Repository

https://github.com/OpenShot/openshot-qt

Introduction

On this series, I am trying my best to show to the readers how Openshot can replace their paid video editors. I am also trying to show beginners, that might be afraid of something new, that there is nothing to worry about.

To continue the work on showing how easy the transition to Openshot is, I will share my experiences. Why did I start using it, how I started using it, and how well did it work out for me.

Spoiling it a little bit first, I can tell you already that Openshot worked great for me. I am by no means a professional video editor, though I do have some prior experience. Although, I am not biased when I say that Openshot should work for complete beginners too.

What is Openshot

Openshot is a free and open source video editor. It was, actually, created by a Linux user that, like myself, felt disappointed when he switched to Linux.

On Windows and Macintosh, you can, with ease, find many video editors, both paid and free. Although the free ones, from the "App Stores", often come with ads or some sort of freemium features.

To me, seems like the excess of "freemium" and low-quality apps contribute to the bad image of free software. That said, if the image you had on your mind of "free" software was that of "freemium", you can rest assured.

Openshot is not another "advertisement bloated software". There is a problem on the market with "free software" that want to squeeze your time to pay their salary with ads.

Openshot does not want your money, though they appreciate your donations. The team behind the project work on what they believe is great software. A simple interface, with great features, great performance and completely free.

How (and why) did I get started

I have found Openshot a few weeks, or days, don't remember, after switching from Windows to Linux. I wanted to start making videos for DTube (a social network on top of Steem), and for that, I had to edit them.

A little bit of my background on video editing, first. I am not a professional editor and I have never made money with editing videos. But I do have prior experience with video editing. In high school assignments that required video editing, I was the one that edited. And some years ago I did have a few "youtube projects" with a few friends and I was the editor.

That said, none of those experiences were huge, and I did not use any fancy or advanced effect for any of them. I regret, now, have paid for that software, because I have discovered that what I was doing, I could do for free!

I hope that by now you could understand, though I have prior experience, it is a shallow experience. Nothing in depth by any means.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, I decided to switch my main operating system from Windows to Linux. I challenged myself to spend one month on Linux, and after that, I could go back to Windows.

At first, I did not care very much about the new operating system. For a developer, Linux is great, the command terminal is powerful and the filesystem is clean. Though, I felt need to produce videos for DTube. I had some ideas and some subjects that I wanted to talk about, and blog posts were not "fluid" enough. We can't express everything with written words. Sometimes we need to use our hands and facial expressions to show what we mean.

So I recorded the first video, but then I realized I could not edit it. All I wanted to do was to cut a few silent parts of the video and to add floating text.

Thus, I started searching for some editor that was compatible with Linux. Openshot was the very first editor I have found, and I have managed to edit what I had to edit.

I know my experience is not from someone that is starting fresh and as a complete beginner in video editing. I have thought a lot about it. I, of course, do not want to market Openshot as something it is not. But after reflecting for a while, I am confident enough to say that it will, indeed, work even for beginners.

It was actually designed to work for complete beginners. The ease of use is noticeable from how simple and friendly the interface looks!

I am afraid to get started

Do not be afraid to get started with Openshot. To be honest, it is not my main video editor anymore. The only reason why it is not my main editor anymore is that I prefer a flatter and less colorful interface. But also, I am lazy, if I wanted to I could "hack" the editor and change the appearance.

Talking about hacking, that is exactly why you shouldn't be afraid of an open source project. Most open source software is "hackable". That means, if there is a feature or a tool, or a different workflow, you want to use, chances are you can "add" it to Openshot!

Actually, there is a whole section on the user manual on how can developers contribute to the project.

If you are not an editor, and not a developer too, that is ok. You would, in this case, have to dig a little deeper on the internet, to find some add-on that implements what you want to do. Chances are high that, whatever the feature or tool you want is, someone else also wanted that in the past. And if someone else wanted that, there might be an add-on to give that to you! That is the beauty of going open source.

The freedom to fail

If, in the end, Openshot did not, in any way, worked well for you. Well, it was free, wasn't it? You can uninstall it and move on. Paid software does not give you that freedom.

As Mark Zuckerberg himself said in his speech to Harvard. People need to have the freedom to fail, that allows them to keep trying.

That goes beyond the extent of someone that wants to edit video for a family meeting. I am, now, talking about freelancers or "wannabe" editors that would like to get a career in video editing. I know how those people feel because, when I started the projects with my friends on Youtube, I liked editing. My knowledge was not advanced and we did not have a solid business plan, but we had passion. We did not make any money from that, but I had the expenses of the video editors to keep the channel running. In the end, the expenses of editing with paid software were one of the reasons why we have "killed" that project. Who knows what we could have done if money was not of the obstacles?

People deserve the freedom to fail, and open source projects, like Openshot, give that to them. That was my thought, considering if I should recommend Openshot for complete beginners. And the conclusion I have arrived is, yes, I should. They have nothing to lose, but all to gain, from trying something free and developed with love.

And if you do

Again, after the thought above, you understand me, when I say, there is no reason "why not to". And, if you decide to go ahead and try Openshot, I would appreciate if you report your experiences with it to me.

In other series of other software, people have, shortly, reported their experiences. And that is awesome when you recommend something and someone tries it out and tells you how well it works. I would appreciate receiving feedback, either saying the software is working for you, or it isn't, and why.

Keep in mind, though, that Openshot is free and open source. I have said that the interface is easy and intuitive and the performance is great. Openshot is that and more, but, don't expect it to compete for head to head with multi-billion dollar companies. It is still free, and it is still great. But if you keep in mind that is free and developed by volunteers, you can get even more surprised (in a very good way).

Resources

Openshot main website
https://www.openshot.org/

Download page
https://www.openshot.org/download/

Use guide
https://www.openshot.org/static/files/user-guide/index.html

Series backlinks

• Openshot Series - For Professionals: Time Is Money(Part 4)
• Openshot Series - The Alternatives, Paid And Open Source Competitors(Part 3)
• Openshot Series - First Person Workflow (Part 2)
• Openshot Series - Introduction To Openshot Video Editor And My Experience (Part 1)

Beneficiaries

This post has as beneficiaries

• @utopian.pay with 5%
• @steempeak with 1%

using the SteemPeak beneficiary tool