64 LXF257 December 2019 http://www.linuxformat.comTUTORIALS Video editing
on your timeline. Too much choice? Click the Common
button to hide them all, aside from a handful of
understated wipes, circles and the previously
mentioned fade.
That’s all well and good, but what about the fade
effect you created earlier? Thankfully, you can change
its transition type without having to delete it and start
again from scratch. Click the V button next to your first
transition and choose Properties. Right-click the Source
property (currently set to ‘fade.svg’) and expand the
Transitions menu to reveal the common options
mentioned earlier.
Select one of these, then watch a preview on the
preview window. Still not your cup of tea? Right-clicking
Source and opening the Transition menu again will now
reveal all available transitions, split into 18 sub-menus,
ordered alphabetically. Once you’ve selected a new
effect, you can fine-tune it further with all the other
available properties. Perhaps the most important one
is End, which sets the duration of the effect. They’re 10
seconds by default, so try reducing this to 3-5 seconds
and previewing the effect.
While it’s tempting to go overboard with these
transitions, consistency and simplicity always pay
dividends – so find an effect you like, take the time to
set it up carefully, then apply it to the rest of your
movie. To do this, first delete any other transition
effects you’ve placed on the timeline (right-click the
transition and choose ‘Remove Transition’). Now select
your original, carefully configured transition and press
Ctrl+C followed by Ctrl+V to duplicate it. Drag this new
transition into position at the start of the following clip,
then repeat for all the clips in your movie.
As a rule of thumb, one transition is fine, but you can
bend this rule for longer movies by setting up a more
elaborate effect (say a wipe) to signal the end of a major
scene. You’ll be following in the footsteps of major
filmmakers like George Lucas.Add your audio track
If, as is likely, your video comes with its own audio
track, this will be combined with it on Track 1. You can
adjust its volume via the Properties pane – scroll down
and experiment with the Volume setting. Set it to 0.5 or
0.7 to reduce the volume, or increase it to 2, 3 or even 4
if it’s too quiet. This should be enough for most, but it’s
also possible to extract the audio as a separate clip if
you want.
Right-click the clip and choose Separate Audio. You’ll
see two options: a single chip combines all audio
channels as one, while if your clip has more than one(100% to 75%)’, but another is to edit the clip’s
properties: right-click it and choose Properties to bring
up the Properties pane on the left. Click and drag the
Location Y slider right to pull the image down, or left to
pull it up. Alternatively, double-click inside and enter
your figure manually – try -0.15 or 0.15.
While you’re here, you can experiment with other
settings too – for example, the Scale X and Scale Y
figures to crop in further. Make sure you set identical
figures for both to preserve the aspect ratio.
When it comes to injecting effects into your video
clips, use the Time option on the right-click menu to
reveal a host of options for speeding up or slowing down
the clip, plus running it backwards. You can speed it up
to 16x its normal speed, or slow it down to 1/16th speed.
You can also temporarily freeze (or freeze and zoom)
the clip for up to 30 seconds – make sure you’ve
positioned the play-head at the point you want this
freeze to happen before applying the effect.Advanced transitions
We’ve already seen how you can quickly create a basic
fade effect between scenes or images by dragging one
clip so it overlaps another. But OpenShot offers an
array of different transition effects – hundreds in fact –
all lurking on the Transitions tab of the Project Files
pane. One way to add these to your movie is to simply
select one from the list and drag it on top of a movie clipADD TITLES AND CAPTIONS
No video is complete without a nifty title sequence, and OpenShot
has a dedicated tool for creating and editing both static and animated
titles. They’re really easy to use.
Do note, however, that you’ll need to install Blender to make use of
the animated titles. Once it’s installed, choose ‘Edit > Preferences >
General’ and click Browse to locate it (typically under /usr/bin). If
you’d like to design your own static titles, install Inkscape and point to
it here as well.
Whichever title tool you choose, you’ll be shown a list of templates.
Select one, then use the controls in the right-hand pane to enter your
title and tweak available options. Static titles can change font, text
colour and background colour, while animated titles offer more
options depending on the type of effect. Make sure you give your title
a suitable filename to identify it – after clicking Save or Render it’ll
appear in the Project Files pane, ready for dragging and dropping into
your movie.
Some titles have transparent backgrounds, enabling you to place
them over your video or images, and you can create as many as you
like and place them within the movie, enabling you to add additional
elements such as credits, subtitles or even a movie rating with which
to open your film.The Properties pane opens up a world of advanced tweaks and settings
for fine-tuning and improving your movies.OpenShot’s Titles
tool can be used
for opening
titles, subtitles,
credit sequences- anything that
requires text.
It’s possible
to edit clips
directly on the
timeline. Simply
position the
play-head at
the point where
you’d like to
split your clip,
right-click the
clip and choose
‘Slice > Keep
Left Side’ to end
the clip at that
point. Choose
‘Keep Right Side’
to start the clip
at the play-head
point, and ‘Keep
Both Sides’ to
split the clip
in two.64 LXF257December 2019 6662Decmbr 019v2a 1
TUTORIALS Video editing
onyourtimeline.Toomuchchoice?ClicktheCommon
buttontohidethemall,asidefromahandfulof
understatedwipes,circlesandthepreviously
mentionedfade.
