Video editing isn't hard! 3 things beginners should do first

Don't you all think of video editing as being too complicated?

I'm Pipi, a video creator with 11 years of experience in video production!

This time, I'd like to talk about the atmosphere I've been feeling lately that "video editing equals something difficult."
I received a message like this the other day.

Actually, I think this is a question that many people struggle with at least once.
And, to be honest, I was a bit shocked when I read this message.
That's because there are far too many people who are convinced that "starting video editing means it has to be Premiere."

This time, for those of you who are still wondering whether to work as a professional,
I'd like to talk about the right way to take your first step!

Why does everyone want to choose Premiere?

Recently, the internet is overflowing with information,
and many video editing beginners try to get their hands on Adobe Premiere Pro from the start.
It is certainly software that professionals often use in the field, and many people probably think, "If I can't use Premiere, I can't get work."

But wait a minute.

Premiere is originally "professional-only" software.
When I started video editing, people who made videos as a hobby used "AviUtl" or "PowerDirector," and they still created extremely high-quality work.

In this day and age, thanks to the enrichment of schools, YouTube, and online courses,
a massive amount of information saying "This is the right answer!" is circulating.

Within that, an atmosphere has been created where it's said you have to use a Mac, or you have to use Premiere.
But is that really the right answer for you?

Who is that right answer for?

In order for video editing schools to gather a large number of students, they need an easy-to-understand, standardized curriculum.
As a result, a "royal road package" like "Premiere is the only choice for software" and "the PC must be a MacBook Pro" was created.

This isn't necessarily bad.
Rather, when thinking about it on a project basis, being able to work in Premiere is certainly a strength.

However, that is a story for the next step.
Whether or not you earn money from video editing is an uncertain future that comes after you've gotten hooked on the skill of video editing,
and for someone who hasn't made a single video yet to suddenly buy professional-grade software, get a high-end MacBook, pay hundreds of thousands to a school...

Saying it's because you'll use it to earn money!! Is that really necessary right now?

Would you recommend professional clubs to someone starting golf?

Suppose you are a veteran with 10 years of golf experience.
If a friend came up to you and said, "I've been a little interested in golf lately," would you suddenly recommend a 500,000 yen set of professional clubs?

"Why don't you try going to the driving range first?"
"A used set of clubs is enough." You would say that.

It's the same with camping.
No one spends 100,000 yen on a tent right away.
It's the same as that; you don't have to try to become a professional at video editing right away.
First, you should try it within a range you can reach.

Even Shohei Ohtani
probably wasn't taught from his Little League days that he had to do this to be active in the majors.
At first, all you need is the feeling that it's fun.

First, confirming that you like it comes first.

What I have been saying all along is
"The barrier to entry is the lowest, and the ambition is the highest."That is what I mean.

The skill of video editing is actually incredibly simple.
Cut, add titles, add music, and export.
If you can do that, you are already doing video editing.

What matters is how much you can come to love it from there.
How much you can get hooked on it.
Once you love it, people will naturally polish their skills.

Before you know it, you'll be tinkering with it until late at night, or studying interesting footage frame by frame.
That is why I want you to try video editing first and see if you can get hooked on it.

A good workman never blames his tools...

But there is something you haven't heard yet, right?
Between someone who started video editing with Premiere and
someone who started video editing with a smartphone app,
which one is more likely to improve their editing skills?

The answer is,
the person who has spent more time on video editing is more likely to improve their video editing skills

Most of you have probably never done video analysis before, but I often assign video analysis tasks.

This is training to improve your understanding by breaking down the structure, such as how this footage is composed and what it wants to convey.
However, no matter how good you get at video analysis, there is something you can never tell. What is it?

Which video editing software is used to produce this footage
In most cases, you cannot tell this.
This is the same even for professionals.

The reason Premiere is called professional-only software
is not because the quality of the finished video is higher, but because its convenience and customizability are highly valued, such as in terms of project manager sharing and the ability for multiple people to edit simultaneously.

Therefore, my impression is that for a budding editor,
whether you start editing from an app or from Premiere,
honestly, there is not much difference.
In fact, when I was a beginner, I used Final Cut Pro,
and I switched to Premiere when it was time to take on full-scale projects.
It certainly took me about two months to get used to Premiere,
but the quality of the finished video did not change.

I want to try video editing, but I wonder if I can do it...
If you have time to think, 'They say Premiere is better, so I'll look into it and sign up for Premiere,'
then you should just download an app right now, go for a walk outside,
and film and edit the scenery or your children.
You can grow many times faster that way.

First, just try it.
And if the feeling of 'I want to edit more!' sprouts within you, that is when you should consider paid software.

Premiere isn't going anywhere.
In fact, you can learn much more efficiently if you touch it after you have the basics down!

Video editing is simpler and freer than you imagine!

Unlike the actual video industry, the online video editing community has an abnormal amount of noise.
In the video industry, adults excitedly talk like children about what makes a video that moves people's emotions, whereas

the video editing community is abnormally focused on money and revenue.

But,you don't need to worry about anything other than 'you enjoying video editing'.
You don't need to worry about how much others are earning.
You can ignore words that are spoken as if they were the absolute truth.

I, too,have been able to continue for 11 years because I came to love video editing.
Before worrying about being embarrassed for not using Premiere or not being able to get projects, let's first make one video that you are satisfied with.

Any software is fine.
A smartphone is fine too.
Making videos can be much freer.

Finally, what I want to tell you

If you are currently thinking, 'I want to try video editing, but I'm not confident' or 'I don't know where to start,' I want to say this loudly.

Start right now with the environment you have!

You don't need professional tools or expensive schools.
All you need is the desire to try.

And once you've made even one video, please show it to me.
DMs or comments are very welcome.
The world of video can expand infinitely depending on your sensibilities.

So that creator talent isn't buried by such trivial things...
I am rooting for your first step with all my heart!

A membership to live freely and be yourself through video editing

I will share the challenges I have actually faced in the field over my 11 years of video production experience every week. I won't give you the answers. It is a community where we enjoy the process of how you think about them and how you act together.

We deliver two sessions per week (lecture + assignment), but participation is optional.
It is okay to take a break during busy weeks.
We design the program so you don't compare yourself to others, don't rush, but still make steady progress, allowing you to solidify your own pace over six months.

The themes we cover include the courage to decide what not to do, the ability to put a client's anxieties into words, designing a workflow to keep receiving orders without strain, and the power to let go of outdated 'correct' answers to become self-reliant.
All of these are things that are truly necessary for a sustainable career, far more fundamental than video editing techniques.

You want to live freely and authentically through video editing. If you have even a little bit of that feeling, please take a look.