So, you have an awesome piece of footage you’ve shot with your GoPro and you need to make few adjustments before showing it to the world? You’re on the right page, because we’ll show you how to edit GoPro videos using a free software named VSDC. In the tutorial below, we’ll go over rotating, splitting, speed effects (slow motion, playing the video backwards), and adding music.

We’ll be working in VSDC free video editing software for Windows. VSDC is completely free, and it has actually been recommended by the GoPro team after their own video editor, Studio stopped being supported.

Download VSDC Free Video Editor

What’s great about VSDC, when you compare it to other video editors, it opens and processes GoPro files very well (full 120fps support, 4K resolution, and HEVC/H.265 codec support, if we must be more specific). In other words, you won’t have to convert your files before editing them, and you’ll be able to keep the high quality at the export.

How to open and rotate a GoPro video?

Once you’ve launched the program, start a new project and import your footage to the timeline. Use the round green “Add object” button, choose “Video” and select the file from your PC.

The first task many action camera owners have when they start editing GoPro videos is the rotation. Well, because sometimes you simply can’t keep that perfect angle when you’re shooting.

You can rotate footage at 90 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise in a single click using the quick menu at the top (see the illustration above). However, if you need to rotate the video at a custom angle, you can do that too:

• Go to the Video effects tab located in the top menu.
• From the drop-down menu choose “Transform” – “Rotate”.
• In the popup window, there will be “Whole parent duration” already selected. Just click OK.
• A new tab will appear on the timeline with the “Rotate” effect placed on it.
• Click on it with the right mouse button and select Properties.
• In the Properties window, scroll down to “Rotate angles” and set the parameters according to your needs. See the illustration below.

How to edit GoPro videos: cropping and splitting your footage

Cutting, cropping, and splitting tools are all located in the quick access menu named “Tools” at the top of the program interface, and you’ll easily get a hang of them.

First, if you need to crop the borders of your video, just click the corresponding icon – a new window will pop up where you’ll be able to manually choose what’s left in the scene. Cropping is a great way to get rid of the excessive space around the object and narrow the focus for the viewers.

Second, splitting.

• Simply place the cursor to the point where one episode is supposed to end, and another one should begin.
• Click the “Split into parts” icon as illustrated below.
• See how your video is instantly divided into 2 parts placed consequently on the timeline tracks.
• Repeat to break the video into even more fragments if needed.

How to edit GoPro videos: applying slow-motion effect and playing videos backward

We’ve finally got to the most popular part. Applying a “slo-mo” effect to GoPro videos is a must if you want to savor some of the best moments and make the video look more spectacular. Here is how to do it:

• Split the video into fragments using the instruction above and choose the one you want to slow down.
• Go to the Properties window located on the right side and scroll down to the “Speed %” section.
• Manually adjust the speed you want the video to be played at.

If you choose 50%, it will be twice as slow as the original. If you choose 25%, it will be 4 times slower than the original video. We always recommend testing this parameter and previewing the result as you go. Because depending on the action and the desired result, the sweet spot may be found somewhere between 32% and 47%.

You know what else will produce a great impression on the viewers? If you choose some breathtaking moments of the video and play them backward. Notice, that’s a parameter right above the “Speed %” field. Just select a video fragment and switch No to Yes in front of the “Play backward” option.

How to edit GoPro videos: adding music

Ready to spice up your clip with the right atmospheric music? Let’s do this!

First, if you want to remove the original audio track of the video, go to the Properties window and choose the “Don’t use audio” option from the “Audio track” drop-down menu. Your footage will now be muted.

Then click the round green “Add object” button and choose “Audio”. Select the file that you think suits the mood of your footage. You’ll be able to split and adjust it too if needed.

When you’re done with editing your GoPro video, go to the Export project tab and choose the export profile depending on your goals. For instance, if you’re planning to upload your clip to YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram – there are special pre-configured profiles for that. When you choose one of them, your video is exported according to these social media platforms requirements. If you, however, want to save the video on your PC in the maximum quality, you can go with the AVI format and the H.265 codec (click the “Edit profile” button to choose the codec and other custom parameters).

Now that you know how to edit GoPro videos on a basic level, we recommend the following tutorials to help you make even more attention-grabbing clips:

• How to create a “video inside text” effect
• How to create a picture-in-picture effect
• How to place two videos side by side

Using 'Blending Modes' you can create your own visual effects and filters. For example, let's see how to create the so-called Ghost Effect.

Add a video where you'd like to apply a Ghost Effect. To make it perfectly fit the scene, select "Yes" in the "Stretch Video" option.

Tip: To make a video perfectly fit the scene size, add a video using the Import Content option

With the ghost effect, an object obtains several contours of different types and colors. To achieve this effect, we need to add as many identical video layers as the number of contours we want for our object.

All added videos should be exactly the same size. For this reason, we recommend making a duplicate of every inserted video. Right-click the original video on the scene and select the "Duplicate" option. The duplicated layer will instantly appear on the timeline.

