TikTok is a popular social media application of 2021. Creators have the ability to upload amazing videos with music, skits and challenges. TikTok is a place where creativity thrives.
We have you covered, whether you are new to TikTok or looking to improve your skills. This article will show you how to create and edit perfect TikTok videos.
The Built-In Editor
TikTok’s editor is built in and can do basic tasks such as blurring, adding sound effects, and adding filters. Let’s have a look at the interface.
TikTok will show you a video it thinks you might like when you open it. You can stop the video by tapping on the “+” icon to start your own video.
We’ll cover a few more pages in this article but this is the beginning. This is how to record your TikTok Video:
- You can choose any effects that you would like to add to your video.
- Use the time selector in the bottom right corner of the screen to change the video’s time frame
- If you wish to add music, tap on the “Add sound” option.
- On the top of your screen, tap the red record icon. When you’re done recording, tap it again.
- The blue line at top can be used to indicate how much time you have left and how many hours you have already recorded.
- To upload existing videos from your phone’s camera roll, tap the ‘Upload” icon in the lower left corner. This is also an option if you wish to use an external editor (which we will explain below).
Once you have recorded your video, it is time to begin the editing process.
Get to know TikTok’s Editing tools
There are many ways to edit your TikTok videos. These are the main points we’ll discuss.
Let’s begin in the upper-left corner of the screen and move around. This walkthrough will be done using the Android version, although the iOS version is identical.
The “X” icon cancels the recording or editing session.
The command “Add sound” brings up the TikTok sound collection, which is extensive and vast. You can search for keywords and view playlists. You can’t upload your own sounds, but there are some tricks you can use to make your video sync with the song or sounds you choose.
Flip the button to switch from your front camera to your rear, which is useful for creating selfie videos.
You can change the speed at which your video is recorded and played back by clicking on the “Speed” button. You can adjust the settings from 0.1x up to 3x so that your video plays anywhere between 10:1 slow-motion to 3:1 fast-motion.
TikTok’s library filters can be accessed by clicking the “Filters” button. They are divided into three sections: “Portrait,” Life,” and Vibe. These filters are very simple and can modify the color palette or the image contrast. They are also organized numerically, rather than with clever names. The first filter in the “Portrait” section is labeled “Normal”. This will allow you to return to an unfiltered view.
The Beauty button toggles Beauty mode ON or OFF; this mode removes shadows in subtle ways.
The “Timer” button opens a timeline interface with a maximum of 60 seconds. To stop recording, tap on the desired point (anywhere from 1 to 60 seconds), and then tap “Start Recording” to begin auto-recording.
The flash button is next. You can now turn the flash on or off depending on what lighting you require.
The “Upload” button is located to the right of the recording buttons. This opens your phone’s video gallery and allows you to select a video to be uploaded. This is how videos you have created or edited with other tools can be uploaded to your TikTok account.
When you want to record without the timer, the recording button (the large red circle) will be pushed.
TikTok’s extensive library of special effects can be accessed by clicking the “Effects” button. These effects include digital enhancements, split screens and augmented reality (AR), filters. You can add rainbow swirl effects and giant googly eyes to your video. There are sections that allow you to add “Face”, “Trending” and “Animal” effects.
Editing your video
Two new buttons are located to the right of the record button. The X button cancels this segment’s recording, while the check button saves it for later use.
This interface will display your video segment on autoloop.
To extend the segment, you can hit the back button.
To reduce the length of your video, you can use “Trim” to do it.
The “Mixer” button opens the mixer interface. This allows you to adjust the relative sound levels of the recorded sound and the soundtrack that you have selected.
You could hear me saying “rawr” while I move the plastic scorpion around my desk.
“Select Sound”, opens the sound interface. It allows you to import music or sounds from TikTok’s library just as in the previous screen.
TikTok: How to Edit Segments
The “Effects” button does something completely different from the one on the previous screen. This button opens a library with many effects and a timeline. You can apply effects to specific sections of the video. This feature is very powerful and the source of many of the unique effects that you see in TikTok videos.
You can choose a frame from your video to be the cover that other users will see when they browse videos. This allows you to choose a representative frame, rather than the entire video’s first frame which could be boring or empty.
The “Filters” button applies a filter on the entire segment just as it did in the prerecording interface.
The “Stickers” button opens the stickers gallery, where animated stickers can be added to the video. You can drag a sticker around the screen while the video is playing to adjust its position.
The “Next” button will take you to the posting interface.
Upload Your Video
You can use the posting interface to send your video into the TikTok ecosystem.
You can enter a description for your video and include #hashtags or callouts to your friends. The video can be set to either public, visible to all your friends or private. This allows you to save your videos and work on them later, without having any of your work published. You can toggle comments on and off and allow or deny duet or react videos. You can also share the video automatically to other social media accounts, such as Twitter.
The bottom of the screen has a button that saves your video to draft and a button that sends it out to the rest of the world.
The built-in video editor can be quite powerful and should suffice for most users. If you are serious about improving your production quality, you may want to read the next section.
Use an External Editor
You can do much more if you use an external editor for TikTok video. Although the TikTok editor has many features, it is not a complete video editor. You must download your TikTok video first before you can use any other video editor.
You must first upload the video to be able to download it. You can’t leave it in your draft folder. It must be posted to the site. Set the “who can see this” toggle to “private” and then upload the video. After the video is uploaded, tap on your profile on TikTok to select it, then click the three dots icon to select “Download” and copy it to your local device.
