Software

10 PowerDirector Tips and Tricks to edit videos quickly

PowerDirector is one of the most versatile and powerful video editing software present in the market right now. PowerDirector is often referred to as one of the best video editing apps because of its overall list of tools and its simple UI, as well.

On this website, as well, I have mentioned PowerDirector a lot of times, and I have even reviewed it, so if you want to know more about what I think of the software, you can read that article, as well.

In this article, however, I will discuss some of the tips that you can try out to improve your overall productivity when you are using this software to edit videos.

It should also be noted that PowerDirector is currently available on multiple devices, such as Windows, macOS, and even on Android and iOS.

Also read: Free video editing software no watermark

10 Tips and Tricks for PowerDirector

That being said, here are some of the Tips that you can follow if you are using the PowerDirector app or software to edit your videos.

Rename audio and video tracks

If you are using the software, then you will see that you are able to add multiple different video and audio tracks on your timeline, and on PowerDirector, you can also change the name of the tracks.

This can be very useful for a lot of people who are using this software to edit a video file that has loads of different tracks; projects such as films are a good example where you often end up with multiple tracks.

So, by naming each and every individual track can be pretty useful if you want to make quick adjustments to your video file.

Learn Hotkeys

Usually, in most video editing softwares, they are often known as ‘shortcuts’, but in PowerDirector they call them ‘Hotkeys’. Hotkeys are basically shortcuts that you can easily learn quickly learn and improve your overall productivity.

To learn all the hotkeys that are available on PowerDirector, all you have to do is press ‘Alt + H’ on Windows and ‘Option + H’ on a macOS device.

You will then see a number of different options pop up, and all the options are different shortcut keys that you can learn to adjust from your laptop’s keyboard, and that is quite effective when it comes to video editing.

Figure out the preferences

PowerDirector has a ‘Preference’ option in its setting tab. The preference tab is quite useful if you edit a lot of videos regularly. What the preference tab basically means is that you are able to set your preferences for the software.

So certain settings, such as frame rates, file size, resolution, etc., you can all set it up as per the types of videos that you edit on PowerDirector.

This makes it quite useful because then you don’t have to apply these settings again and again after you are done editing your video and beginning to render the video.

So, if the software already knows your preference, then it won’t ask you for these settings, and you will be able to render out your videos quickly.

Focus on the start of the video

If you are making any type of video that you are going to be uploading on social media sites like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, etc., then you need to focus on the first few seconds of your short video.

This is because that is what will attract the most attention from the audience, and if the first few seconds of the video is able to grab the attention of your audience, then you don’t have to worry about the rest of the video.

Because data has been released that shows that if a person is attentive towards the first few seconds of your video, then are probably going to watch the entire remaining video.

That being said, this rule mostly applies to short videos.

If you are making something like a short film or a feature film, then also you should focus on the pacing of your video, but it doesn’t have to be attention-grabbing from the first frame; you have the luxury of playing for a few minutes.

Use dynamic colours

Again, this is a trick that you don’t necessarily need to follow if you are making a video longer than 90 seconds, but it is still a tip that you can apply to those videos as well.

Colours attract the audience’s attention, and there is no doubt about that. They are eye-grabbing and attention-seeking, as well.

So if you are editing a video for social media platforms, then you can try out the usage of some dynamic, eye-grabbing colours to make your video that much more better.

You can use primary colours, or you can also use complementary colours, such as Orange and Blue, Red and Green, or Yellow and Purple, on your video, or make a good combination of colours, as well.

There are a number of different types of colour options to choose from, and many people do use these colours to make their videos better.

Add subtitles

Subtitles are also a great way of making your videos better. Subtitles are a little difficult to write because you have to sync up each word with what has been said on the screen, and while that may seem easy, it is actually not.

Still, adding subtitles to your overall video makes the video seem a little better in context, and if your video has someone talking in a quick manner or in an accent that is difficult to understand, then on those occasions, subtitles do come to the rescue.

Adding subtitles for feature-length films is only done when a character speaks a different language than the language that is said in the majority of the film.

Otherwise, adding subtitles to your video is usually something that is done by a dedicated group of people.

Use stickers

You can also add different stickers to your videos and make the overall video a bit more popping. Stickers are recommended to use, but you shouldn’t also fill your entire video with stickers.

Too many usages of stickers will make the overall video feel a little too crowded and might make the viewer not continue watching your videos.

This is the last thing that you would want for your video. So, adding limited stickers that are relevant to your overall video makes your overall video engaging, attractive and fun to watch for the viewers, as well.

Create proxies

Creating proxy files is important when you are working on a project that has many different files, are they are all huge in size. This will eventually help you in making your editing process quite quick.

Otherwise, no matter how powerful your computing device is, it will end up hanging if it continues to edit RAW files, and you might lose on the edit that you have made.

Once you are satisfied with your edit, then you can easily replace the RAW files with the proxy files.