Now comes the most interesting part: we're going to apply a blending mode to one of our video layers. Double-click the layer you want to apply a filter to (on the timeline) and select the "Rectangle" tool.

Place the rectangle over the entire scene

Tip: Choose a rectangle with no borders and filled with color (third type):

Go to the "Properties" window and choose a color for your rectangle.

To change the blending mode type, select the appropriate blending type in the "Composition mode" tab.

To make the ghost effect more impressive, let's add one more layer (contour). Go to the main scene, make a duplicate of the blended layer and stretch it to match the scene size.

Double-click the duplicated layer and change the color of the rectangle. (Why do we have a rectangle here? That's simple – we made a duplicate of the blended layer where we previously added a rectangle)

Tip: Try using contrasting colors for different layers to achieve the best effect

Select one of the blending modes from the "Composition mode" menu on the timeline:

To make our blended layers more phantom-like, let's adjust their transparency. Double-click one of the blended layers and decrease the opacity of the rectangle.

Now let's shift our blended layers to achieve a multi-contour effect for the main video. Go to the main scene and change layer positions by dragging and dropping layers with the mouse.

Tip: Vary blending modes and opacity on the main scene to achieve the best result.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a blending mode?

A blending mode is a special effect that determines how the colors of an object on the top layer will interact (blend) with the colors of an object on the bottom layer. Without a blending mode the object on the top layer would simply cover the object beneath it.
For clarity, consider an example with paints: we draw a yellow sun, then we draw a blue sky over the sun. With a blending mode the yellow paint of the sun will mix with the blue paint of the sky. As a result, the sun will become green. Without a blending mode the blue sky would simply cover the yellow sun, and the sun would not be visible.

2. What is the difference between Opacity and Blending Mode?

The Opacity parameter is used when you need to make an object on the scene transparent or semi-transparent. In this case the colors of the transparent object and the object visible through it do not interact in any way.
Blending Mode is used when you need the colors of objects to interact with each other, creating a new color or effect in the process. It's less about transparency and more about the mixing of colors between layers.

3. Where exactly is the blending mode in VSDC?

To find the blending mode and apply it to an object (layer), please follow these steps:
Option 1: For an object
- Select the object on the timeline to which you want to apply the mode.
- Go to the properties window of this object and find the "Composition mode" parameter.
- Set the "Composition mode" parameter to the desired value.
Option 2: For a layer
- Locate the "Composition Mode" parameter for the desired layer on the timeline. By default, it is set to "Blend".
- Left-click on the arrow next to "Blend" to open the drop-down menu.
- Select the desired option in the drop-down menu.

4. I applied a blending mode, but nothing changed. Why?

Blending modes only work when objects overlap. If your object is on an empty or transparent background, you won't see the effect. Make sure there is another layer with video or image beneath your object.

Video masking is an advanced technique used for creating eye-catching effects. Technically, when you apply a mask, you outline an area in the picture you want to modify and work with it independently. If you’ve ever used a graphic editor, you’re surely familiar with the idea.

VSDC Video Editor includes a wide set of tools for creating precise clipping masks, inverted masks, and text masks. In the tutorial below, we’ll show you how to apply an inverted mask. For this scenario, we’ll be pixelating a face of a person as if we needed to hide it from the viewers.

In the second part of this tutorial, we’ll also talk about how to make the mask follow the object’s movements.

Download VSDC for Windows

Please note that while VSDC is a free video editor, masking is included in the Pro package available for $19,99 per year. If you just need to quickly blur a face in a video, however, you can do it for free following our instructions.

How to mask a video (pixel masking example)

Once you’ve added a video to the scene, go to the Video Effects tab, select Filters and choose “Pixelize”. Your entire scene will get pixelated, but don’t get confused - it’s a part of the process. Use the Properties window on the right to adjust the pixelation level and set up the intensiveness of the mask.

Next, we’ll need to select a masking area. You can do it using pre-designed mask shapes such as ellipse and rectangle, or you can create a custom shape using a tool called “free shape”. For this example, we’ll be using an ellipse shape to cover a person’s face.

Double-click on the “Pixelize” layer and add an Ellipse object to the scene (go to the left-side menu to find the Ellipse icon). You’ll notice that the area inside the borders of the shape is not pixelated anymore, meanwhile, we need it to be the other way around.

To do that, apply an Inverted Mask:

1. Open the Properties window – located on the right. If you don’t see the Properties window, use the right mouse button to click on the Ellipse object on the timeline and select Properties.
2. Open the Composition mode dropdown menu and select Mask.
3. Then find Inverted mask and switch its mode from No to Yes.
4. Once you do that, the face will stay blurred, while the surrounding area will reverse to its original look.

