Software/Add-Ins

Clipchamp is a great video-editing app similar to others, like Canva or Camtasia, that has simple to use video editing features. We wanted to experiment with some of the built in/preset options for adding text, text animations and text effects to a video. There are a number of preset templates, and we used one for this post to create a video with video, animated text and other effects.

Open Clipchamp, click “Create a video” and then “Templates” on the left. Roll over each template to see an animated demo. And finally, choose one of the preset templates for the video.

After selecting a templates, the media bin has default content added and the video timeline is populated using the default content with preset animations. The magic of these preset templates is how easy it is to replace the default content with your content (videos, images, etc.).

First, add the real content to the Media Bin. Then select each real media and drag it over the preset media on the timeline. The default (and animated) content is replaced, keeps all of the animations (transitions, motion, etc.) and builds an animated video quickly.

Text elements are a slightly different process. Double click text on the timeline, then highlight and change to the text needed for the video. For this example let’s add a new text element to the template. Go to the “Text” tab on the left. Rollover each to see an animated demo. We are adding the “quick peek” text by dragging it onto the timeline.

Select the text on the timeline. Then in the upper left, click the Text button. Update the default text to the needed text. Update the font if desired. Use the other buttons to update the color and styling.

Clipchamp has many animated text options. The “Rating” preset has animated stars. The “Credits Roll”, which was added after the preset video content, quickly added the rolling text seen at the end of the video (a background image using the “Graphics” tab and a “Swipe” effect between the ocean background and the black screen were also easy additions to the video).

And the result was this video that is ready to be added to a slide, used for social media, or part of a larger video project!

[videopack id=”16359″]https://thepowerpointblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TLC-Creative_Vide-Template_example_clipchamp.mp4[/videopack]

We have focused on Clipchamp’s video editing capabilities, using the desktop version. Knowing Clipchamp has a mobile app, we explored it (spoiler alter – we were disappointed by the capabilities…).

Installing the Clipchamp mobile app is fast and easy. On either IOS or Android, search for “Clipchamp” in the app store. Click GET to download and install.

On the first run, click LOGIN and add same account information as the desktop install is setup with.

The iPhone’s app interface looks different from the online browser or desktop app. The mobile version does not have ability to work with multiple videos and in general has limited video editing capabilities, favoring preset templates. Currently it is very social media video focused.

To create a video, click the “+” button, or select a template option. The default is to record a new video. There is an option to upload an existing video.

Name the video, add text overlays, music, images from the camera roll or Clipchamp’s stock media.

When done, export in selected video quality.

When done, export in selected video quality. Your video will download or you have the option to share it to social media.

The mobile app is good for creating a simple video quickly. But it currently has a very limited set of editing options over the desktop app for any real video editing needs.

Apple ProRes is a video CoDec (a video codec is the process of COmpressing a video into a file format, as example .MP4, .AVI or .MOV, and then DEcompressing it when played). Apple ProRes is a super high quality codec, but unfortunately Windows OS does not recognize Apple ProRes, making it difficult to work with these super high quality, and generally professional video files on a Windows computer.

An amazing thing we discovered at TLC Creative is Clipchamp recognizes ProRes videos – on a Windows computer! This means Clipchamp can be used, on a Windows computer, to convert a PreRes video to a standard .MP4 video that Windows, and PowerPoint can use.

Here is my test video. It is a whopping 4.88GB (!) and .MOV file format in Apple ProRes.

• First – launch Clipchamp
  • TIP: running Clipchamp as a local app is going to be MUCH faster to load the 5GB file vs. having it upload to the Clipchamp servers if running as a web-app.
• Open the ProRes encoded video in Clipchamp.
• Add to video timeline.
• Export the video.

TIP: Clipchamp only creates .MP4 video files, which work on all computers, all web browsers, and all applications.

And the final task is to add the new version of the video to your presentation!

Clipchamp is a video editing app that focuses on making video editing simple and fun. It was purchased by Microsoft with the goal to “empower creators.” Users can edit videos for a variety of social media platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram, or video to be used in a PowerPoint presentation. The app focuses on their template designs, but ignore that, import your own media, and have an easy to use video editor that exports professional file formats.

Getting Clipchamp has many options right now; download from the Clipchamp website, download from the Microsoft App Store, or the mobile version (review of the mobile app later in this series) at the Apple or Android app stores. One note, ClipChamp is not available for Mac computers currently.

At TLC Creative our focus is presentation design, so here is the process of installing on a Windows computer.

1. Open the Microsoft app store and search for “Clipchamp”.

2. Click on Clipchamp and “get” to download.

3. Alternately, go to the Clipchamp website, which ultimately takes you to the Microsoft app store to install. Hover over the “About” link in the top navigation menu and click on “Our products” from the drop-down menu.

4. On the product information page, click “Desktop app”.

5. Then click the option that you need (eg. “Microsoft’s Windows”).

6. Then click “Get it from Microsoft” button. The pop-up window is the Microsoft Store. Click “get” to download and install.

When installed on a computer, the app interface is virtually the same as the web-based interface, but you do not need to upload media (eg. videos, photos, audio) and can work on them as local files.

More to come!
Karen @ TLC

Climpchamp is a video editing app that focuses on making video editing simple and fun. Microsoft recently acquired the company and is adding clipchamp to its array of features. Microsoft notes the goal is to “empower creators” – and as presentation designers, we are creators!

Clipchamp is a very capable (eg. real) video editing application. It does have a strong focus on video for social media; YouTube, Instagram, etc. – but this blog series is focused on using clipchamp for videos to be used in presentations.

Microsoft acquired Clipchamp, the Australian based video-editing app, in early September 2021 for an undisclosed amount. Clipchamp will soon be pre-installed on Windows 11 computers and is available to all now if they search, download and install. Clipchamp is also unique in that is as a mobile app, web-based browser app, and installed as a local/desktop app.

Troy here at TLC Creative Services has been testing Clipchamp, and already used it on several client projects – which prompted adding this blog series. I heard Troy say he thinks as a Microsoft standard app, clipchamp will become a standard video workflow option for presentation designers.

The app is free to use, but is currently a “freemium” app where there is a subscription to add some of its  features, such as unlimited cloud storage, unlimited stock media, and create a brand kit.

Clipchamp’s other great features include text-to-speech, video captions, essential tools for trimming and cropping, fade effects, and even green screen. Standby for each to be covered in upcoming blog posts.