From bore to Blockbuster in 18 simple steps

Posted on 12 Dec 2008 at 17:26

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Home videos don't have to be dull. Get the best from whatever you shoot with our essential guide to the basics of digital editing.

In the last few year's it's finally become possible for everyone to record and edit high quality video with an ordinary PC and an affordable camcorder. The trouble is that a proliferation of formats and techno-waffle still puts many of us off. Fear not: in this feature we'll provide enough practical information to get you shooting, slicing and distributing your first movie masterpiece.

Before we start, there are some basic concepts to understand. Today's consumer camcorders record in various digital formats, meaning footage can be transferred to a PC for editing without the kind of conversion process that would previously have presented a technical hurdle and caused an inevitable drop in quality. Footage from older camcorders, in analogue tape formats such as VHS-C and Hi-8, had to be digitised before it could be edited on a PC. Even if you already own an analogue camcorder, it makes more sense to replace it now than to invest cash, time and effort in setting up your PC to import video from it.

Against the grain

The way video is edited in computer software is an example of 'non linear editing', or NLE. Older film and video formats stored images in a great long procession from the first frame to the last, and that linear arrangement dictated the nature of the editing process. With video in a digital format, you can edit it in any order, taking frames from wherever you like and reassembling them at will. The upshot is far greater creative freedom.

Of course, before you can start editing you have to have some footage. An often quoted adage in the video editing world is that 'content is king'. It's what you've shot that ultimately defines the success of your finished movie, not the format it's shot in, the way it's edited or how it's distributed. A ten second handheld shot of the Loch Ness monster taken on a cheap mobile phone would be far more interesting than a beautifully composed 20 minute video of a kids' birthday party taken on a cinema quality camera.

Of course, we can't find the Loch Ness monster for you, only advise that you make sure your camcorder accompanies you as often as possible and, within reason, avoid leaving it behind 'because it might get broken'. It's the times when things get a little hairy that having a video camea is all about. Beyond that, getting footage worth watching is up to you. What this article aims to do is help you choose and use the right tools to make sure the best bits of your adventures are translated effectively into home movies that everyone will want to watch again and again.

Shoot first

Consumer digital camcorders can be categorised by the way they store footage. The most common types of storage within cameras are magnetic tape, typically MiniDV; memory card; and hard disk (known as 'HDD' in the video world, as distinct from 'HD', meaning high definition). Each has its own virtues.

While the ratings in the table (below) are generalisations, they highlight some important points. MiniDV, the original consumer format for digital video, records in standard definition (SD) only, giving a 720x576 pixel image. By comparison, high definition (HD) offers 1920x1080 pixels - five times the resolution. If you want to produce video projects for modern HD formats, forget about using MiniDV.

However, despite the smaller frame size, MiniDV cameras can still produce more desirable footage in some circumstances. This is because of the different way footage is stored on tape compared to other media.