For those of us who consider ourselves amateurs in the field of creating home video will often record scenes that are too lengthy. Invariably, we find we have more footage than we could ever need and have a tendency to leave the camera running longer than we should, capturing images that are boring when watched on playback. Ironically, editing starts while we are actually shooting the video scenes at the time. Making sure to take short scenes rather than long ones will result in less editing later on. Thinking about what we are recording rather than simply letting the camera run will leave us with footage that requires little by way of editing.

While editing what we have captured, try to think of how the finished article will look to those who will watch it. Friends and family may not be as interested in watching lengthy scenes as we are and therefore it would be helpful to edit short scenes rather than long ones. A five-minute video can often be more enjoyable than one that lasts for thirty minutes, giving your viewers a quick overview of your footage rather than boring them with every detail you have taken. Make sure to select the clearest shots and ditch any scenes that are blurred or where there is too much camera movement that makes viewing uncomfortable.

HUMOROUS
When editing video footage, it can be tempting to leave in scenes that are humorous to watch but that may be highly embarrassing to those who are the subjects. Depending on the nature of the scenes, it may be best to remove any that would cause offense or embarrassment to family members or friends. Asking the subject of the video if they have any objection to showing the footage to others might be advisable before editing begins. Those scenes will still be on the master tape if there is any reason to watch them at some other time.

The option to add music to your videos is a provision you should use to your advantage, especially in scenes where there is no dialog to hear or the dialog is not important to the particular scene. Adding a soundtrack can give your video a professional touch and make the show more enjoyable for viewers. The music chosen could be appropriate for the occasion whether it be a wedding, sports events or just some family fun. The music can also be used as part of the overall effect of the video, complementing the scenes as they appear and fade.

Perhaps the most important factor in editing your home movies is to think ahead and plan in your mind what you want from the finished product. Selecting specific scenes and creating a kind of storyboard will help you bring all the relevant scenes together in a way that will keep the finished video flowing in some kind of order. Editing can also involves inserting some credits and titles to enhance the overall viewing pleasure. Watching home videos can be either highly entertaining or incredibly boring. How well you edit your video footage will determine which one it will be.

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