Today we’re going to share a complete step-by-step LumaFusion tutorial.
LumaFusion has been a top contender in our ‘Best Video Editing Apps for iPhone & iPad‘ roundups for years. It recently had a BIG update that included some awesome new features.
One of the changes in the recent LumaFusion update is that it’s now available on Android as well!
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The LumaFusion app is an advanced but easy to use video editor that packs in a ton of functionality we used to only see in desktop video editing software. Now that LumaFusion Android is available, it really is the ultimate video editing app.
Whether you’re looking to level up your iPad video editing skills or you’re new to editing video on smartphone and want to learn how to edit video on iPad, iPhone or Android, you’re in the right place.
In this complete LumaFusion tutorial, we’ll go step-by-step through how to use LumaFusion.
Here’s exactly what we’ll cover:
- Lumafusion Interface
- How To Create A Project On Lumafusion
- How To Import Footage On Lumafusion
- How To Trim Footage On Lumafusion
- How To Add B-Roll On Lumafusion
- How To Add Titles On Lumafusion
- How To Add Transitions On Lumafusion
- How To Add Music On Lumafusion
- How To Adjust Audio On Lumafusion
- How To Color Grade On Lumafusion
- How To Export On Lumafusion
Make sure you stick around to the end to find out our top three tools that are guaranteed to help you level up your videos!
LumaFusion Interface
We’ll start this LumaFusion tutorial by running through the interface so you know where to find all the features and functions.Â
Import area
The panel in the top left is the Import area. When you first open a new project, this will default on the Photos tab. You can access all photos and videos here.
To access all other Sources, press the Photo icon in the top left corner. Then you can switch to other sources such as Files, Imported, Storyblocks, Titles, Transitions and Music.
If you can’t find the clips you want to import, go to the Import button in the top right and select Import Media.
Playback Window
The black window is where you will preview the project as you’re working on it.
Layout
If you press the Layout button on the bottom menu bar, you can switch between different screen layouts to maximize your screen real estate. Given that you’re working on a smaller sized screen with iPad or iPhone, this is an awesome feature!
You can even resize the different panels to suit what you’re working on at any given time. To do this, tap the intersection between the panels and drag it around until you reach a layout that works for you.
Bottom Menu Bar
The menu bar in the middle bottom of the screen is where you can access editing functionalities like delete, paste and split.
Volume Levels
You can adjust the volume levels for different audio and video tracks by tapping the Audio icon in the bottom left.
Track Header
The button on the left of the Audio icon is the Track Header. It allows you to apply settings to clips in an entire row rather than a single clip or the entire project. This is where you’re able to do things like lock, turn visibility on & off and make some audio adjustments.
Project Window
You can switch between projects super easily by tapping the button in the very left bottom corner. All current projects will appear and you can create a new project here as well.
Editing Timeline
This is your standard video editing timeline where you’ll drag in all of your footage and audio for editing.
Now let’s create a new project.
How To Create A Project On Lumafusion
Down the bottom of the screen it says Press + to create your first project. You can either tap that area or tap the + button to create a new project.
When the New Project box opens you can enter a project title.
You can also manually adjust the frame rate, aspect ratio and color space.
Or you can leave these on the preset setting Based on first video clip added. Then LumaFusion will auto detect the settings of the first video clip you import and apply these to all clips.
Press the + button on the top right corner and your project will be created.
Now let’s run through importing footage.
How To Import Footage On Lumafusion
To import your footage, tap the file in the Import area and drag it onto your timeline. If you have more than one file, drag all of them to the timeline.
Now that your clips are on the timeline, you can swipe across to scrub through the footage. You can tap and drag clips to move them around the timeline.
Now let’s check out how to trim footage.
How To Trim Footage On Lumafusion
There are a couple of different ways you can trim footage. We’ll run through the different tools you can use so you can go with whichever method is the fastest and easiest for you.
Let’s start by removing any footage before you start speaking. To do this you can:
- Drag the clip handles: Select the clip, then tap and hold the Arrow icon on the side of the clip. This allows you to drag the start point of the clip to wherever you want it to begin. When you let go, the video will now start at that point.
- Cut and delete the clip: Align the playhead at the point you want the clip to start and press the Scissors icon. You now have two clips. Select the first one with the bad footage and press Delete.
You can even use a combination of these tools to remove bad takes throughout the clip.
