The 5 Keyboard Shortcuts I Won’t Edit Without

PremiumBeat by Jonny Elwyn

Whatever editing program you’re using, I think these 5 keyboard shortcuts are the most essential for fast, efficient editing.
There are a few keyboard shortcuts that I can’t edit without; they’re just an essential piece of muscle memory for me as a film editor.

The beauty of these shortcuts is that they will work in any NLEbecause they are more concerned with the speed and ease of editing rather than any unique part of a particular program. In picking five shortcuts to focus on this is obviously not an exhaustive list, but if you find these useful then make sure to add them into your editing workflow soon.

SHORTCUT NO. 1 – ADD EDIT
The Add Edit function in any NLE will add an edit point, a cut, into the footage on the track or tracks you have selected. Often if nothing is selected it will cut through all the tracks on the timeline, including the audio.

Personally I always add this shortcut to the H key because this puts it right next to the J K L keys (for playing backwards, pausing and playing forwards – if you tap these a couple of times you’ll get a faster speed in each direction). This means it’s all under my right hand and I can quickly shuttle through footage, adding in edits cuts as I go. read more...