/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
