Blender Video Editing for FREE Beginners

Do you want to learn how to edit videos in blender, even if you have no prior experience? Then this tutorial series is for you. I will teach you all the basics of video editing in blender, from importing clips to adding transitions and effects. By the end of this series, you will be able to create your own video projects using blender.

Go to Blender Video Editing

There are three ways to open the video editor in blender.

• The first way is to use the splash screen that appears when you launch blender. You can click on the blender icon and then click on the splash screen. Then, you can select video editing from the new file menu.
• The second way is to use the file menu at the top of the blender window. You can click on file, then on new, and then on video editing. This will also create a new file with the video editor layout.
• The third way is to add the video editor as a workspace. You can see the available workspaces at the top of the blender window, such as layout, modeling, texture painting, and so on. To add the video editor as a workspace, you can click on the plus sign at the end of the workspace tabs.
• Then, you can scroll down and click on video editing. This will add a new workspace tab for the video editor, and you can switch between workspaces by clicking on them.

Shortcuts

Panels Overview

Live preview: You can see how your video looks like in real time as you edit it. You can also adjust the playback speed and zoom level of the preview window.
File browser: To import media files into Blender Video Editing, you need to use the file browser. The file browser lets you navigate through the folders and files on your computer. For example, if you have some videos in a folder called videos, you can open that folder by double-clicking on it. Then, you can select the files you want and drag them into the video editor.

You can also create a new folder by clicking on this button. You can also switch to a different directory on your computer by using the dropdown menu at the top.

Scene Size: On the right side of the video editor, you will see the properties panel. This panel has several buttons that control different aspects of your video project. The most important one is the output button.

• Resolution: This is the size of your video in pixels. You can change it by typing in the values or using the presets.
• Frame rate: This is the number of frames per second (fps) that your video will play at. You can change it by typing in the value or using the presets.
• Output: This is the location where your video file will be saved on your computer. You can change it by clicking on the folder icon and choosing a folder.

Sequencer: In Blender Video Editing sequencer is the main area where you can arrange and trim your video clips, audio tracks, images, and other media. To navigate the sequencer.

• To pan the sequencer, you can press and hold the middle mouse button and move your mouse.
• To zoom in and out of the sequencer, you can scroll your mouse wheel or press Ctrl and move your mouse up and down.
• To resize the sequencer, you can press Ctrl and move your mouse left and right.
• To select media in the sequencer, you can left-click and drag to create a box selection or left-click on a single strip. You can also hold Shift and left-click to select multiple strips.
• To move media in the sequencer, you can left-click and drag on a selected strip or press G to grab it. You can also right-click or press Esc to cancel the movement.
• To move the playhead, which is the blue line that shows the current frame, you can left-click on the timeline at the top of the sequencer or hold Shift and right-click anywhere on the sequencer. You can also use the arrow keys to move one frame at a time.

Channel: On the left side of the screen, you will see the channels. The channels are the vertical layers that help you organize your media.

• To scroll up and down the channels, you can press and hold the middle mouse button and move your mouse up and down or use the scrollbar on the right side of the channels.
• To rename a channel, you can double-click on its name and type a new name.
• To hide or show a channel, you can click on the eye icon next to its name.
• To adjust the width of the channels, you can drag the edge of the channels panel or double-click on it to collapse or expand it.

Timeline

Blender Video Editing timeline is a small bar at the bottom of the screen that shows you the current frame and allows you to control the playback of your animation.

• To resize the timeline, you can drag the edge of the timeline panel up or down. You can make it bigger to see more details of the frames or smaller to save space.
• To play and pause the animation, you can click on the play button on the left side of the timeline or press the space bar. You can also click on the pause button to stop the animation.
• To play the animation backwards, you can click on the reverse button on the right side of the timeline.
• To jump to the next or previous keyframe in your animation, you can click on the skip buttons on either side of the play button. Keyframes are points in your animation where you set a change in position, rotation, scale, or other properties of your objects.

Adding Media

• To import video files in Blender Video Editing, go to Add > Movie or use Alt-V as a shortcut. You can select multiple files by holding Shift or pressing A.
• To sync audio and video, make sure they have the same number of frames. If not, change the frame rate of your project in the properties panel.
• To adjust video size, change the resolution of your project or your strips in the properties panel or the sequencer. You may also need to change the aspect ratio if the video looks distorted.
• To improve video playback, change the sync mode at the bottom of the sequencer. You can choose between No Sync, AV-sync, or Frame-dropping.

Cutting strips

• To cut a strip, move the playhead to the desired point with the arrow keys, right-click on the strip and press X for a soft cut or K for a hard cut.
• To close the gaps between the strips, left-click on the gap and press R or Backspace.

Delete strips

• Select the clip and press X to delete.
• Ctrl-Z will also undo the action

Fade In Fade Out

In Blender Video Editing Fade In Fade Out in important in-between to clips

• To create a fade out to black effect, you need to add keyframes for the opacity of your video strip. You can do this by selecting the video strip, moving the playhead to the point where you want the fade out to start, and setting the opacity to 1.0 in the strip properties panel.
• Then, right-click on the opacity and choose Insert Keyframe. Next, move the playhead to the point where you want the fade out to end, and set the opacity to 0.0. Then, right-click on the opacity and choose Insert Keyframe again. Blender will automatically create a smooth transition between the two keyframes.
• To adjust the speed and shape of the fade out, you can use the graph editor. You can open it by clicking on the Graph tab at the top of the Blender window. You can see the curve that represents the opacity change over time.
• You can drag the curve or use presets to change its shape. You can also zoom in and out of the graph by scrolling your mouse wheel or pressing Home.
• To fade out the audio as well, you need to add keyframes for the volume of your audio strip. You can do this by selecting the audio strip, moving the playhead to the point where you want the fade out to start, and setting the volume to 100% in the strip properties panel.
• Then, right-click on the volume and choose Insert Keyframe. Next, move the playhead to the point where you want the fade out to end, and set the volume to 0%. Then, right-click on the volume and choose Insert Keyframe again. Blender will automatically create a smooth transition between the two keyframes.

Transitions

• To create a transition between two video strips, you need to overlap them on different channels in the sequencer. You can select both video strips (with or without audio) and go to Add > Effect Strip > Gamma Cross. This will create a smooth crossfade effect between the two clips.
• You can also use the Wipe effect, which is more fun and dramatic. You can choose different types of wipes, such as clock, iris, single, or double, in the strip properties panel. You can scroll down to the Transition section and select the wipe type that you like.

Rendering

To export your video project, you need to use the render menu at the top of the Blender window. You can choose to render a single frame or an animation (the whole video). You can also set the output location and file name for your video file. Once you are ready to render your video, you can click on the render button or press F12.