Step 1.Plan I know, this doesn't sound like a lot of fun. But, when you take a trip, if you don’t plan where you are going, how will you know when you arrive? Think about what you want to do and how you want to do it, first. THEN, start editing. PREPRODUCTION.
Step 2.Shoot your project This is called "PRODUCTION", and is the most obvious part of story-telling with actors, director, and all the crew running around and looking busy. Don’t be surprised to discover that you don’t have enough time to shoot everything. There is NEVER enough time. Sigh… we just need to get used to that.
Step 3.Import your media This moves the media from the camera into your editing system. Which, for us, means Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere. *File > Import > Media (Locate your files)
Step 4.Organize your media Decide how you want it named, what shots you want to keep and which to get rid of. You never use everything you shoot. *Organization is key! Rename files, rename folders, etc. Do not dump your SD card onto your Desktop.
Step 5.Edit your story This is the process of building shots into a “project” so that when you want them in order, your story emerges. *Doesn't have to be anywhere near perfect. You just need to create a general framework.
Step 6.Trim your story This is the process of adjusting where two clips touch so that the transition from one shot to the next is as smooth and invisible as possible.
Step 7.Add transitions There are three transition categories: cuts, dissolves and wipes. Each creates a different emotion and each is used for different things. Add transitions when trimming is complete.
Step 8.Add text & effects Titles are used to tell your audience something that they can’t get any other way; for example, the name of a person speaking. Effects are the fun part, but adding effects when the story isn't complete is a waste of time. Also, plan to spend FAR more time working on effects than you ever expect. Because effects take time to look perfect. Step 9.Mix your audio The best way to improve the quality of your picture is to improve your sound. Final Cut has lots of great audio tools.
Step 10: Color-Correct. Save this step until everything else is complete! Otherwise you will continuously color-correct.
Step 11.Output your Project When everything is done, output your project and save all your media in case you ever need to re-edit it.
Step 12: Archive Save your work - trash any clips or elements that you are 100% sure you will never need. But otherwise, archive everything so you have what you need to make any necessary edits later on.
For more editing practice with Raw footage, please download clips from here.