How to Edit a Professional-Looking Video on Your Phone

Technology has changed immensely since the start of the 21st century. What we use to do on bulky pieces of equipment can now be performed on a smartphone. You can watch television, play games, shop ... and record videos.

Nearlythree billion people use smartphones across the globe. Millions of them operate built-in video software to record travelogues, their pets, and thousands of other topics. Many of these people upload those videos on various internet platforms.

You want to be one of these individuals. However, you're not sure what to do. To help, here are some tips on how to edit a professional-looking video on your phone.

Use A High-Quality Video App

You're not going to get high-quality videos with simple edits. You have to start with a high-quality video app. It has to be a package that features clear video and sound.

Unfortunately, you might not have that on your current phone. So, you'll need to search the Google and Apple Play stores for a top-notch application. While on these platforms you'll find a mix of free and pay applications to use. In normal situations, the latter tends to have better quality and options.

To make a decision, determine how you'll use the video app. One-person narratives or interviews don't need as much quality as a travel presentation. When that decision is done, then consider how frequently you'll use the app. These will help you determine the type of package and the investment.

Make Sure You Have Enough Space

Before you edit your first cut on a video you need to determine if you have enough space to do this. The average size of a 30-minute video is 10 gigabytes. It can be more if the quality is higher than average. You'll be hamstrung if you barely have enough space for one video, let alone multiple copies as you edit.

Check the space on your phone first. If that's limited, then proceed to your cloud storage apps like Google Drive or iCloud. See what space you have there. If it's still not enough, then you'll need to purchase a SIM card to add extra space to your phone. Something in the 256 GB range should work.

Use Online Templates

Some of the effects you want may not be available on your phone. For instance, the creation oftime lapse video or the ability to speed things up. These features may require an outside source.

Online companies provide templates for these types of effects. You select the template you want, upload your video, and let the site to the rest for you.

Go Frame By Frame

You'll be tempted to view the video at normal speed and make edits where necessary. This will produce an average video. In the end, you'll miss the small items. This is why you need to slow down the editing process.

A way to do this is to pull up a frame-by-frame option on your editing software. This shows the video in panels instead of a smooth-flowing presentation. Using the frame-by-frame option is the best thing when you recorded two videos from different angles. It helps to sync those scene shifts without jump cuts.

View On All Platforms

Part of the editing process is to perform quality assurance tests on your video. This assures the finished product is of high-quality. For this, you need to view the video on more than one platform.

This means looking at the media presentation on your phone, a tablet, and a computer. You might want to upload it to YouTube or Instagram to see how it plays there. Make the necessary edits to the video even if it fails on only one of these platforms.

If you've never edited a video on your phone, then the tips provided should help you get going. However, be warned -- don't go full-throttle on the project until you've done two things. First, research the right tools for your needs. Second, save the original copy of the video.

When these are taken care of, take your edits slow. If the presentation gets too messy, then start over again. It takes hours to adapt to a skill, so be patient. Soon enough, you'll be editing professional-looking videos on a regular basis.