Lightworks — Official Quickstart Guide 2023 — Learn Lightworks in 15 Minutes!
TLDRIn this quickstart guide, Chris Wells from Lightworks demonstrates how to use the software for video editing. He covers project management, importing footage, editing on the timeline, audio adjustments, color grading, and adding effects and titles. The guide concludes with exporting the final video.
Takeaways
- 😀 Lightworks is a powerful video editing software.
- 📂 The project management screen allows you to view or create new projects.
- 🔍 Importing footage can be done through the 'Import Clips' button, with options for local files and integrations with stock footage and music providers.
- 🎬 The edit workspace is the primary area for video editing tasks.
- 📂 Footage can be viewed in tile or list layout, and multiple clips can be selected for import.
- ⏸ The timeline is where you place and edit your video clips.
- 🔄 Multiple methods exist for placing footage on the timeline, including double-clicking, using replace, insert, and drag-and-drop.
- 🎧 Audio editing is crucial for a professional feel, and Lightworks allows for the creation of new audio channels and precise timing of audio clips.
- 🎨 Color grading can be done using the 'Color Correction' effect, with adjustments for shadows, midtones, highlights, saturation, gamma, and more.
- 🎵 Music and sound effects can be added to the timeline and adjusted for timing and volume.
- 🌟 Transitions and titles can be added for a polished finish, with options for various effects and text customization.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the video?
-The purpose of the video is to provide a quickstart guide to Lightworks, a video editing software, and demonstrate how to use it to create a short example video.
Who is the presenter of the video?
-The presenter of the video is Chris Wells, a video editor at Lightworks.
What is the first step in using Lightworks after opening it?
-The first step is to navigate to the project management screen where you can view old projects or create a new one by selecting the 'create a new project' button.
How does one import footage into a Lightworks project?
-To import footage, you select the 'import Clips' button, navigate to the folder containing the desired files, and either import the whole folder or select specific files to import.
What are the different ways to place footage onto the timeline in Lightworks?
-There are multiple ways: double-clicking a clip to open it in the source monitor and then dragging it onto the timeline, using the 'replace' button, using the 'insert' button, and using keyboard shortcuts to set in and out points and then pressing 'V' to insert the clip.
How can you adjust the audio levels of a clip in Lightworks?
-You can adjust the audio levels by selecting the clip, aligning the mouse cursor with the audio waveform, and then dragging up to increase volume or down to decrease it.
What is the importance of color grading in video editing according to Chris Wells?
-According to Chris Wells, color grading is important as it can make a significant difference in the quality of the video, allowing for easier adjustments and enhancements to the visual appeal of the footage.
How does the video guide demonstrate the use of transitions in Lightworks?
-The guide demonstrates the use of transitions by showing how to apply a dissolve transition between clips and adjusting its length to fit the desired effect.
What is the final step in the video editing process shown in the guide?
-The final step is exporting the video. The guide shows how to export the video directly to a computer as an MP4 file using the export tab.
How can viewers get additional help or engage with the Lightworks community?
-Viewers can get additional help by visiting the Lightworks website's online forum where they can find many other helpful and knowledgeable people.
What feature of Lightworks allows for the export of videos directly to YouTube with chapter markers and settings?
-The newest version of Lightworks has a feature that allows for direct export to YouTube with all the chapter markers and settings included in the app.
Outlines
🎬 Introduction to Video Editing with Lightworks
Chris Wells introduces himself as a video editor at Lightworks and provides a mini-overview of the software. He showcases an example video and promises to demonstrate the step-by-step process of creating it from start to finish. The video begins with a tour of the project management screen, where viewers learn how to create new projects and access the workspace. The focus is on the 'Edit Workspace,' where Chris explains how to import footage using various integrations and local files. He details the process of selecting and importing clips, emphasizing different methods to check and select the desired clips for the project.
🎥 Editing Techniques and Audio Integration
Chris dives into the editing process, focusing on video editing first before addressing audio. He demonstrates various methods to place footage onto the timeline, including setting in and out points, using replace and insert functions, and keyboard shortcuts. After a basic assembly edit, Chris emphasizes the importance of audio, stating it contributes significantly to a video's professionalism. He guides through creating a new audio channel for overlapping clips and shows how to align audio with video events using waveforms. Chris also discusses the use of fades to smooth intersections between audio clips and adjusting music levels to complement sound effects.
🎨 Color Grading and Effects Application
The tutorial proceeds to video enhancement through color grading, where Chris explains the use of the 'Color Correction' effect to adjust shadows, midtones, highlights, saturation, gamma, relative contrast, brightness, and gain. He illustrates the impact of grading on the video's appearance and shows how to apply the same grading to multiple clips simultaneously. Chris also introduces transitions, explaining how to select and apply them between clips for a smoother visual flow. He adds a dissolve transition as an example and adjusts its duration to fit the video's narrative.
🏁 Final Touches and Exporting the Video
Chris concludes the video by discussing the addition of titles and end credits, customizing text and fonts to match the video's style. He mentions the use of blur effects for transitions and demonstrates how to set the duration for these effects. The final step is exporting the video, with Chris explaining the process in Lightworks, including selecting the export format (MP4 h264), choosing the region of the timeline to export, and initiating the export task. He wraps up by inviting viewers to share suggestions and engage with the Lightworks community and signs off as Chris Wells, encouraging continued movie-making.
Mindmap
Keywords
Lightworks
Project Management
Import Clips
Edit Workspace
Timeline
Inpoint and Outpoint
Color Grading
Audio Channels
Transitions
Effects
Export
Highlights
Chris Wells provides a quickstart guide to Lightworks video editing software.
Lightworks project management screen allows for easy project creation and organization.
Importing clips into Lightworks can be done through various methods, including integrations with stock footage and cloud storage.
Editing in Lightworks involves placing footage onto the timeline using in and out points for precise editing.
Keyboard shortcuts can speed up the editing process in Lightworks.
Trimming clips directly on the timeline offers flexibility in adjusting the length of clips.
Audio editing is emphasized as a crucial part of making a video feel professional.
Creating new audio channels in Lightworks allows for the management of multiple audio clips.
Aligning audio waveforms helps in precise placement of sound effects.
Fading techniques are used to smooth transitions between audio clips.
Adding music to the timeline and adjusting its length to fit the video sequence.
Adjusting sound levels of sound effects to balance with background music.
Color grading in Lightworks is essential for enhancing the visual appeal of footage.
Using color correction effects to adjust shadows, midtones, highlights, and overall color saturation.
Applying color correction to multiple clips simultaneously for consistency.
Transitions in Lightworks, such as dissolves, can create smoother scene changes.
Adding titles and customizing them for the end of the video.
Using blur and fade effects for smooth transitions to titles.
Exporting videos directly from Lightworks, including options for different formats and settings.
Lightworks offers the ability to export directly to YouTube with chapter markers and settings.