Video Editing

[meadow_wind]

The day after I posted this,

Post in thread 'What are you listening to?'

Dec 12, 2024

Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I've been watching 2 Chinese Fantasy TV shows as of late. One drama and one romantic comedy which made me laugh a lot. Both series are really good and highly rated.
I find the theme songs are moving. I'm not sure why, but the song "Stare Intently (sometimes translated Gaze)" made me cry.
I don't usually cry over songs...

The Untamed - Wu Ji

Love Gave in Eastern Fantasy - Stare Intently (version by Ryan Ding Yuxi)

• meadow_wind

I worked all weekend on a project I was really itching to do. I love that song and there was no video clip of it to be found on YouTube. So I decided to make one myself using Adobe Premiere. Since Dec 14, I've gathered 109 000 views and I was all excited at first, but soon enough I figured it's YouTube's algorithm making me surf on someone else's fame...

Nonetheless, I really liked doing video editing because I love working with images and music. I wonder if there would be a way to earn a living out of this skill while working on more meaningful subjects. Otherwise, I still think it's a great skill to have, even if it's basic knowledge because it can be used for many purposes.

This is my video description:
Song: 凝眸 - Stare Intently (Gaze)
Performed by: 丁禹兮 - Ryan Ding Yuxi
From the TV show: 永夜星河 - Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
Adapted from the web novel: "The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus" (黑莲花攻略手册) by Bai Yu Zhai Diao Gong (白羽摘雕弓).

I created this video because no other existed to accompany this beautiful song. As my very first venture into video editing, it became a labor of love, spanning 16 hours of dedication. I hope it brings you as much joy as it brought me.

This song touches the soul and moved me to tears. Ryan Ding Yuxi is a rare talent whose artistry shines through. His character radiates love, and the depth of emotion in his voice lingers in every note, weaving a melody of heartfelt sincerity.

虞书欣 Esther Yu Shuxin not only brings Ling Miaomiao to life but also infused the role with humor and charm. Her acting made me laugh throughout the entire series. This romantic comedy was a delightful and unexpected discovery for me.


For those who love playing piano, there is this adaptation that is beautiful. I bought her score and started learning it, but I find my fingers are a little rusted from not playing enough during a long period.

I welcome anyone who is into video editing and would like to share their projects :)
For those who have their own YouTube channel, are you doing your own video editing? What program do you use?

 

[placematt]

Hi meadow_wind, thanks for sharing. I actually watched that show many years ago and I did enjoy it. In regards to video editing, I have been doing it for well over a decade. I used to use Premier pro and the vfx compositing software after effects but i found the subscription model to be incredibly expensive. But i learned it at university so I stuck it out.

Now though, I have moved to Davinci resolve. It was a one off payment for the entire suitesuite and I also get Fusion which is the vfx compositing engine within the same application. It is a node based system instead of a layers based system which has been somewhat challenging to get my head around but I am enjoying it. One of the reall enjoyments from the vfx suits within these programs is the 3D editing camera work. Its great to experiment with and I have spent alot of time going down rabbit holes and watching Youtube videos. But i am totally sold on Davinci, and will never go back to adobe.

I have shared some of my work on the forum, I will post one of my eps below. I also enjoy editing but I think i enjoy it more in the context of creating something from scratch. I have done some work as a filmographer and made some money from it but I found that I was more than happy to reserve the enjoyment I get from this work for my own personal projects.

The Yamata - Episode 1 Old beginnings


I think its definetly worth pursuing if you get enjoyment out of the process. These programs now are so incredible that its only limited by your imagination. I would say its definetly possible to find editing work, but I would also add a perspective off with AI, editing may be downgraded as a marketable skill because AI programs will potentially start doing this work. But we cant know how long that will be.

edit: spelling

 

[placematt]

@meadow_wind I also forgot to mention a technique for editing music videos. I watch both of your and thought they turned out really well. There is a technique that i found really helpful when editing music videos called beat Editing. Which is making the cuts/ transitions happening on beats within the music.

the above is a very brief example of this. If you use markers for your music and mark the beats and then edit using your markers it really streamlines the process. I havent actually gotten the program to sort my clips into the markers but the above video gives you an idea as to how this could work.

 

[meadow_wind]

I actually watched that show many years ago and I did enjoy it.

I guess you speak of "The Untamed"? Because the other one was released this November.

but i found the subscription model to be incredibly expensive.

Indeed! I have old cracked versions ;) A friend of mine told me about Davinci as well. If I ever get serious, I'll consider buying this one instead of Adobe.

I watch both of your

I only made 1 video though (the song Stare). Whatever else you watched was not mine.

If you use markers for your music and mark the beats and then edit using your markers it really streamlines the process.

Thanks for the tip! I synchronized the cuts and transitions to the beat by "ear". This marker method might surely simplify the process.
I even went to the point of synchronizing some character movements to the beat or some scene movements to the music style. Overall I would say the whole process was very intuitive.

Thanks for sharing your work. I do remember seeing it previously when you first published it. It's quite a good way to do storytelling. I like that

 

[meadow_wind]

I made a 2nd Music Video based on the theme song of the Chinese TV Drama "Kill me Love me".
The show is really good, and if you decide to watch it, keep a box of tissues close by because you will cry in more than one episode...
It's on Netflix, but is also available for free on YouTube from YOUKU's channel.

