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How to Enhance Your Highlights with a Sports Video Editor: A Complete Guide

Gianni
Gianni Originally published Jul 01, 24, updated Sep 30, 24

Do you consider yourself an ultimate fan of sports, and do you aspire to create jaw-dropping highlight reels? Would you like to leave your friends and the followers you have on social media platforms speechless because of your awesome video-editing skills? Look no further! 

This is the ultimate guide, where we will give you a step-by-step guide on how to improve your highlight using a sports video editor. Regardless of whether you are an elite athlete or a sports enthusiast, we will guide you through the process of how to cut together your highlight reels into a great highlight reel of your strengths. It's time to be unique and make people notice you!

In this article
  1. Part 1: Sports Video Editors: Know Everything About Them!
  2. Part 2: What Makes a Good Sports Video for the Best Olympic Highlights?
  3. Part 3: Top 7 Best Sports Video Editing Software
  4. Bonus Tip: How to Showcase the Best Olympic Moments Like a Pro with Wondershare Filmora?
  5. Conclusion

Part 1: Sports Video Editors: Know Everything About Them!

With great anticipation, everyone is waiting for the Olympics to start and get a taste of the most memorable moments of victory and sports enthusiasm. But do you ever think about how the highlight reel and any other impressive montage that can make your favorite moments so impressive are created? Well, free sports editing software is our savior in this case!

sports video editors

Sports editing software is a specific application that allows users to produce, modify, and finalize video content for major events, such as the Olympics. These tools help the editors consolidate raw content, apply various effects to the content, and even include graphics to make the whole narrative more appealing. 

Whether it's about presenting the incredible acceleration of a runner, the kickboard, the moment when a jumper comes off the pavement, slow motions, or dynamic montages of the sportsmen during the spectacular ceremony, the sports editing software turns the raw material into thrilling narratives.

Part 2: What Makes a Good Sports Video for the Best Olympic Highlights?

While the Olympics is the biggest sporting event when the best athletes in the world battle for gold, it focuses on the sports video editors who create the highlight reels that enthrall us. A good sports video for Olympic highlights should have a winning combination of: 

  • Action-packed sequences: Elements of precipitate include fast-moving shots, distortion effects on footage, and high-pitch music that puts the audience heeled and ready to be driven on the edge.
best olympic highlights
  • Compelling storytelling: Just like a storyline, clues are provided, and there is a focus on the athletes' individual stories and dealing with their successes and failures to create an empathic bond with the audience.
  • Visual storytelling: graphics, animations, and overlays to make a graphic and stunning picture for the audience while delivering essential facts and background rapidly without the impact on the viewer's senses.
  • Audio drama: Stunning sound, scores, and presentation of the commentary put the audience directly into the show.
  • Tight editing: By working at a regular pace and making good transitions, one can maintain the level of Marc Brown's show's energy at a high level.
  • Authenticity: The use of real-life footage presenting the athletes and reflecting their demeanor, abilities, and state adds more credibility to the story.

When all these aspects are coupled, the video editors of sports craft highlight clips to produce eye-opening and emotionally touching sports video reels for the global masses.

Now, it is time to move on to the next section, in which we will discuss the best sports video editing software free, so stay connected!

Part 3: Top 7 Best Sports Video Editing Software

We have already discussed the basic information about sports video editors; now it's time to go through some of the best software for sports video editing.

Wondershare Filmora

First on the list is Wondershare Filmora. This is the best tool for editing sports videos, as it provides relevant features that can make your sports highlight reel awesome. Filmora by Wondershare is a quite simple editor that does not lack the primary functions or compatibility options for a wide range of files needed for sports video editing.

Try it free
Try it free
iOSAndroid

 Key Features: 

  • Intuitive Interface: An interface that would enable its users to easily find their way around the application and manipulate the videos to their preference. 
  • Advanced Effects: There are too many effects and transitions, as well as different color corrections, to make the video more interesting. 
  • AI Smart Cutout: With the AI smart cutout feature, you can easily remove any unwanted objects or people from your video clip; hence, you get more control over editing that way.
  • Motion Tracking: It enables you to track certain things or individuals as they move, along with applying effects, transitions, or masks to them.
  • Multi-Track Editing: Multiple input-output options enable you to work with complex tracks and even superimpose videos or audio. 
Pros
  • Easy to Use: In terms of ease of use, Filmora can be used by people of all levels of experience in editing because its settings are easy to understand and navigate.
  • Fast Rendering: Another positive feature of the Filmora application is that it has a fast rendering speed, thanks to which the edited videos are prepared quickly, and you can meet strict deadlines.
Cons
  • Watermarks on the trial version.

FlexClip

Presenting FlexClip is the best free sports editing software, specially designed for sports lovers or sports professionals. FlexClip has an easy-to-use design and all the features required to create beautiful sports highlights, training videos, and analysis videos. 

flexclip video editor

Key features:

  • Multi-track editing: Make the necessary changes to several videos along with the different audio tracks.
  • Slow-motion and fast-motion: Use speed control to work on the key moments.
  • Color grading and correction: Add gloss to your visual with accuracy.
  • Audio ducking and mixing: Spice up your mix, balancing the volumes with ease.
Pros
  • Intuitive skills in the design and selection make it easy to learn about and use the program.
  • Free of charge, one can find it on the internet and use it.
Cons
  • There are not a lot of transition effects, especially with paid editors.
  • Limited customer support.

