The evolution of video editing in seconds

This short sums up, in just a few seconds, the path video editing took to reach your phone and your browser. Below we tell that story at a slower pace and show what it changes when you put your own videos together in Editor de Vídeo Online.

From scissors to tape: linear editing

In early cinema, editing meant literally cutting and splicing film. The editor looked at frames against the light, cut at the right spot and joined the pieces with tape. Viewing machines such as the Moviola made the job more precise, but every cut was still physical.

With videotape, editing moved to edit suites: footage was copied from one tape to another, in program order. That was linear editing. Changing a scene near the start meant redoing everything that came after it.

The turning point: non-linear editing on computers

The big revolution came when video was digitized and edited on computers. In non-linear editing, all the footage is available on the timeline at once: you can cut, move, reorder and undo without losing quality or re-recording anything. It is the same logic you use today when you drag clips around a timeline.

From phones to the browser

Then came desktop software for personal computers, mobile apps and, more recently, editors that run right in the browser. With nothing to install, you open a page, upload your images and build the video there, with the processing done on your own computer.

How to use this in your own videos

The freedom of non-linear editing only pays off if you use it: record or generate the parts of your video, assemble them on the timeline and try different orders and cuts. See how to build the final video on the timeline and when to use each kind of transition. If you are just starting, the guide animated video without knowing how to animate shows the shortest path.

Frequently asked questions

What is non-linear editing?

It is computer-based editing where all the footage is available on the timeline at the same time. You cut, move and rearrange any part, in any order, without re-recording the video and without losing quality.

What is the difference between linear and non-linear editing?

In linear editing the video is assembled in sequence, copying from one tape to another, so changing the start means redoing what comes after it. In non-linear editing every section can be changed independently, at any time.

Can I edit video without installing software?

Yes. Browser-based editors such as Editor de Vídeo Online let you build videos with a timeline, cuts, transitions and audio right in Chrome or Edge, with nothing to install.