Adjust audio balance

Usually, people assume that the louder the audio, the better it will sound. Which is quite wrong, to be honest. You want the audio to flow well with your overall video and have a great sound balance.

So, having to balance all the different soundtracks and the sound that you have put in your video and highlight the part that requires the highlight.

Edit multiple videos

The best way to improve upon your video editing is to edit multiple videos. Only then will you realise your mistakes and find some of the new features and tricks on your video editing software.

This trick is useful for any video editing software you use and is not just restricted to just PowerDirector.

Also read: Video editing tips to become a pro

FAQs

Let’s discuss some of the frequently asked questions regarding this topic.

Who should use PowerDirector?

As I mentioned above, PowerDirector is actually available on multiple devices, such as macOS, Windows, Android and iOS, as well. So if you are someone who uses any of the devices that run these operating softwares, then you can easily use this software.

That being said, PowerDirector is aimed more towards people who are fairly into the world of video editing and consider themselves intermediates or professionals.

Beginners can also try out PowerDirector, as well, because of its simple UI, but they might have trouble starting out with so many different features and tools available at their disposal.

Is PowerDirector good for beginners?

PowerDirector is a pretty good video editing software and app, many users can use this software, and you will be able to create and edit great videos on this software.

That being said, as I mentioned above, this software is targeted more towards people who are intermediates or professionals in video editing.

That’s not to say that beginners cannot or should not use this software or app to learn about video editing. If you choose this software, you will fairly be able to understand video editing because of its great UI.

However, if you are someone who has never used a video editing software, PowerDirector might seem a little too much because of its list of features and tools.

So, you can try out using this software, but I would still recommend it to people who are professionals or intermediates in this field of work.

How do I improve the quality in PowerDirector?

PowerDirector, as I mentioned above, is a software that has loads of different tricks and tools up its sleeve. You are able to edit a lot of different types of videos on this video editing software, and you will be able to improve the quality of your videos.

The number one thing that you can try to improve the overall quality of your videos is by simply to keep on editing on the software.

I know this is a very cheesy answer, but it is one of the most effective ways of editing videos and learning how to improve on your videos.

The more you edit videos on this software, the more you will be able to learn about its list of features and tools, and the quicker you will be able to edit your videos.

All of these factors will help you in improving the overall video quality that you render out from PowerDirector.

Is PowerDirector good for editing?

PowerDirector is often considered as one of the best video editing software present in the market right now, and this is just not me talking.

You can check out articles from popular computer magazines like PC Magazine, CNET, etc., and they all praise PowerDirector for the number of tools and features it possesses.

Combine that with a pricing that is pretty competitive and a simple and easy UI, and you have a great video editing software, one that actually is a bit of an underdog.

Usually, when people talk about video editing softwares, they end up talking about DaVinci, Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

And while all those softwares are pretty nice and powerful in their own respective way, PowerDirector is also a pretty solid video editing software that one should try out.

So, yes. PowerDirector is a pretty good video editing software. If you want to know more about what I think about it, you can check out the article where I reviewed the software and all of its features.

Is PowerDirector better than KineMaster?

As I mentioned above, PowerDirector is available on multiple platforms, and it is also available on devices such as iOS and Android, as well. So you can easily download the app on your phone or tablet and edit videos on it too.

The app is available to download for free, and it features quite a rich list of features, as well. There are some add-on costs that you can purchase if you feel like it.

Otherwise, the entire app is free to use. KineMaster is also a really popular video editing app that is quite well-known for its list of features.

So, when it comes to comparing these two apps, I actually think that PowerDirector is better when compared to KineMaster.

Both the apps feature a great list of features; however, I find KineMaster’s UI to be very complicated and not well-spaced out.

Whereas PowerDirector’s UI is quite clean and easy to understand and use. So, yes. PowerDirector is better than KineMaster, in my opinion.

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Conclusion

Well, there you have it. An article discussing about various tips regarding PowerDirector. Since PowerDirector is available on multiple platforms and devices, it is actually targeting two different groups of people.

People who edit videos on their phones or tablet, for the most part, edit videos that they want to quickly upload on different social media sites.

While people who edit videos on computing devices also upload their videos on various social media sites, but they have access to more tools, that’s why they are able to take more time in editing each aspect of their video.

Hopefully, the tips and tricks mentioned above satisfy both the target audiences of PowerDirector, and they are able to edit great videos.

As always, these have been my thoughts regarding this topic. What about you? Do you agree with my tips? Or do you think that I missed out on a few of them?

Whatever your thoughts are, do let us know about them in the comments down below!

Sanjit Mansingh

Sanjit Mansingh is a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate. While studying in this field he quickly realized what he wants to do in his life: Filmmaking. His interest in writing scripts is what made him give a try in the world of content writing. Sanjit's an avid Movie Geek and is an award winning Director as well.