Great question!
Sadly, not all of the things we recorded back in the day are worth rewatching. The video footage you shot of your daughter's first ballet recital is absolutely precious, tear-jerking, and something you'll never forget. But, the two hours of footage you recorded afterwards, when you put the camcorder back in the bag and forgot to turn it off, isn't quite the same. We get it; it has happened to all of us, so there's no judgement here!
We are happy to tell you that these things are easy to fix. Editing is a way to take your digital files and create something more. If you want to cut out pieces of video that you don't want, or want to combine together clips to create something bigger and better, editing is for you!
There are many basic video editors out there that are incredibly easy to use. Most computers come bundled with one already installed, or have editors that are easy to access and install.
macOS:
The best option for macOS is iMovie. It's free and the current version will run on any Apple computer made since 2010, depending on the installed operation system.
If you are unsure of whether your computer can make the cut to run this version of iMovie, you can log into Apple’s App Store to find out! The update to macOS Sierra 10.12 is a free upgrade through the App Store for the following computers, given their specifications match the ones here, provided by Apple:
macOS Sierra 10.12 requires at least 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage space and:
- iMac: late 2009 or newer.
- MacBook and MacBook 12-inch: late 2009 or newer.
- MacBook Pro: mid-2010 or newer.
- MacBook Air: late 2010 or newer.
- Mac Mini: mid-2010 or newer.
- Mac Pro: mid-2010 or newer.
Windows:
If you are running an older version of Windows, such as Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, or 8.1, the best option for a video editor is Windows Movie Maker. It came bundled for free with most Windows installs.
After introducing Windows 10, Microsoft discontinued Windows Movie Maker. However, basic editing can still be done through the Microsoft Photos app that comes bundled with every computer running Windows 10.