A timeline of video editing

When videotape was first developed, video editors’ options were very limited. Many could not afford video recorders, and copying caused an unacceptable amount of damage to the quality of the image. Editing was rare, and was done usually, if at all, by simply cutting the tape and splicing together scenes with tape. Editors could see where they were cutting by using a solution of iron filings suspended in carbon tetrachloride. This solution allowed the film’s magnetic tracks to be seen under a microscopehowever, it was also highly toxic and carcinogenic.In the 1960s, a new system was developed by which playback on two machines could be synchronized, allowing editors to “punch in” new shots. However, this usually added a short buzzing sound to the audio track. Nevertheless, this became the new standard for editing. Eventually, helical scan video recorders allowed editors to simply play the footage from one tape machine and copy them to another. Today, this is known as “linear editing,” since all shots must be laid out in order and nothing be added ahead of a shot without overwriting it.As in many other industries, computers were responsible for making video editing effective and popular for the first time. Sony, Ampex, and CMX developed the first computer-based editing systems. These new editors allowed for “non-linear editing,” where users can access any frame in a clip without having to play the earlier footage. The actual process of non-linear editing is related to the early days when editors would simply cut and paste pieces of film together. However, computers allowed editors to do this more easily, without health risks, and without as much risk to the footage. Michael Rubin popularized the term “nonlinear editing” in his 1991 book Nonlinear: A Guide to Digital Film and Video Editing.From this point on, non-linear editing grew in popularity, and also became less expensive, opening the market to amateur editors for perhaps the first time. This was the direct ancestor of blogs like this one, which share video editing information, tips, and techniques with the world. Today, almost every home computer has the ability to store and edit standard digital video. Indeed, both Apple and Microsoft have proprietary basic video editing softwareiMovie and Windows Movie Maker, respectively. However, more advanced products are also widely available.