Video Timeline Anatomy 101 - Serif MoviePlusX3

Video editing doesn't have to be complicated but that is only said by people who have suffered to learning about it. What we really want to say that it should not be such an obstacle to create the kind of videos we want.

I was mulling it over and I thought there was an opportunity for clarity. Time for Video Timeline Anatomy 101.

The timeline is the workspace that you use to compose and create your video. This is an example of one of the video editing programs that I use, Serif's MoviePlus X3.

The common elements that are found in most computer video editing software are:

• The Preview monitor where you can look at your video clips.
• An Add Content section where you can gather your video, music, photos and other elements that will be included in the video.
• The Video and Audio section of the timeline is your workspace area. This is where you build your movie. You can cut, add photos, mute audio or whatever you need to do it will probably happen in this section.
  

This is what the timeline looks like when I'm working on a project:

In many video editing programs you can add video and audio tracks. This can be to add a title that will appear on top of the video or you could add music under your narration.

Not all software editing programs will look exactly as this one, there are other features that can be added or the program might be a simple editing software with one video and audio track. Conceptually they will have these core features.