Let's take one popular video effect frequently used in cinematography and music clips: placing videos side by side. As a rule, we talk about a screen divided into two even parts, where videos are played simultaneously. Usually, it's the same video played in both parts of the screen, however, you can place two different videos side by side as well. The latter is called "split screen effect" and technically it's performed the same way - we have a separate tutorial about "split screen effect" here (https://youtu.be/fS1rKoqN9-s)

Let's briefly review the idea and see how to implement it in your movie at zero cost using VSDC Video Editor.

Why would you place two videos side by side?

For many reasons! This effect has been used in movies since the middle of previous century in such classic movies as Pillow Talk (1959) and Dressed to Kill (1980). So let your imagination fly. Here is a couple of ideas to borrow. You can show something happening at the same time in different places - as it was done in "Kill Bill vol.1". You can play with "Expectations and Reality" theme, as in "500 Days of Summer". You might want to show different perspectives by placing two shootings of the same object from two angles. Or you can just combine two theme-based videos to capture the viewer's attention.

Whether it's for comparative, visual, or creative reasons, placing videos side by side is quite an easy task, even though it might look complicated. In fact, it shouldn't take you longer than several minutes. This instruction will explain how to do it in a couple of steps with VSDC Free Video Editor.

Placing two videos side by side. Tutorial

Add the first video to the timeline and drag it to fit the left part of the scene.

Halve the frame width using “Coordinates”. In this case, 1920/2=960. “Coordinates” are located in the “Properties Window” on the right of the scene.

Stretch your video if necessary. If you are using two different videos, before starting, you might want to make sure they have equal or at least similar size and quality.

If you want the same video to be placed twice on the screen, in the right click menu select “Duplicate”. In case, you want to use different videos, import the second video to the editor and place it exactly under the first one on the timeline.

Drag the duplicated ot the second video to the right until they are evenly spread on the working area, depending on your needs.

Your side by side video is ready now!

As mentioned above, apart from combining the same videos, you can also create a split screen video using two or four or any other even number of different footage pieces. It's a great solution for a promo clip or a comparison presentation.

Hopefully, you enjoy using VSDC Free Video Editor. Join us on Facebook and let us know how it helps you implement your ideas!

To download VSDC Free Video Editor, please, proceed here - www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor/download

Find more awesome tutorials on our YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/FlashIntegro/videos

Have you ever seen videos where the same character appears a few times in one frame simultaneously? Of course, you have. That's the famous "clone effect" widely used by Hollywood directors and some creative YouTubers. It can be achieved in most non-linear video editors that have a masking feature. The trick is, most of them may cost you an arm and a leg, while VSDC is the most affordable option you'll ever find.

In this tutorial we'll show you how to reproduce "clone effect" in VSDC. There are two ways to do it: you can use video masking feature available in VSDC PRO, or you can make use of Chroma Key. The latter option is available in the free version of VSDC Video Editor.

Method 1. Using Video Mask Tool

Here is the first tip: make sure to shoot your footage from the same place for each clone - it's very important for post-production. It’s also necessary to keep a distance between the clones when your record your actions in order avoid overlaps.

Moving on to the editing part. Add your footage to VSDC video editor. In this example, we have 3 videos for 3 clones. Once added, they must be adjusted on the timeline.

Use the eye icon to hide one of the layers from the scene, as it's shown on the screenshot below.

Go to the second video and choose a rectangle style object to cover the area around the "clone".

In this case, we use a rectangle without borders. You can select an appropriate type of the shape on the toolbar above the scene.

Proceed to “Brush” - “Color” and click the advanced settings button to open the palette.

Choose black.

Click “Mask” and select “Inverted Mask” among composition modes on the timeline.

Once it's done, follow these steps:

1. Adjust the fragment’s size right on the scene.
2. Activate the hidden layer to make it visible again and go to the third video.
3. Choose a rectangle to cover this image.
4. Open “Composition Mode” on the timeline and select “Inverted Mask”.

If you see some inconsistencies, make required adjustments. For example, if it concerns light or colors, adjust these parameters. Open “Video Effects”- “Adjustments” and apply “Brightness/Contrast/Gamma”.

Looking at the preview, modify BCG values to achieve similarity in all the three images.

For even better results apply “Gaussian Blur” to each rectangle. Proceed to “Video Effects” - “Filters” and choose “Gaussian Blur”.

Find a fragment that you’d like to fix.

Click “Blend” to switch off mask tools to work with the area that needs blurring.

Select “True” in “Extend the boundaries” and increase blur levels.

Select ”Inverted Mask” again.

Preview the current result. Repeat the steps with blurring another rectangle, if necessary.

To make transitions between fragments smoother, select “Video Effects” - “Transparency” - “Fade In”.

Apply the same steps to the third video and enjoy the results!

Method #2. Using Chroma Key

The second method suits you if you shoot your footage using “Green screen”. In VSDC PRO you can use both background colors for Chroma Key - green and blue.

Here is a brief instruction on how to "clone" yourself on a video using Chroma Key effect.

