1 – Selecting and downloading a video to edit
When WordPress.tv receives video from a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They’re one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what theyāve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. that needs editing, it is typically logged to our central spreadsheet.
At the bottom of the spreadsheet, there are tabs for each WordCamp that submitted video. Within each worksheet you can see a list of video that need to be edited. To claim a video, add your SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. username to first column. (If a name is already there, the video is taken.) Enter the date you are claiming the video in the second column. To the far right, there is a link for downloading the video to your computer.
Learn more about the WordPress.tv video download spreadsheet.
2 -Trim extra video from the beginning and end
The edits needed for WordCamp videos are basic. Typically, you can use any video editing software you like. If you don’t have video editing software, you can useĀ ShotcutĀ (free).
To get started, add the raw video to your video editing software, and trim unnecessary footage at the beginning and at the end. This will remove any extra footage that may have been recorded before or after the talk. Less often, some videos may need to be trimmed in the middle if there are any inappropriate comments or technical issues that need to be removed. You should watch the entire video when editing. To indicate a break or passage of time, use cross-fade transitions
3 – Add intro and outro panels
All WordPress.tv video should have an intro and outro panel. Most of the time, you will create a video’s intro and outro panels from aĀ slide templates stored in WordPress.tv’s Google Docs account.
(Some of the time, WordCamps provide customized intro and outro panels. If these exist, you will see them noted in the worksheet where you claimed the video for editing.)
To use the WordPress.tv intro/outro slide template, you need a Google account for making aĀ copy of the template to customize for your video. You can’t edit the master version of the slide template. Instead, you will make a copy and customize the intro panel by adding:
- Speakerās first and last name
- Title of the presentation
- WordCamp name
Save the completed intro panel as a JPEG image (.jpg), and download it to your computer.
You can use the outro slide as-is without edits. Save the outro panel as a JPEG image (.jpg), and download it to your computer.
Learn more aboutĀ creating intro and outro panels from a WordPress.tv slide template.
Adding intro and outro panels to a video
Add the Intro panel to the beginning of the video, making sure it does not cut off the point you want the presentation to start. Plan to have the intro panel on the screen as long as it takes to read at a comfortable pace. A good guideline is 7-10 seconds.
Add the outro at any point after the end of the presentation. Remove any blank space between the presentation and the outro panel, and leave it on the screen for 10-15 seconds
Transitions
Transitions are optional. If you have the time and production skills, place a one-second cross-fade transition between the title slide and the start of the presentation. Likewise, you can apply the same transition from the end of the video to the outro panel. For consistency, please always use a simple cross-fade transition.
4 – Add presentation slides (if needed)
In some cases it may be necessary to add presentation slides to a WordCamp video. This is usually noted in the worksheet where you claimed the vidoe for editing. If you add presentation slides to a video, make sure each slide is available as a single image file.
If the slides are provided in a single PDF file, you will need to convert slides to individual JPEGs.
Watch the presentation, and insert the appropriate slide when the presenter begins referring to it in the talk. The slide duration should be five seconds minimum. If there is a lot of text, make sure the slide is visible long enough forviewers to read the slide, but not be so long that the video feels slow.
If the slide has multiple bullet points that the presenter refers back to, you may need to add the same slide more than once (as the presenter refers to it).
If the presenter screen is visible within the WordCamp video itself, you can use this a guide for when to edit in a new slide. If a visual cue is not available, then you may need to listen carefully to determine when itās best to show the slide. Use your best judgement or ask for advice in the #wptvĀ Slack channel.
5 – Save and compress the finished video file
There is a one gigabyte limit for files uploaded to WordPress.tv. If your edited file is close to this size or larger, you should compress it when saving it in your video editor.
Be sure that the final size of your video is at least 1280x720px, also known as 720p. This is an HD video standard that is a good compromise between file size and the quality of the video itself.
If your video editor can’t compress during encoding and saving, you can use HandbrakeĀ (free).
Learn more about Ā compressing video for upload to WordPress.tv with Handbrake.
6 – Upload the finished video to WordPress.tv
Once you complete your edits and compress the video, you are ready to submit videoĀ from the WordPress.tv upload form.
Typically, any information you might need for the required fields in the form can be found on the WordCamp’s website, usually in the schedule or in the talk descriptions.
And that is the process! Thanks for being awesome and contributing your time to WordPress.tv!
Questions?
The #wptvĀ Slack channel is your go-to resource for getting answers to questions about editing video for WordPress.tv.
