During the summer of 2010, I embarked on a great journey. I began Ed Dale’s Challenge, which is a month long program with the goal of creating a blog.

At the time, I was totally wrapped up in all things video editing related. I had my MacBook with iMovie, and I had access to a computer with Final Cut, Motion, and Shake. I was in Heaven.

I spent countless hours watching video editing tutorials on YouTube. I watched guys like AppleShakeGuru, and learned to use the tools that were available in Final Cut especially. I learned to make composites and to use green screens. I learned to add effects like muzzle flash. I learned to use trackers and all sorts of other things. If there was a tutorial on YouTube, nothing could stop me from learning how to do it.

For a while, I really wanted to pursue some sort of career in video editing or video production. I was dreaming big, and the sky was my limit. I would watch movies like Harry Potter and try to work out in my mind how they achieved certain effects, and I tried to replicate them on my own.

When I was looking for a topic on which to create a blog, video editing seemed like the natural choice. It’s something that I’m genuinely passionate about and love to do. However, I decided that if I was ever going to be seen I would need to drill down into the video editing field and carve out a niche for myself. That’s how I settled on tutorials specifically.

Originally, when I named this the Video Editing Tutorial Blog I had planned to create my own tutorials like the ones I had been watching on YouTube for so long. Unfortunately, I became discouraged by a lack of time, a lack of resources, and a lack of commitment.

Until recently, I really hadn’t though about the blog much. It sort of chilled out on the periphery of my mind. For whatever reason, I’m suddenly feeling motivated to come back and give things another try. Why not take another shot at glory?

Anyway, the moral of the story is to keep checking in over the next couple of weeks looking for new content. Leave me a comment and tell me what your interested in or what you’d like me to write about. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure where I want to take this or where it’s going, so I’m open to suggestions.

Thanks for reading!

As I’m sure many of you know, I am not a video editing expert by any means. I have no formal training in the field, and I will probably never make a career out of it. However, I am an enthusiast, and I like to produce videos that go slightly beyond the realm of amateur home movies. To learn the skills required, I often look to YouTube for video editing tutorials. After several months of watching these tutorials on YouTube, I have developed a list of users that I have really come to respect for their ability, and I want to share them with you so that you might benefit from them as well. This week, I will introduce you to three of my favorite.

AppleShakeGuru: Eric is a master of Final Cut Studio and Shake. I tend to look to his channel first whenever I have any more advanced video editing needs.

MysteryGuitarMan: Although MysteryGuitarMan doesn’t produce video tutorials like AppleShakeGuru, he is also a master at his craft. He often releases his videos, adding a link to a PowerPoint-like presentation that documents the making of each video. If you ever need some inspiration, look to MysteryGuitarMan.

Videomaker: This is the official YouTube channel of Videomaker Magazine. This channel covers all aspects of the video making process from filming to postproduction, which is why I like it. Their videos are full of invaluable tips that I would often overlook if not for watching their videos.

Anyway, these are just a few YouTubers that I subscribe follow. Watch for future posts to find out more.