This is it. You’ve just applied a video mask. The same way, you’ll be able to use other effects instead of pixels. The examples are numerous: you can change the color of a certain area in the video, you can cut out an object and replace it, you can create a see-through clipping mask – and much more. Here is a quick link to video masking tutorials on our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!

How to make a video mask follow object’s movements

By default, a video mask follows the camera focus and doesn’t move in the scene. In our case, this means if the person moves, they may “lose” the mask. To prevent it, you’ll need to apply motion tracking. This way, the mask will follow the movement of the person and their face will remain hidden.

Here is how to apply motion tracking to the mask:

1. Go back to the main timeline tab and right-click on the video. From the context menu, select the option “Create a movement map”.
2. In the pop-up window, the program will indicate where on your PC the movement map will be saved and stored. Just click OK.
3. Once you do that, the Motion Tracker mode will be activated.
4. Place the tracking frame to cover the face completely. Ideally, the red dot should be in the middle of the object you’ll be tracking. Once ready, press Start analysis and watch the software draw the movement map.
5. Once ready, click Apply editing. In the pop-up window, select Yes to save the changes in the map.
6. You’ll be brought back to the main timeline tab. Double-click on the video layer, then double-click on the Pixelize filter layer to get to the ellipse shape again.
7. Double-click on the ellipse shape layer and open the Add object menu at the top. Select Movement -> Movement map.
8. In the pop-up window, confirm that you want to apply the suggested map (if you have several maps on your PC, you’ll have a list to select from).
9. Adjust the position of the mask if needed and hit Preview to see the result. The pixelated mask should be moving along with the face.

If you’re creating a motion-tracked mask, feel free to consult with the following video tutorial. The sequence of actions in the video is different, but the result is the same. See if it works for you:

Other video editing tutorials you may be interested in:

• How to apply blending modes in VSDC Free Video Editor
• How to clone yourself in a video
• How to create a text mask for free within 3 minutes

It happens to everybody: wrong camera angle while shooting a video. Neither smartphone users, nor action camera owners are immune to that. And if you’re looking for a way to rotate a video right now, you probably know the feeling.

In this quick tutorial, we’ll show you how to fix the little slip-up and perform video rotation on a Windows PC. We’ll also show you how to rotate a video at custom angles and how to make a video rotate while playing.

To recreate all that on your footage, you’ll need to download VSDC Free Video Editor first. VSDC is a mighty program to have if you happen to work with videos often because it includes a versatile feature-set amateur shooters and experienced users will benefit from.

Download VSDC Free Video Editor

How to rotate a video at 90 degrees

So. VSDC offers two options: a standard video rotation – with 90-degree increments clockwise and counterclockwise – and a video rotation at custom angles. Let’s start with the first one.

Open a video or an image file in the program. While having it selected on the timeline, click one of the corresponding “Rotate” buttons in the top “Cutting and Splitting” toolset menu. These buttons allow you to rotate the entire file 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.

Custom angle video rotation

Sometimes you need to rotate a video at a particular angle, whether it’s to align a scene or to achieve the desired effect of a titled video. Here is how to do it in VSDC:

1. Add a video to the scene.
2. Go to Video Effects, proceed to Transforms and choose Rotate.
3. In the popup window, there will be “Whole parent duration” already selected. Just click OK.
4. A new tab will appear on the timeline with the “Rotate” effect placed on it.
5. Click on it with the right mouse button and select Properties.
6. In the Properties window, scroll down to “Rotate angles” and choose the desired angle as illustrated below.

How to make a video rotate at a particular moment in time

If you want to make your video rotate at a chosen angle while playing, use the Rotation effect:

1. Place the cursor on the timeline exactly at the point where the rotation should happen.
2. Go to the Video Effects tab and select Transforms > Rotate.
3. When you see a popup window asking you to set the object position, select “From cursor position”.
4. Go to the Properties window to select the rotation angle just like we did in the previous example.

Now the video will rotate automatically while playing at the moment you’ve chosen.

How to apply the advanced video rotation effect  

Finally, in VSDC, you can apply an advanced rotation effect to your video, so that it will be continuously rotating around a single point in any direction.

Again, you’ll need to apply the “Rotate” effect from the Video Effects tab and open the Properties window. In the properties window, click on the “…” button next to the “Rotate angles” field. A new tab will be opened on the timeline. called “Rotate angles”. That’s where you’ll be able to adjust the rotation trajectory and chose whether rotation will go clockwise or counterclockwise.

Now, select the trajectory type – it’s a small icon between “Rotate angles” and the “…” button. On the working area, you’ll see a line – that’s the trajectory. To modify it, set new trajectory points by double-clicking above or below the line. You can click any of the existing points and drag them to appropriate positions. To delete the unnecessary points, use the “Remove” button on the toolbar.

Use the “Preview” button to see the result of your editing and adjust the effect as you go.

Now that you know how to rotate a video, here are three other video editing tricks you can perform in VSDC:

• How to crop video borders
• How to fix a vertical video
• How to create a picture-in-picture effect

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