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138 P a r t I I Producing Your YouTube Videos

Caution

Make sure you have permission to use the chosen background music. Most
music you hear on the radio or CD has a copyright, and you cannot use it
for any purpose without express permission. For this reason, you might
want to use the public domain music supplied with many video-editing pro-
grams—no copyright problems!

Getting Creative with Other Special Effects

Most video-editing programs let you add a plethora of other special effects. For
example, you might be able to decolorize the entire video, add an old-timey sepia
tone effect, or make the video look like well-worn film stock. Some programs even
let you play around with the video’s time perspective by speeding up the video or
slowing it down into slow motion.

Tip

For most business-oriented videos, you want to keep it simple—keep the
fancy special effects to a minimum.

You typically add special effects one scene at a time. In most programs, that means
dragging and dropping a special effects icon onto a specific clip in the program’s
storyboard or timeline. The program adds the effect to that clip as it processes the
video. To apply the same effect to multiple clips, just do more drag and dropping.

Although some special effects can be useful in special situations, most business
videos need a straight-ahead approach that argues against the more creative of
these effects. Remember, you want the viewer to pay attention to your video’s con-
tent, not to the way it looks or the special effects you use. Use special effects mini-
mally to keep them special.

Converting and Saving Video Files

When you’ve finished all your editing and applied all your transitions and special
effects, it’s time to save your work. In most video-editing programs this is a two-
step process: First you save the project, and then you process or publish the final
video. This second step involves a lot of computer processing because it compiles all
the clips and effects you select into a single video file.

When compiling your final video, save it at the highest possible resolution in one of
the approved file formats discussed in Chapter 7, “Understanding Audio/Video