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What is Video Editor Software?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

Video editor software is a type of computer program used to edit video clips of many different file types. This type of program is often used by professionals in entertainment industries such as film, television, and video game design. It can also be used by amateurs, and such programs have become increasingly popular for home use with the proliferation of various Internet websites that host video clips created by different users. Video editor software can typically allow a computer user to open video clips, make numerous changes, and save the final video as a number of different file types for future playback.

Though different users may utilize video editor software applications for different purposes, they are commonly used to create and edit video for playback. The program will typically display video in a number of different ways, both as a visual playback and through a bar or similar graphical representation of the entire feature. This allows a user of this type of program to see how the video will ultimately look and to make changes to the video within the same program. Less expensive or simpler types of video editor software may not have all the options included with professional software, but some features are fairly typical.

Woman doing a handstand with a computer
Woman doing a handstand with a computer

Video editor software will usually allow a user to edit separate video clips together to create a longer complete video. This can be done in filmmaking to composite different shots together and allow a single scene to utilize various camera angles that were used while filming. Many programs will also allow a video to be cut apart into smaller video clips, allowing an editor using this type of software to take long video segments and create smaller pieces. Video editor software will typically allow this type of functionality through an editing window that displays the video or videos as bars on a time line.

This type of feature in video editor software will allow the user to see how a segment of video corresponds to a longer time line that reflects the final product. Various transitions and similar effects such as cuts, dissolves, fades, and wipes can also often be added with this type of program. This allows one clip of video to slowly transition to another video clip through something like a cross-fade or dissolve. Video editor software will then usually allow the collection of various clips to be rendered out into a final, complete video that can be saved as a single file for easy playback.

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    • Woman doing a handstand with a computer
      Woman doing a handstand with a computer