Gaming videos are one of the most-watched categories on YouTube. Do you stream such videos and wonder how to make one yourself? If you are fond of gaming and want to show your expertise to the world, you must learn the proper way to edit your gaming videos.
Most people’s attention span is too short to watch the entire gameplay video, and a game consists of both dull and exciting moments.
To deliver the best to your viewers, you need to edit the gameplay to make it exciting and educational throughout.
In this article, we’ll be discussing how you can document your expertise and excel in making top-notch gaming videos. For the basics, all you will need is a computer and your favorite games on it.
Recording The Video
Before we get into the editing tips, we must focus on video making first to make the editing process smooth. To have a decent raw file for editing, follow the steps mentioned below.
Planning
Most gamers don’t consider this an essential step, but planning out your gameplay beforehand makes a lot of difference.
No, you don’t need to make a detailed script for this, but make sure to have an idea of what you will produce. Don’t just go with the flow if you want your content to stand out from the crowd.
Ask yourself what the genre of your video will be, what soundtrack would go well with the vibe of the gameplay? If you think about these before starting the game, you will save a lot of time while editing the video.
Set clear goals before you jump in – if your goal is to have a successful gaming channel, you have to show things that others don’t.
Do your research and find out what most people look for when they look up gaming videos online.
Recording The Gameplay
Once you are done planning, this step should be smoother than ever.
If you start playing, make sure that the device you are using runs without any issues. If you use a device that doesn’t support gaming, you’ll end up getting poor outcomes.
Hence, before playing, make sure that the device you are using runs properly and clear out any junk to make space for your raw gameplay files.
If you are using a PC, you will find many screen recording tools online, such as VSDC Free Screen Recorder, Apowersoft, etc. are both Windows and macOS friendly.
If you are a console user, investing in a gameplay capturing device would be a smart move. This will allow you to connect your TV to your PC and record things happening on the screen.
Later, you can upload the recorded footage to online video game editing websites easily.
Equipment and Adding Music
Even though the basics to record a gaming video are a computer or any gaming device and your favorite games, if you want to stand out, you need to purchase some other equipment, such as a voice recorder. If you want to make gaming tutorials, this would be very beneficial.
You can do the voiceover while playing the game, or you can do that while editing. Along with your voice, you can add music to keep your viewers entertained.
However, keep in mind that if you plan to upload the video on YouTube, you can’t just use any music you want because of copyright strikes.
You can look up the YouTube music library or SoundCloud to find songs that you can use without paying for them.
Edit The Video
Once you are done organizing everything mentioned above, get started with the editing process. If you are new to the field of editing, things might seem hard at first.
You may access any games video editor available online that are beginner-friendly and easy to work with.
Here are the 7 pro tips to excel in gaming video-making:
Remove the Boring Part
Every game has some parts where nothing exciting happens, and nothing can be gained from those parts. Those are parts that you must remove to make the video compact and engaging.
Gaming sessions are long, and it’s annoying to watch the raw files repeatedly to select the best parts. In that case, you can use a notepad to note down the times when the game gets exciting. This trick will help you save valuable time.
Merge the Extracted Clips
Once you are done removing the boring and unwanted parts, it’s time to merge all the remaining parts. Merging them normally can look a bit unprofessional. To fix this, you can use transition effects to spice up the video.
You will find many transition options in online game video editors. Creative transitions will surely impress your viewers.
Add Catchy Tunes to the Video
As previously discussed, music plays a huge role in videos. So, this part should not be skipped. You can look up copyright-free music and songs online to match the vibe of your video. Upbeat music has the power to make even a basic video look exciting.
Add Yourself in the Video
If you have watched gaming videos online, you probably have noticed that most famous gaming YouTubers include footage of themselves playing or doing voice over in the video.
This editing is called the picture-in-picture effect. This is a great way to keep the viewers staying throughout the video because this makes them feel more engaged.
Add Captions
YouTube now lets users add captions to their videos. This is a great tool if you want your content to get international recognition.
You can write a script of that you have spoken in the voiceover and add that later to the video to make sure your viewers understand all the words you say.
Since you have to add both music and voiceover in the video, it can sometimes be hard for the viewers to focus on your words. Thus, this is the simplest solution.
Highlight the Best Moments
This tip is completely optional and usually skipped, but doing this will keep your viewers impressed.
Doing this will add drama and charm to your video, making it appear much more interesting to watch.
You can zoom in on the parts where the moment heats up, or you can also change colors in that particular time to make it look appealing.
Create an Intro
Since the audience has short-attention-span, you have really less time to catch their eye. But a game doesn’t get exciting as soon as it begins. So, what’s the way out? Creating a short 10-second intro.
In this intro, you can merge some of the best short clips to create hype. You don’t need to do it every single time you make a video.
You can separately create one short intro and save it to use at the beginning of all your gaming videos. You can also use this 10-second intro as an opportunity to tell the viewers to subscribe to your channel.
Conclusion
Gaming videos are fun to make, and if you add a little bit of effort, your passion will help you reach greater heights.
Hope this article helped you with all the tips and tricks you need to create a masterpiece. Remember that there are no strict rules you must follow when it comes to video-making.
You can be as creative as you wish and see what attracts the most viewers. Best of luck!