Many Mac users are unaware that their computer has a built-in video editor in the Photos app. So here’s everything you can do with it.
How to Edit Video Clips on a Mac
The Photos app houses a set of tools that allow both newbies and pros to easily edit their videos without sacrificing quality. It uses editing tools that enhance the look of your videos, just like how it can improve your photos. You can crop, fine-tune tints and colors, add stunning effects to your videos, and more.
However, the catch here is that any changes you make affect the entire clip, rather than sections of it like you can do in professional video editors.
If you want to apply effects on separate parts of the clip, you may want to try editing videos in iMovie on Mac instead. If you need more complex editing, try Final Cut Pro X.
Where to Find Video Editing Tools on Mac
Everything you need to enhance your videos is included with Photos. To access these tools, simply open the Photos app, select the relevant video, and click Edit. To access all your videos, click the arrow beside Media Types under Albums on the sidebar, select Videos, then double-click the video you wish to edit.
Before clicking Edit to access an array of tools, you can already rotate your video or choose Auto Enhance to apply video enhancements to your clip automatically. Otherwise, manually edit your video using the video editing tools in Photos by clicking Edit.
Making Adjustments to Video Clips in Photos
If you want to achieve a particular look for your clip, you can apply one or more adjustment to your video.
Note that you can always reset these changes by clicking Reset Adjustments at the bottom or Revert to Original in the toolbar at the top. You can also long-press the Without Adjustments button in the top left of the toolbar or press the M key.
To start editing:
Open the Photos app, then select the video you want to edit. Click Edit from the rightmost side of the toolbar. Select Adjust to show the adjustment options available.
All these options allow you to make basic adjustments to your video. Just click any of them and drag the slider. Photos automatically applies the correct mix of adjustments to your clip.
You also have the option to fine-tune adjustments by clicking the arrow beside Options under each adjustment tool. Here is a list of all the tools you can use:
Light: this allows you to adjust light properties such as Brilliance, Exposure, Shadows, and Brightness. Color: this allows you to adjust your video clip’s color contrast, intensity, and color cast. Black & White: this turns your video clip into a black and white film and allows you to adjust the intensity, grain, contrast, and gray areas of the clip. White Balance: this tool balances the warmth of an image and color cast from the lighting conditions when it was taken. Curves: use this tool to instantly enhance the overall look of your video clip by adjusting the contrast and brightness and by applying changes to specific colors. Levels: like Curves, Levels allows you to make changes to your clip’s tone. You can simply drag the top and bottom handles on each specific point of the histogram to make changes. Definition: enhance elements in your video by adding contour and shape to your clip with this tool. Selective Color: switch a color from your clip to a different color with this tool. Noise Reduction: Clips can come with speckles and grains when taken in suboptimal lighting conditions. Use this tool to reduce unwanted noise from your clip. Sharpen: Make elements pop by making edges crisper and more defined with the Sharpen tool. Vignette: This adds a dark, shadowy blur at the edges of your clip for an added drama or emphasis to your video.
If you want to read more about each tool, read our detailed guide on the adjust tools in Photos. Moreover, these tools are not limited to videos. You can also use them to edit your photos on Mac.
Apply Filters to Your Videos
Filters are like special effects that magically enhance clips to add a warmer, cooler, or dramatic look to them. To add a filter to your video:
Go to Photos, select a video clip, then hit Edit. Select Filters from the toolbar, and choose from one of the many filter options available. Once you select a filter, click or drag the slider to adjust how much filter you want to apply to your clip. A percentage will be indicated on the right side of the slider.
Trim Your Video
You can also trim your video if you only want specific portions of your video or want it to start and end at particular times. To do this, select a video, then click Adjust. From the preview, drag the trim handles on either side.
You’ll see the trimmed video in yellow. Click Done if you’re happy with your adjustment. Doing this doesn’t delete any trimmed sections permanently. You can always recover them.
However, you can also opt to save just the trimmed clip. Just select Save Video as New Clip from the prompt after you hit Done.
Select a Poster Frame for Your Video
A poster frame is the preview image shown for your clip in your gallery. By default, your Mac will show the first frame of your clip. However, if you want to select a different frame, just drag the playhead to the frame you want, then click Image > Make Poster Frame.
Straighten or Crop Your Video
If your video was taken at an angle, you could straighten it by dragging the tilt wheel up or down. Similarly, you can crop your video to adjust your video framing. Just drag any of the selection rectangle to adjust the frame size.
Editing Is Easy-Peasy
Video editing can seem daunting, especially in sophisticated video editing apps. But with Photos on Mac, you can easily fine-tune your videos without breaking a sweat, while ensuring that your video clips are of the best quality.
