Once upon a time, there was Movie Maker, a never-to-be-forgotten piece of software that, in older versions of Windows, allowed users to create videos and rework existing films. The functionality offered by Move Maker was rather basic but proved sufficient for a good chunk of users. After the release of Windows 11, Microsoft decided to focus on Clipchamp, a platform acquired in 2021 that could speed up video processing thanks to GPU-based hardware acceleration. With the advent of the cloud, multiple tools have been introduced that allow online video editing using only the web browser. If you are looking for good video editing software to use on Windows, Linux and macOS systems, one tool to try is Kdenlive.
Where it came from
Kdenlive was born in 2002 and was designed to run in the KDE desktop environment (hence the initial ‘K’ in the name). Subsequently, packages were released for the various Linux distributions and other operating systems, always under the GNU GPLv2+ license. Free and open-source software, Kdenlive makes it very easy to create video editing projects. It supports transitions, subtitles, and dozens of filters that can be applied using a multi-track timeline that accommodates an unlimited amount of video and audio content.
The program integrates a clip editor and a set of tools for creating, moving, cropping and deleting video, audio, text and image elements. Kdenlive can handle all formats supported by FFmpeg or libav (such as Ogg, WebM, QuickTime, AVI, WMV, MPEG and Flash Video, among others) and supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC and various HD standards, including HDV and AVCHD. Video can also be exported to DV devices or written to a DVD with chapters and menus.
Good for any kind of video
Whether you want to create a movie to post on social media, YouTube or a short film, Kdenlive is a versatile video editor that can be used to create a wide variety of content. Kdenlive’s interface can be customised in detail so that the user has access to the commands they use most. The process of creating the final video is carried out using a separate process that does not overburden the system and can be paused, interrupted or restarted if necessary.
Kdenlive is also able to search for online services that distribute royalty-free short films, images, music, and sound effects. To avoid any problems, at the user’s request, Kdenlive can annotate the licence information in the project notes. In the default configuration of the Kdenlive interface on the left is the Project Container tab: here, you can add and manage all the elements that you wish to include in your project in various ways. Further to the right are the transitions (Compositions) with the possibility of downloading new ones (icon Download new curtains at the top), the effects, the properties of the video selected in the Project Container, and the history of the operations carried out.
Kdenlive
The box to the right (Chip Control) allows a preview of the selected content, while the rectangle further to the right shows the result of the final video. In the timeline, it is possible, as with the best video editors, to add audio and video tracks, transitions, effects, titles, and so on. You can reuse a stack of effects applied to a clip whenever you want: just right-click and choose Copy. By right-clicking on the destination clip and then choosing Paste Effects, you can transfer the entire previously used solution. A combined set of effects can be saved in the Custom list.
Everything you need is just a click away
To move a clip, audio file, transition or effect with the utmost precision, simply click on the element, then press the key combination SHIFT+G: using the arrow keys, you can adjust the position of each element in the video. As with photo editing, colour correction can significantly enhance a video or create a film with a very special atmosphere. Kdenlive provides the right effects in the Color and Image Correction section. Depending on what you want to adjust, you can drag the effect onto the clip and configure it according to your needs. Achieving a specific result requires a lot of practice, however.
It is often much faster to use a Lookup Table (LUT): such conversion tables contain a pre-configured colour correction that can be applied to the video without further adjustment. Many LUTs are available for free download on the Internet, e.g. at freshLUTs (registration required). By default, Kdenlive comes with only four LUT files capable of placing a blue, green, red or orange filter on the images that make up the video. By selecting Custom, you can load your own LUT file and use it in your project. Kdenlive supports .cube, .3dl, .dat and .m3d LUT formats, but not those of Lightworks video editing software with the .look extension. To start rendering the video, just press CTRL+ENTER or select Project, Export. You can choose your favorite format from the many available and use many presets to optimize the rendering of the video on various types of devices.