Video description
This drama left a deep impression on me — a powerful love story carried by strong, emotional performances. I cried through many episodes, especially moved by Liu Xue Yi’s portrayal of Murong Jing He. His sincerity and quiet intensity made the character unforgettable. Both he and Wu Jin Yan bring maturity, depth, and chemistry that elevate the narrative.

The OST stands out — not only this theme song, which opens each episode with poetic force, but also the lyrical songs, instrumentals, and sound effects that immerse you into the atmosphere. “Flame” captures the inner conflict and longing at the heart of the story: a love that burns even through pain, silence, and separation.

I admire Liu Xue Yi not only as a talented actor, but also for the energy and warmth he exudes offscreen — someone who seems guided by a deep, compassionate spirit. I created this video in appreciation of both the story and the performance that brought it to life.

 

[Anamarija]

Hi meadow_wind, those some really nice videos.

For those who have their own YouTube channel, are you doing your own video editing? What program do you use?

I'm using Wondershare Filmora for two years (with a year off because of my work and lack of energy). I have You Tube channel (recently I made a new one because the old one was censored) and on Tik Tok. I asked my self the same question:

I wonder if there would be a way to earn a living out of this skill while working on more meaningful subjects.

In first on Tik Tok on one video I had 264k views but after I have to make pause that number has dropped a lot.
I thought the lack was related to the topics I cover, but then I saw that some other channels cover the same or similar topics but have many more viewers and likes. I think most people like short clips and light topics, cats, dogs, cooking, and funny things. But, why should I invest my time and energy just to get likes or views and even I could earn little bit of money for it? For me, it's more like sending the message to the Universe and investing my energy in spreading the truth and if any information could help someone than I did my job.

I usually use two videos, one audio and than add the background that is in context of the theme. Filmora is easy to use and even though I don't have paid version, since I use it for years, I have points that I can use for tools that are not paid for like AI text to speech. I really enjoying doing this especially when a moment occurs when the context of the story naturally coincides with the background. It's just good feeling.

Related to the music, since Filmora have limited amount of sounds and music for free using, I'm using this page: pixabay.com. It's free but you have to register. I have also put some of my pics just because of the feeling that it's not right to use free their stuff and not share anything.

I had a couple of good conversations with Grok (X-AI) about making videos but it's long conversation and if you think that that could be helpful for you I will share.

 

[Vic]

The day after I posted this,


I worked all weekend on a project I was really itching to do. I love that song and there was no video clip of it to be found on YouTube. So I decided to make one myself using Adobe Premiere. Since Dec 14, I've gathered 109 000 views and I was all excited at first, but soon enough I figured it's YouTube's algorithm making me surf on someone else's fame...

Nonetheless, I really liked doing video editing because I love working with images and music. I wonder if there would be a way to earn a living out of this skill while working on more meaningful subjects. Otherwise, I still think it's a great skill to have, even if it's basic knowledge because it can be used for many purposes.

This is my video description:
Song: 凝眸 - Stare Intently (Gaze)
Performed by: 丁禹兮 - Ryan Ding Yuxi
From the TV show: 永夜星河 - Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
Adapted from the web novel: "The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus" (黑莲花攻略手册) by Bai Yu Zhai Diao Gong (白羽摘雕弓).

I created this video because no other existed to accompany this beautiful song. As my very first venture into video editing, it became a labor of love, spanning 16 hours of dedication. I hope it brings you as much joy as it brought me.

This song touches the soul and moved me to tears. Ryan Ding Yuxi is a rare talent whose artistry shines through. His character radiates love, and the depth of emotion in his voice lingers in every note, weaving a melody of heartfelt sincerity.

虞书欣 Esther Yu Shuxin not only brings Ling Miaomiao to life but also infused the role with humor and charm. Her acting made me laugh throughout the entire series. This romantic comedy was a delightful and unexpected discovery for me.


For those who love playing piano, there is this adaptation that is beautiful. I bought her score and started learning it, but I find my fingers are a little rusted from not playing enough during a long period.

I welcome anyone who is into video editing and would like to share their projects :)
For those who have their own YouTube channel, are you doing your own video editing? What program do you use?

Fantastic! Great work.

I took up video editing two years ago and love it. There's no limit to the creative possibilities. I also use Premiere Pro - Artlist and Envato for visuals and music/sfx etc, and have been working with a good friend from the US (remotely, I'm in the UK) on a YT interview/documentary channel.

Great to find a fellow video editing enthusiast in this beautiful forum!

 

[Vic]

@meadow_wind I also forgot to mention a technique for editing music videos. I watch both of your and thought they turned out really well. There is a technique that i found really helpful when editing music videos called beat Editing. Which is making the cuts/ transitions happening on beats within the music.

the above is a very brief example of this. If you use markers for your music and mark the beats and then edit using your markers it really streamlines the process. I havent actually gotten the program to sort my clips into the markers but the above video gives you an idea as to how this could work.

Absolutely.
Nowadays, when I'm creating shorts/reels I think about the mood/atmosphere I want to create and then go and get the music track to match that mood. Once the music is on the timeline I then go find the right clips/images etc and cut them to the beat.
Music first for me. On short form videos anyway. Long form ain't that simple :)