Tutorial: Using OpenShot

This article will walk you through the basics of using the OpenShot video edititing software
 

 

Quick Tutorial

Using OpenShot is very easy, and this tutorial will take you through the basics in under 5 minutes. After this tutorial, you will be able to make a simple photo slideshow with music.

Step 1 – Import Photos & Music

Before we can begin making a video, we need to import files into OpenShot. Drag and drop a few images (*.JPG, *.PNG, etc…) and a music file (most formats will work) from your Desktop to OpenShot. Be sure to drop the files where the arrow in the illustration is pointing to.

 

Step 2 – Cutting and Slicing

OpenShot has many easy ways to adjust the start and end positions of a clip (otherwise known as cutting). The most common method is simply grabbing the left (or right) edge of the clip and dragging. Here is a list of methods for cutting clips in OpenShot:

Name	Description
Slice	When the play-head (i.e. red playback line) is overlapping a clip, right click on the clip, and choose Slice
Slice All	When the play-head is overlapping many clips, right click on the play-head, and choose Slice All (it will cut all intersecting clips)
Resizing Edge	Mouse over the edge of a clip, and resize the edge
Split Dialog	Right click on a file, and choose Split Clip. A dialog will appear which allows for creating lots of small cuts in a single video file.
Razor Tool	The razor tool cuts a clip wherever you click, so be careful. Easy and dangerous.

 

 

Step 3 – Arrange Photos on Timeline

Next, drag each photo onto the timeline (as seen in the illustration). The timeline represents your final video, so arrange your photos in whatever sequence you want them to appear in your video. If you overlap two clips, OpenShot will automatically create a smooth fade between them, displayed by blue rounded rectangles between the clips. Remember, you can rearrange the clips as many times as needed by simply dragging and dropping them.

 

 

Step 4 – Add Music to Timeline

To make our photo slideshow more interesting, we need to add some music. You should have imported a music file in step 1. Click on the music file and drag it onto the timeline. If the song is too long, grab the right edge of your music clip, and resize it smaller.

 

 

Step 5 – Preview your Project

To preview what our video looks & sounds like, click the Play button under the preview window. You can also pause, rewind, and fast-forward your video project by clicking the corresponding buttons.

 

 

Step 6 – Export your Video

Once you are happy with your photo slide-show video, the next step is to export your video. This will convert your OpenShot project into a single video file, which will work on most media players (such as VLC) or websites (such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc…).

Click on the Export Video icon (the large red button) at the top of the screen (or use the File > Export Video menu). We recommend using the settings shown below when exporting videos. Once you are ready to export click the Export Video button.

 

 

 

You should now have a basic understanding of how OpenShot works. Importing, Arranging, Previewing, and Exporting. Hopefully this tutorial took less than 5 minutes for you to complete. Please read the rest of this guide for a more detailed understanding of OpenShot, and its advanced features. Enjoy!