Trimming video and audio

Posted: 18/11/2014

Trimming video and audio has never been easier. Learn how to trim video and audio quickly and easily in Forscene using the various trim tools. You’ll see how you can trim synced clips as well as independent tracks directly on the timeline and how to use the trim monitor to speed up the process.

Transcription of the video:

Once you have compiled your basic video sequence you would typically end up with a timeline resembling this: a series of clips with video and audio synced. The next step is to trim your clips so that they cut together well.

We’re going to start with all our tracks selected to demonstrate how to trim synced video and audio together. Trimming clips in your edited sequence is done directly on the timeline.

There are three trimming tools to choose from and you access them by hovering with your mouse over any cut. Hover in the centre of your cut and then drag this double sided tool to trim the out point of the clip on the left and the in point of the clip on the right without changing the duration of your sequence.

The trim monitor automatically pops up whenever you trim. It shows you the number of frames you’ve adjusted the clip by, and the new in and out points of each clip.

Hovering slightly to the left of your cut and dragging the left sided tool trims only the out point of the clip on the left. Hovering slightly to the right of your cut and dragging the right sided tool trims only the in point of the clip on the right – extending or shortening your sequence as you trim. And as you can see, all our synced tracks are trimmed together.

If you want to trim one clip’s in and out point without effecting its duration – a slip edit – hold down shift on the keyboard, click anywhere on the clip and drag left or right to move the clip’s in and out points. The slip monitor shows your clip’s first and last frames and the number of frames you’ve adjusted the clip by.

To trim synced audio and video tracks independently – for video overlays or audio underlays – simply select the trim tool on the track that you want to trim and hold down your right mouse button when you drag. As you can see, only the track that you are dragging over is affected.

Synced audio tracks will trim together even with a right drag. To trim synced audio tracks independently, deselect the tracks that you don’t want effected.

Forscene’s trimming tools also automatically snap to cuts making it easier to find the right edit point.