Introduction To Lightwork Video Editor

Our first post will guide you though the download, installation and first-time set up of the free version of LightWork. (If you have purchased LightWork-Pro, just select that version on their website, and then follow along normally.)   Go to the Lightworks website (https://www.lwks.com/), then hit the "Download" button. Select the version of Lightworks that matches your operating system, in this guide we will be using Windows. Open the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install Lightworks on your computer. If you followed along correctly, you should see the above message. After installation, locate LightWorks and launch it. It will now ask for you to sign in. If you already have an account, sign in. If not, follow this link and sign up (https://app.lwks.com/buylicenses). Select your preffered language from the selection screen. Select default project type. There are two options: Fixed and Flexible. Fixed layouts are easier to navigate and are generally rec...

In this post, we will cover the importation of video files, along with some of LightWorks video editing tools. If you haven't installed LightWorks yet, please follow the previous post's instructions.  Now you have created your first project, it's time to import some footage to start editing. I will be using free stock video as an example in this guide. To import a video file: download a video file, locate it in file explorer, drag the file into LightWork and drop it on the "Project Content" table.  When your clip has fully loaded into the "Project Content" table, you can begin to edit. To start editing the clip, drag it down from "Project Content" table and drop it onto the timetable. When you have multiple clips, the positioning of the clip will dictate in what order the clip appears. However, since we only have one clip, the positioning isn't relevant. Initially, clips imported from the "Project Contents" table will remain in th...

 In this post we will be covering editing audio in LightWorks. However, we won't be stepping into LightWork's audio hub, as this hub is quite advanced and not necessary to start editing audio. Again, please don't select audio hub during this guide. (audio hub is circled above). You can interact with audio on the timeline the same way as footage. Automatically, editing footage on the timeline will also apply the same changed to that clip's audio, and vice versa. Use the same click and drag technique to trim both audio and video at the same time. In order to access the audio specific tools, you need to hold down the Shift key. While holding the shift key, white lines will appear accross the audio file, you can drag this line either up or down to alter the volume level of the clip. While changing this setting, keep an eye on your clips wave lengths to monitor sound throughout the clip. To edit audio levels at different times of the same clip, we use key frames. To create a...

 If you have followed the previous posts, you should have a good understanding of the basics of LightWorks. In this post, we will cover how to export your project. To begin, right-click anywhere on the timeline, and find the export option. Then click on the export option, which will open another menu. From here we have several choices. Depending on where you have linked your LightWorks account, you will have access to instant uploads to those websites (TikTok, YouTube, etc.). In this guide, we will using H.264/MP4, as it's available as part of LightWorks free and doesn't require any other linked accounts. Select MP4. From here, you will select Frame Rate, Size, and Region, along with the Name and Destination. When all these have been selected, then press the start button and wait for the export. At 720p and 25 FPS, the export won't take long at all.

Microsoft's Sway is a storytelling and presentation tool. It makes it simple for users to make dynamic stories and presentations. It is a web-based tool that is a part of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity tools, allowing users to access it from any device that has an internet connection and a web browser. The user-friendly interface of Sway made it very easy to pick up. Even for individuals who are new presenting, the tool is simple to use. Users can choose from a range of  templates. Users can add their own text, photographs, videos, and other media to the templates to make a distinctive and captivating presentation. Our group presentation all followed the same style and colour theme. Sway is very focused on storytelling. Sway helped me to keep my stories interesting and engaging, unlike typical presentation tools that feel robotic and boring. Sway makes it simple to incorporate links, enabling users to include other resources in their stories and presentations. Every mem...