THE EDITOR’S TOOLBOX
Things I’ve learned along the way.
Software featured in this article:
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Free video ripper and downloader for YouTube and Vimeo [Download]
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Versatile media player that can play almost any video format [Download]
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Robust screen recording software [Download]
My father Gerard, a lifelong carpenter once told me something that I’ll never forget, “You can do anything if you’ve got the right tool.”
As a carpenter myself, and as a filmmaker, I’ve come to find many tools useful over the years. I thought I would share some of what I’ve learned along the way.
A lot of life is trial and error. And now that I’m in my 30s I’ve had a lot of error and a lot of trials.
Here are some programs, applications, tools, tricks, and resources that have helped me to be a better video editor.
Before you sit down to edit, take a quick look at these items and how they helped me. If they can help you in what you’re trying to accomplish, then dig in.
Video ripper and downloader for YouTube and Vimeo
I make a lot of pitch and proof of concept sizzle trailers for Directors and Producers and 4K Video Downloader has been a invaluable! I't’s a reliable, safe, and worry-free tool for ripping videos from YouTube and Vimeo. I use it on a regular basis. Although all of the media is copyrighted, I am never using it to sell or make money from the content, simply to build out internal use for clients or personal art projects.
It took me a lot of time to finally find a tool like this. As many of you editors have probably experienced, there are a TON of sites or “programs” that claim they can download YouTube videos, but you end up sifting through link after link only to come up short and feeling violated by all the ads, misdirection, potential viruses, and click bait.
There is a paid version that is a one time fee and relatively inexpensive. You are emailed a Key to use to activate and I have never had any issues reusing that key or installing on multiple computers.
I’m not sure of all of the features of paid, but the only reason I needed to pay was to be able to download large playlists of longer than 10 videos. I need this when doing historical research for a project and downloading a playlist from YouTube that someone already took the time to aggregate will save you a lot of time from hunting and individually downloading. Time is money!
I swear by 4K video downloader. Its a fast and highly functional tool that downloads up to 4K Resolution and has an MP3 only option. Also, the developers are always quick to update when Google changes up their API. They also have Instagram and TikTok video download programs! Download Now from Open Media.
A free and open source media player that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols
Fill you in soon. Busy right now… 🐿
Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming
Fill you in soon. Busy right now… 🐿