Lightworks

Lightworks is the best software for sports video editing that has been employed in numerous motion pictures and television series. Its free version is particularly suitable for soccer video editors since it presents a diversified set of additional tools to use while building the highlights. 

Lightworks video editor

Key Features:

  • A video containing an infinite number of tracks edited nonlinearly.
  • It is also compatible with 4K and 3D video recording and playback.
  • Sophisticated sound editing with multiple tracks, such as dual-track mixing.
Pros
  • All those high-end things are available free of charge.
  • Utilization is made simple by the toolbar's features.
Cons
  • Inexperienced people require much practice to get started in the game.
  • No collaborative editing features.

OpenShot

OpenShot is free video editing software to which users, particularly sports video editors, have resorted due to its intuitive design, flexibility, and a host of other useful features. 

openshot video editor

Key features: 

  • To enhance and modify the flow and feel of your content, gesture and move your animations and effects.
  • Choose the number of tracks that will fit your content and allow you to edit several clips at one time. 
  • Importing and exporting files to AVI, MP4, and more formats is possible.
Pros
  • Free of cost and coded open source, thus anyone can use it.
  • As for the unlimited track permit, it enables intricate tracks to be created.
Cons
  • The capabilities of 2D animation are poor compared to the paid software.
  • As compared to the paid versions, the software comes with less customer support.

HitFilm

Hitfilm is an excellent video editing software because, despite being free, it offers a lot of professional features that can be highly beneficial for creating sports videos. Hitfilm has a friendly user interface and professional features, allowing the user to make high-quality visuals, effects, and color corrections. 

hitfilm video editor

Key features:

  • Use 3D models, particles, and composting to spice up your sports report/highlights.
  • Attempting to get a cinematic look? Now you can do it with the help of color correction and grading available in Hitfilm.
  • Fine control of a variety of audio tracks for mixing and mastering.
Pros
  • High quality and numerous post-production elements for achieving brilliant scenes and sequences.
  • Ideal for intricate animation, animated titles, and graphic design.
Cons
  • Up to Full HD output (limited to 1920 * 1080p in the free version).
  • There is no support for returning an array of objects for 360-degree video editing.

ShotCut

Shotcut is a free and best sports editing software that is gradually making it to the list of must-have software for editing sports videos. All in all, Shotcut is the best video editor for creating high-quality sports highlight videos due to its simple and intuitive interface and broad set of features. 

shotcut video editor

Key features:

  • Designed to blend different audio sources.
  • Shotcut has support for 360-degree videos.
  • Compliant with formats such as AVHS and MP4 as well as other common formats in importing and exporting modes.
Pros
  • Free and open-source.
  • Highly customizable.
Cons
  • Many consumers experienced glitches and even crashes with the application.
  • Limited customer support.

So, these were the 7 best tools for editing sports videos. To choose the one that best meets your demands, you can test them all.

Bonus Tip: How to Showcase the Best Olympic Moments Like a Pro with Wondershare Filmora?

As we are already familiar with the motion tracking feature of Wondershare Filmora, we will now guide you through the steps to showcase the best Olympic moments using this feature of Wondershare Filmora.

Step1Download and install Filmora
Try it free
Try it free
iOSAndroid
Step2Open and create New Project
start a new project

To add media, select Import Media.

import media
Step3Add videos to the timeline
add a clip to the timeline
Step4Find motion-tracking symbol

Just above the timeline, there is a motion-tracking symbol. Click on it.

tap on motion tracking 
Step5Confirm the target

Locate and choose the target you want to track after the clip is in place.

select the target
Step6Enable the feature

Go with "Start Tracking." The effect will start to load as the playhead gets closer to the finish. A highlighted bar will appear on the timeline above the video after it's finished.

start tracking
Step7Customize the video

To draw attention to crucial information like names, scores, or timings, use text overlays.

use text overlays

You can also add effects from the Effects Menu by using the drag-and-drop feature.

add effects
Step8Export the video clips

Finally, tap the Export button in the upper right corner if you are happy with the output.

export the output

So, these are the steps to use motion tracking in Wondershare Filmora. These steps are so practical to use. So, download this app today.

Conclusion

That's it! You now know how you can boost your sports highlights with a sports video editor. No matter if you are a professional or a beginner, always keep in mind the elements of narrating the story, choosing the pace, and watching the visuals to produce the best content and present the game or the athlete's best performances. Give it a try on Wondershare Filmora, and your results will be amazing!

Try it free
Try it free
iOSAndroid

FAQ

  • How can I make my highlight reel engaging?
    Capture key moments, use dynamic transitions, mix close-up and wide shots, and add music or commentary.
  • How long should a sports highlight reel be?
    Aim for 2 to 5 minutes to keep it concise and engaging.
  • Why use a sports video editor for highlight reels?
    It helps create professional-looking videos that capture exciting moments, making them more engaging and shareable.
Gianni
Gianni Sep 30, 24
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