For those who have never worked with video, the editing process can seem mysterious and overwhelming. But the truth is, anyone can learn how to edit video. And to get started, you just need to understand a few basic techniques and principles.
Anyone with a history can learn how to edit video. In fact, there are tools and solutions for everyone. From a student with a phone in their pocket to a film crew working on a feature film and everything in between, there is something for everyone.
Alot of people that want to get into it sit there and don't have any footage or know how to start. Truth is you don't need footage...
Go rip your favorite movie
watch the movie and grab all your favorite bits and organize them
Bites (spoken lines)
Hero shots (when the trailer goes "Tom Cruise" they show that hero shot)
Action stuff
random odds and ends
piece together bites to sort of tell the story
go hunt for some cool trailer music
add sound effects
maybe add some graphics to drive the trailer (IN A WORLD)
Boom.... you've edited your own trailer without have any footage.
You've learned how to log clips, tell a story, edit music, edit sound effects, do some basic graphics... all without 1 piece. And that's pretty much the building blocks of every type of editing....outside of narrative that is... which is a different beast.
Here is how I started: My friend gave me a free (legal) copy of Sony Vegas Movie Studio 13. I installed it and clicked on the How To at the top of the screen. I followed every step it would guide me through until I knew the basics. From there, if I wanted to know something, I would google it or go on youtube.