Video editors are powerful tools, but only if you’re willing to put in what you might call “flight hours.” The learning curve of popular editors is tough, and most users prefer something basic and intuitive like the classic Movie Maker. That’s where Vidiot comes in—a free and open source video editor that aims to sit halfway, with essential features like cropping, fade in/out, rotation, zoom, and more.
Editing videos is an activity that attracts many users out there, but interest drops like a stone when they experience the complexity of the major editors firsthand. In fact, even YouTubers and other multimedia professionals admit that video editing can lead to long and exhausting sessions in front of the computer. However, you shouldn’t give up. Sometimes you need something simple like a crop or a rotation, and that’s when Vidiot steps in, a free and open source video editor.
How to edit videos with Vidiot
The first step is to invest eleven minutes in Vidiot’s official tutorial, which we’ve shared here. This program lets you process videos, images, and audio files, using an interface divided into three windows: Details, Preview, and Timeline. The Details section helps you make specific adjustments like rotation (ideal for fixing vertical videos), cropping, scale, synchronization, and audio balance.
One of the simplest actions in Vidiot is cropping. Using the Preview window, you go to the exact frame and press the S key to make a split. Then, you advance to the final frame and press S again. The clip is isolated on the timeline; you select it with a click, and in the Export menu choose Selected Clip(s) for export.
On the other hand, if you only want a specific frame, it’s enough to stop on it, go to Export, and select Current frame. The result is a PNG image that’s automatically saved in the video’s location. The same happens with clip exports, adding the suffix “edited” to the name to avoid overwriting.
Right-clicking on the clip opens the context menu, which includes shortcuts to fade in/out effects. Vidiot presents a dozen variants, the default being “Video crossfade,” but you can also mimic clocks and doors, and adjust their duration. An effect that’s too fast doesn’t add much to the video; it looks much better if you stretch it over two or three seconds.
Vidiot is available for Windows in standard and portable versions, both 64-bit. Linux users still have access to a 32-bit build in .deb format. Download a copy!
Official site and download: Click here
