L21. Record and edit your first video

The result is desk-40s.mp4, a vertical video lasting 30–45 seconds. Allow about 60–90 minutes for recording and editing. You need the script from Lesson 20, an Android phone, a data-transfer cable, and a Windows computer. We will edit in Clipchamp for personal accounts, using Edge or Chrome. The phone records footage; it does not need a Clipchamp installation. [P205]

In class

The teacher transfers one phone recording and imports it into Clipchamp. Together, trim its start, add a title and open the exported MP4 outside the editor.

Record and transfer the footage

• Clean the lens. Place the phone upright near a window so the light falls on the desk, then open Camera → Video. Choose 1080p and 30 frames per second if available. Keep the phone in the same position for the “before” and “after” views.
• First, record ten seconds with your opening line and listen to the saved clip through headphones. If the words are unclear, move closer or stop the background noise and repeat the test. Then record the five script segments with their spoken lines, leaving a second of spare footage before and after each action.
• Connect the unlocked phone to Windows. Open its USB notification and select File Transfer. In File Explorer, open the phone and locate the videos, usually under DCIM\Camera. On the computer, create Documents\AI-practice\content\desk-raw and copy the videos there. Name the copies 01-before, 02-clear, 03-keep, 04-group, and 05-after, retaining their actual file extensions, usually .mp4. [P210]

Open the free editor

• Visit app.clipchamp.com and sign in with a personal Microsoft account. If necessary, choose account creation at account.microsoft.com, enter your email, and complete the requested verification. You can create a new address through Create free account at outlook.com. [P234]
• Select Create a new video and name the project Desk 40s. The free plan covers our own media, basic editing, and watermark-free exports up to 1080p. Avoid premium-labelled assets; 4K and certain effects require an eligible plan. [P206]
• Choose Import media and select all five files. They appear under My media. Use the size button above the preview to select 9:16, a vertical canvas. [P207][P227]

Assemble forty seconds

• Drag clips 01–05 onto the lower timeline, side by side on the same track. The timeline shows each clip’s start and end; move them together without gaps. [P226]
• Select the first clip and drag its edge inward to remove the wait before the action. Trim the others too. Aim for 5, 9, 9, 9, and 8 seconds; a finished duration of 30–45 seconds is acceptable. To remove a mistake in the middle, place the vertical playhead before it and select Split. Repeat after the mistake, select the unwanted section, and press Delete. Drag the neighbouring clips together until no gap remains. [P207]

[[VIS:s21_edit]]

• Open Text and drag a simple free title above the first clip. Enter “Make space” in its text editing field. Drag the edges of the title’s timeline bar so the words appear at the start of the shot and disappear at its end. Repeat with the four remaining labels from the script. Keep text above the bottom edge and away from the hands. [P207]
• Play the entire sequence. Check words, speech volume, shot order, and pauses. To shorten a line, ask your AI chat: “Reduce ‘Small things stay together instead of spreading across the desk’ to six words.” One possible result is “Keep small things in one place.” If you use the new line, record that shot again on your phone. Save it under a new name in desk-raw, import it into Clipchamp and replace the old clip on the timeline. Recheck the sound, titles and joins with neighbouring shots.
• Choose Export → 1080p and wait for completion. If the file does not download automatically, use the option to save it to your computer. Find the MP4 in Downloads, move it to Documents\AI-practice\content and rename it desk-40s.mp4, changing only the part before .mp4. Open that file outside the editor. Clipchamp exports video as MP4; a saved editing project and a finished MP4 are different things. [P208][P209]

> [FIX] If exporting asks for payment, return to the project and remove the premium item. If your phone only charges, check the USB mode and cable: some cables cannot transfer data. [P206][P210]

Home practice

• Create a new Clipchamp project called Desk practice to preserve your original edit. Import only the “before” and “after” clips from desk-raw.
• Make a 12–18-second sequence with “Before” and “After” titles. Follow step 11 to export content\desk-practice.mp4.
• Open the MP4 from File Explorer. Check for no black pause between shots and a title that appears only with its matching shot. Do not publish it.

Self-test

• Is the video finished because its Clipchamp project opens?
• A black flash appears between shots, and the timeline has an empty gap there. What should you fix?
• What should you keep after exporting?

Useful terms

• Timeline: the area arranging clips by time.
• Trimming: shortening a clip’s start or end.
• Export: creating a finished video file.
• 9:16: the proportions of a vertical frame.