App-Based Video Editors
Many video editing applications are available for your tablet or smartphone. The apps are easy and convenient to use. However, they are not as powerful or feature-rich as the TikTok editor. If you are looking for specific features, however, it may be worth checking them out. Popular video editors for Android include PowerDirector and Timbre, Vizmato (YouCut), and Vizmato (YouCut). iPhone users may want to try iMovie and Splice as well as Filmmaker PRO Video Editor on iOS.
Desktop Video Editors
A desktop video editor is far more powerful for serious editing. Your Mac or PC is much more powerful than your smartphone. It has a larger screen and offers more precise interface tools. If you’re going to take this route, I recommend that you use an editor that is expensive. While there are many free editors, some are quite good. However, it is unlikely that you will get a better editor than the TikTok built-in editor. These are the best editors available.
Adobe Premiere Elements
Adobe Premiere Elements a lighter version the movie-grade Adobe Premiere CC editing software. Elements retains the core features of its parent, but has a lot less stuff that videographers need. This allows for a lower price and enables you to learn quickly. Elements will be a natural fit for anyone who has used Adobe products in the past. Elements has a wide range of video effects and tools that can be used to create videos. It is ideal for TikTok users who want to make a lot of videos.
Premiere Elements is $99 but you can get a free trial to see if it fits your needs.
Coral Video Studio
Corel was once a top-ranking computer graphics software company. The company has a strong reputation in the video editing industry. Corel VideoStudio can be used as a powerful consumer-level video editor. Although it’s not as powerful as Avid Media Composer or even as easy to use, it’s still very affordable and simple to learn. It offers many professional features and an easy-to-use user interface.
Corel Video Studio is available in two versions: a Pro version costs $69 and an Ultimate version costs $99. Both versions are powerful and can easily handle TikTok videos. A free trial is available as well.
Tips and tricks for video creation
There are many advanced tips to help you create videos for Tik Tok. These are the top tips we have found.
Use a Desktop video editor
You’ll quickly realize that the built-in editor and the available app-based editors are not suitable for editing large amounts of video files. They also don’t offer the same features and performance as a fully-featured editing suite on a desktop machine. A desktop computer’s display is better than a smartphone for viewing video files. The CPU and memory of a laptop or desktop will also be more powerful than a smartphone.
Invest in a Video Camera + Tripod
Smartphones are capable of taking great photos for their small size and low cost. Your smartphone camera can also be used to edit video. Once you have mastered the basics, it’s time to upgrade to a full-sized camera. A very good digital camera can be purchased for as low as $40-$100. You should look out for inputs for external microphones and an LCD screen to frame your shots. Also, you can export lower resolution videos and have manual white balance, focus and exposure controls. Even if your camera is not full-size, a tripod will help stabilize it and give you an easy way of adjusting the camera’s position and angle.
It’s time to light it up
Lighting is essential. Lighting is crucial. High-energy LEDs are the best lighting options. They produce a crisp white light that is well-suited to both video and photography. A three-light setup is necessary for large-area video productions that include dancing or other movement. It should consist of a key light (or spot), a fill light and a backlight. Instead of investing in a ringlight, which we recommend at the bottom of this article, creators who do more selfie-style videos should invest in one.
Backgrounds are important
Sometimes, what’s behind the scene can be just as important than what’s on the screen. Your heartfelt torch song video won’t look great if it has a messy kitchen or apartment. Avoid using shiny or reflective surfaces as backgrounds. This can cause lighting problems or accidentally include the camera. You can use a single-colored bedsheet to create a solid background, but make sure you are not casting distracting shadows.
It’s all about the sound
Audio quality is just as important as video quality. People will often forgive poor video quality but if they can’t understand or hear what they are hearing, they move on to the next thing. No one has the time to hear what they don’t understand. While some smartphones and digital cameras may have good internal microphones, an external mic will provide better sound quality. An external microphone, even a cheap one, will improve your sound quality. The microphone should be placed as close as possible to the subject of your video. You should be aware of background noises that you have learned to ignore, but which a video viewer will hear.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is one of the most fundamental concepts in photography or videography. It envisions a 3×3 grid laid over your field.
You want to make a compelling video or photo that is attractive and captivating. Your subject should be placed along one grid line, not in the middle of the frame. You want your subject to be at the intersection of the gridlines, or in the “sweet spots”, if possible. This rule doesn’t have any theoretical basis. People tend to find images that adhere to the rule more appealing than images that don’t.
Give Presence
Sometimes screen presence is a gift. It’s that rare quality that makes the camera seem to care about you. A lot of fine actors are just okay actors with great screen presence. You don’t necessarily have to be Cary Grant-type to make a memorable on-screen presence. Your body language should be calm and open. Don’t place your arms in front or behind the camera. Good posture is important – keep your head up and straighten your spine. Relax your shoulders and keep them back. Breathe, both consciously and subconsciously.
Smile at the camera, especially at the beginning of the video. This will make it seem friendly. Talk clearly when speaking and slow down. Nearly everyone talks too fast for the camera. You can use props to help you occupy your hands if you aren’t sure what to do with them. A magic wand is for magicians, and a microphone (even a fake one) for singers. Practice – the second, third, tenth, or twentieth run-throughs of a video are likely to be better than the first. This is especially true if you’re reviewing your own videos and learning from each one.
