Cutting together your first 360-degree video
1 Start with Openshot
For the purposes of this walkthrough we’re using Openshot, ( seeour reviewonpage18) because it’s simple. It can’t output videos to 4K, though: for that you’ll need to use the more complex Kdenlive editor. To start with, load up your 360-degree clips by dragging and dropping them into the Project Files area on the left.
2 A simple edit
Now drag and drop the clips into the timeline. You can edit them to your preferred length just by moving the edges of the timeline boxes. You’ll notice that there are two video tracks in the timeline. The next clip in a sequence should be placed on the other track to the one that’s currently playing.
3 Transition choices
It’s best to slightly overlap the two video tracks and add a transition effect to mix the one into the other, but use something simple like a dissolve. Star Wars-style wipes will just look odd in 360-degrees. Click Transitions in the top left, select an effect and drag it over the area where the two video tracks overlap. Openshot will do the rest.
4 Create labels for objects
You can add floating labels to your video. You can do this by creating a PNG with a transparent background in your favourite photo-editing software, such as TheGIMP. Use the “Color to Alpha” command from the Colors menu to create the transparency. The image will need to be the same dimensions as your equirectangular video.
5 Text it up
Write your label using the text tool – you’ll need to line it up with where you want it to appear in your 360-degree video, and size it correctly too (using a grab of the video as an image layer helps) so you can see where it is in relation to everything else in the shot. Now export the image as a title in the PNG format, preserving the transparency characteristics.
6 Trial and error
Back in Openshot, import the image and place it onto the top video track (your 360-degree video will have to be on the bottom). The label will appear in the video, floating for a few seconds in space. It may appear stretched when viewing as a 360-degree video – you can use the HuginPanoramaEditor to create curved titles that match the perspective more accurately ( http://bit.ly/2wR1i8U).