1. Add a new background to the editor.
2. Add your "clone" videos shot with green background.
3. Apply background remover effect with "Video effects” - “Transparent” - ”Background remover".
4. Select the color on the scene using the dropper.
5. Follow the same steps with the second and the third videos.

To download VSDC Free Video Editor, please, proceed here - http://www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor/download

Find more awesome tutorials on our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/FlashIntegro/videos

When you sit down to edit your video – even if it’s just a short vacation clip from your smartphone – we bet deep inside there is a spark of a real filmmaker ambition. And you probably want to make your video look like a film too! We absolutely get it. In fact, we hope nobody ever opens a video editing software thinking “Okay, let me just quickly throw together a few scenes without bothering if this whole movie will be a pleasure to watch”.

And while we probably aren’t authorized to advice you on the directing part, we can definitely add two cents and show you how to apply a film look to a video using simple editing techniques. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to achieve this Hollywood-style look by adding black bars, using RGB filters and Gradient.

The best part, you won’t spend much time on this, and you don’t really need experience or special knowledge – we’ll walk you through every step.

Step #1: Add black bars to a video to make it look cinematic

First, let’s see how to easily create black bars – or widescreen bars, or letterbox bars – whatever you call this “frame” instantly making any video look more cinematic as it was shot for movie theaters.

Using VSDC Free Video Editor (download it here if you haven’t done it yet), add a rectangle shape to the scene. Paint it black and stretch it to the width of the scene – you can do it manually or using the Coordinates in the Properties window on the right. You can also resize your black bar adjusting its height to your needs. Finally, place the rectangle at the bottom of the scene, right mouse click on it and Duplicate. Now you have two identical black bars – on for the top and one for the bottom.

Here is a 70-second video instruction for you to illustrate everything we’ve just talked about.

Feeling a bit more artsy already?

Step #2. Make your video look like film using color enhancement techniques

Now let’s work with color enhancement using available filters.

First, add the RGB filter to the scene. To find this filter, go to “Video effects”, select “Adjustments” and click on “Red/Green/Blue”. You’ll notice a new layer on the timeline, called RGB 1. On the right, you’ll also notice the Properties window for adjusting the color brightness levels. As you click on the arrows increasing or decreasing the number, you’ll see the immediate result in the Preview window. Keep adjusting until you’re happy with the result.

After working with the RGB filter, go back to “Video effects” – “Adjustments” – “Hue/Saturation/Value” and play with the levels as well.

Step #3 Use color gradient to make your video look like film

Finally, let’s step up your editing game and work with a more advanced tool used by professionals for achieving cinematic video look. We’ll show you how to use the Gradient tool.

The same way you added the black bars earlier, add another rectangle to the scene and set it to be the same size as the input file (Properties windows, option “Set the same size as parent has”). This rectangle will cover your entire video.

Now, open the gradient settings (illustration below). To do that, in the Properties window, scroll down to the “Brush” and use the Fill background dropdown menu. In the Gradient settings, choose “Photographic Toning” template (you can choose any other template if you like it more, this is just the example used for the tutorial) and Sepia Midtones Preset (again, this one has been used for this example). Click OK.

On the timeline, open the Blend menu and choose the blending mode called “Screen”. You’ll see that the video now has an additional layer a color gradient has been applied to. Notice that you can drag the arrow to indicate the gradient vector. If you want, you can always go back to the gradient settings and change the preset or adjust the color intensiveness to achieve the desired result.

Watch a video tutorial below if you need a more detailed illustration of everything we’ve just talked about. And feel free to message us on Facebook!

Fancy more free editing tricks to make a video look like a film and achieve cinematic effects? Check out our tutorials on creating a “Video in text” mask, applying “Blending modes”, and using the “Picture in Picture” video effect.

The Gradient tool allows you to make a gradual blend between various colors. Photo and video making experts and those who are tech-savvy enough can benefit from ´Gradient´ tool in VSDC Video Editor to make their own smooth video transitions, apply advanced multiple color correction and create gradient background for text and subtitles. You can choose from gradient presets or create your own.

In this instruction, you can see an example how the eye color is changed in a few steps.

At first, add an image or a video where you'd like to change colors to the editor.

If it’s necessary, apply auto cropping. The corresponding button is on upper the toolbar. This option helps you to get rid of black bars in an image or a video and makes the object fit the scene.

After that, add a shape. In this case, we use the ellipse. You can find different shapes on the left toolbar. Then place it over the required area.

After that, select a colored type without borders on the bar above the scene.

Make a double click on the ellipse layer and add one more ellipse in order to apply the gradient tool on.

Then place it over the needed area.

Select a black color and adjust its position to cover the targeted area. To change the color of the ellipse, go to the properties window and click on the color option in the object settings.

Select an inverted mask from compositing modes on the timeline.

Go to the main scene, highlight the ellipse and apply the gradient tool. Go to the object setting and in “Fill background” select “Gradient”.

Open gradient settings and select the appropriate gradient type.

Among presets and templates select the one you like most of all.

Adjust the gradient vector.

To reach the desired result, apply different blending modes.