That’sallwellandgood,butwhataboutthefade
effectyoucreatedearlier?Thankfully,youcanchange
itstransitiontypewithouthavingtodeleteitandstart
againfromscratch.ClicktheVbuttonnexttoyourfirst
transitionandchooseProperties.Right-clicktheSource
property(currentlysetto‘fade.svg’)andexpandthe
Transitionsmenutorevealthecommonoptions
mentionedearlier.
Selectoneofthese,thenwatchapreviewonthe
previewwindow.Stillnotyourcupoftea?Right-clicking
SourceandopeningtheTransitionmenuagainwillnow
revealallavailabletransitions,splitinto 18 sub-menus,
orderedalphabetically.Onceyou’veselectedanew
effect,youcanfine-tuneitfurtherwithalltheother
availableproperties.Perhapsthemostimportantone
isEnd,whichsetsthedurationoftheeffect.They’re 10
secondsbydefault,sotryreducingthisto3-5seconds
andpreviewingtheeffect.
Whileit’stemptingtogooverboardwiththese
transitions,consistencyandsimplicityalwayspay
dividends–sofindaneffectyoulike,takethetimeto
setitupcarefully,thenapplyittotherestofyour
movie.Todothis,firstdeleteanyothertransition
effectsyou’veplacedonthetimeline(right-clickthe
transitionandchoose‘RemoveTransition’).Nowselect
youroriginal,carefullyconfiguredtransitionandpress
Ctrl+CfollowedbyCtrl+Vtoduplicateit.Dragthisnew
transitionintopositionatthestartofthefollowingclip,
thenrepeatforalltheclipsinyourmovie.
Asaruleofthumb,onetransitionisfine,butyoucan
bendthisruleforlongermoviesbysettingupamore
elaborateeffect(sayawipe)tosignaltheendofamajor
scene.You’llbefollowinginthefootstepsofmajor
filmmakerslikeGeorgeLucas.Addyouraudiotrack
If,asislikely,yourvideocomeswithitsownaudio
track,thiswillbecombinedwithitonTrack1.Youcan
adjustitsvolumeviathePropertiespane–scrolldown
andexperimentwiththeVolumesetting.Setitto0.5or
0.7toreducethevolume,orincreaseitto2, 3 oreven 4
ifit’stooquiet.Thisshouldbeenoughformost,butit’s
alsopossibletoextracttheaudioasaseparateclipif
youwant.
Right-clicktheclipandchooseSeparateAudio.You’ll
seetwooptions:asinglechipcombinesallaudio
channelsasone,whileifyourcliphasmorethanone(100% to 75%)’, but another is to edit the clip’s
properties: right-click it and choose Properties to bring
up the Properties pane on the left. Click and drag the
Location Y slider right to pull the image down, or left to
pull it up. Alternatively, double-click inside and enter
your figure manually – try -0.15 or 0.15.
While you’re here, you can experiment with other
settings too – for example, the Scale X and Scale Y
figures to crop in further. Make sure you set identical
figures for both to preserve the aspect ratio.
When it comes to injecting effects intoyourvideo
clips, use the Time option on the right-clickmenuto
reveal a host of options for speeding uporslowingdown
the clip, plus running it backwards. Youcanspeeditup
to 16x its normal speed, or slow it downto1/16thspeed.
You can also temporarily freeze (or freezeandzoom)
the clip for up to 30 seconds – make sureyou’ve
positioned the play-head at the point youwantthis
freeze to happen before applying the effect.Advanced transitions
We’ve already seen how you can quicklycreateabasic
fade effect between scenes or images bydraggingone
clip so it overlaps another. But OpenShotoffersan
array of different transition effects – hundredsinfact–
all lurking on the Transitions tab of theProjectFiles
pane. One way to add these to your movieistosimply
select one from the list and drag it on topofamovieclipADD TITLES AND CAPTIONS
No video is complete without a nifty title sequence, andOpenShot
has a dedicated tool for creating and editing both staticandanimated
titles. They’re really easy to use.
Do note, however, that you’ll need to install Blender tomakeuseof
the animated titles. Once it’s installed, choose ‘Edit > Preferences>
General’ and click Browse to locate it (typically under /usr/bin).If
you’d like to design your own static titles, install Inkscapeandpointto
it here as well.
Whichever title tool you choose, you’ll be shown a listoftemplates.
Select one, then use the controls in the right-hand panetoenteryour
title and tweak available options. Static titles can changefont,text
colour and background colour, while animated titles offermore
options depending on the type of effect. Make sure yougiveyourtitle
a suitable filename to identify it – after clicking Save orRenderit’ll
appear in the Project Files pane, ready for dragging anddroppinginto
your movie.
Some titles have transparent backgrounds, enabling youtoplace
them over your video or images, and you can create asmanyasyou
like and place them within the movie, enabling you to addadditional
elements such as credits, subtitles or even a movie ratingwithwhich
to open your film.The Properties pane opens up a world of advanced tweaks and settings
for fine-tuning and improving your movies.OpenShot’s Titles
tool can be used
for opening
titles, subtitles,
credit sequences- anything that
requires text.
It’spossible
toeditclips
directlyonthe
timeline.Simply
positionthe
play-headat
thepointwhere
you’dliketo
splityourclip,
right-clickthe
clipandchoose
‘Slice> Keep
LeftSide’toend
theclipatthat
point.Choose
‘KeepRightSide’
tostarttheclip
attheplay-head
point,and‘Keep
BothSides’to
splittheclip
intwo.