---
title: "Doing the Basic Edit"
url: "https://www.clueso.io/cluebooks/making-tasteful-screen-recording-videos--doing-the-basic-edit"
updated: "2026-09-11T08:57:52.938Z"
---

# Doing the Basic Edit

## 7.1 Creating a Rough Cut

What you're creating: A clean first pass — false starts, dead air, and idle moments removed, one clear action per shot.

**Remove false starts, hesitations, and dead air**

Cut out UI loading waits or idle mouse wandering

Stick to one action per shot — every cut should clearly answer: what changed on screen?

---

## 7.2 Using Padding

What you're creating: A padded frame around your footage — protecting content from cropping and giving breathing room for callouts, subtitles, and PiP.

**Add a soft background and padding layer around your screen capture, especially if recording at a fixed region or window size**

Recommended: 6% padding on all sides — this protects content from being cropped by video players, platform previews, or responsive layouts

It also gives breathing room for callouts, subtitles, and PiP frames

![](https://d37f9k611f70xr.cloudfront.net/framer-1784765009233-kxjiqmmllc-zXIeO4WcIAIdOe576oN1jMBcY.png)

> **Note:** Pro Tip: Clueso ensures consistent padding across all your clips automatically.

![](https://d37f9k611f70xr.cloudfront.net/framer-1784765010122-778wek66zvd-ioAizo0QE7XmrU4iwN8CJlZnY0.png)

---

## 7.3 Adding Backgrounds

What you're creating: A consistent branded background behind your padded footage — mid-tone, low-contrast, and part of your visual signature.

**Use a brand color but keep it clean: choose mid-tone or desaturated versions of your palette to avoid clashing with the UI**

Avoid bright backgrounds that compete with the focal content

Gradients, soft textures, or blurred screenshots can work — as long as they stay low-contrast

A consistent background becomes part of your visual signature, especially in a video grid

![](https://d37f9k611f70xr.cloudfront.net/framer-1784765011517-sr26v10ho4c-2yuxL66zpK4mxIKHvp0lLLk081s.png)

> **Note:** Pro Tip: Clueso gives you multiple background designs to choose from. You can also upload your own — both static and dynamic.

---

## 7.4 Pacing

What you're creating: A brisk, intentional flow — dead air tightened, deliberate beats preserved, and J-cuts/L-cuts used for smooth transitions.

**Tighten dead air using ripple deletes (auto-closing gaps)**

Leave 250–400 ms of space after clicks or key moments before zooms, highlights, or overlays — this gives viewers a beat to process before you move on

Use J-cuts and L-cuts for smoother momentum in step transitions:

> **Note:** J-cut: start the voiceover before the visual changes

> **Note:** L-cut: let the video linger after the voiceover wraps

---

## 7.5 Continuity & Clarity

What you're creating: A polished, glitch-free edit — micro-movements trimmed, freeze frames used on information-dense screens.

**Trim micro-movements — if the cursor drifts slightly between clicks, cut those frames**

Use freeze frames (0.5–1.0 seconds) on screens with dense info — like settings menus or export panels — to give viewers time to read without pausing the video

---

## 7.6 Adding Text & Labels

What you're creating: On-screen labels that reinforce the voiceover — short, high-contrast, consistently placed.

**Keep labels to ≤6 words**

Use sentence case (not all caps)

Use high contrast: e.g., white text on a dark semi-transparent background

Avoid uppercase blocks — they're harder to read, especially on mobile

Use labels to reinforce settings, highlight actions, and call attention subtly — same font, same size, same area of the screen throughout

Goal: Trim clutter, maintain rhythm, and keep the viewer focused on one clear action per cut

Padding: 6% on all sides

Pacing gap after clicks: 250–400 ms

Freeze frame duration: 0.5–1.0 s

Label length: ≤6 words

## Doing the Basic Edit

Editing a screen recording video is all about precision and restraint. The goal is cutting down the clutter, keeping the pace, and guiding the viewer's eye.\<
\>\*\*Goal:\*\* Trim clutter, maintain rhythm, and keep the viewer focused on one clear action per cut.

Trim the clutter and shape your video into a clean, focused flow.