So now go through your footage and use those tools to remove any unnecessary footage throughout your project. Once you’re finished, you will be left with only the awesome footage that will be in your final video.
PRO TIP: You can cut a clip by aligning the playhead where you want the cut to occur and tapping with two fingers on the blue bar. This is a shortcut that will really speed up the trimming process!
Once you’ve trimmed your footage, it’s time to add B-roll.
How To Add B-Roll On Lumafusion
To bring in any B-roll or overlay footage, select it in the Import area and drag it onto your timeline. You want to drag it to the layer just above the primary footage.
You can edit the B-roll clips in exactly the same way as the primary footage. So you can drag the clips to different locations, trim, cut and delete them with the exact process we covered above.
Now, add in all of the B-roll you’d like to include in your video at this point.
PRO TIP: Every time you go through these steps, make sure you play through your footage to see how all the different elements look and sound together. Make minor adjustments to tweak and adjust your video as you go. You might find that you don’t need certain clips or that you should swap the positioning – this is an iterative process that allows you to refine your project.
After you’ve added the B-roll, it’s time to add in text and titles.
How To Add Titles On Lumafusion
There are two ways you can add text and titles to your project.
- Plus button (next to Scissors): Then select Main Title
- Photo icon (in the top left of the Import area): Then tap Titles
You’ll see there are a bunch of different preset titles. Find one you like and drag it onto the timeline. It will then appear as a clip on the timeline.
Again, this clip is just like all the other clips. You can move it around to wherever you like. To adjust the amount of time the text is on screen, make the clip longer or shorter by dragging the side handles.
To customize the text, double tap the text clip. This will open up all the customization options.
In here you can:
- Edit the text by double tapping the text box and then typing in the top right corner
- Adjust the size by sliding the Size bar
- Change the color under the Face Color section
- Add a shadow by sliding the Distance bar under the Shadow section
You’ll also see some preset options again, so you can select one of these.
If you’d like to create your own preset, adjust all the customizations and then press the Star icon below the existing presets. Give the preset a title and tap the Star icon again. Now you can use this preset super easily the next time you need it.
After you’ve finished making adjustments to the title, press the Back arrow in the top left corner. This will take you back to the editing timeline.
Once all your titles are added to the project, it’s time to add transitions.
How To Add Transitions On Lumafusion
Let’s say you want to have a transition for a title to come on-screen. Select the text clip, press the T icon in the top left corner and tap Transitions.
There are lots of transitions to choose from. You’ll see standard transitions like Cross Dissolve and Zoom Blur but also some more fun ones like Push Right.
Once you’ve chosen a transition, drag it to the beginning of the text clip on the timeline. If you want the text to transition off screen, drag the transition to the end of the text clip.
You can also add these transitions to your B-roll clips. Just like when applying it to the text clip, drag the transition to before or after the B-roll clip.
We don’t recommend using these preset transitions when you want to transition between two clips that are both of you speaking to the camera (where they look exactly the same).
Instead, we recommend zooming in slightly on one of the shots to make the clips look slightly different. This gives the illusion of having two different camera angles and is a great way to break up your content.
To do this, double tap on one of the clips and you’ll be taken to an Effects panel. Select the Frame & Fit button in the bottom left corner.
Then in the playback window pinch to zoom in slightly on the clip. Press the Back arrow and play through the clips so you can see how the zoom cut looks.
You can apply this zoom cut effect between all of the clips of you talking to camera.
There are lots of other really useful features in the Effects panel. Double tap one of the clips to reopen the window. This is where you can access tools such as:
- Speed & Reverse
- Stabilize
- Audio Effects
- Color Grading
We’ll go more in depth with the audio effects and color grading sections shortly.
Once you’ve finished adding in transitions, it’s time to add music.
How To Add Music On Lumafusion
To add music or sound effects, press the button in the top left corner of the Import area and go to Music. If your music files aren’t showing here, check under Photos, Files and Imported.
The location of your music will depend on how you uploaded it to your iPhone or iPad. So you might need to search around until you find them.
When you’ve located your music, tap and drag it onto the timeline below the primary footage.
Once again, this clip can be adjusted just like the other clips. You can drag the audio clip to move it, adjust the handles to change the length, cut it to remove a section and you can delete it.
Make sure you remove any excess audio at the end of your project. Scroll to the end of the timeline and Cut the audio clip where the primary footage ends. Then select the remaining audio clip and press the Delete icon.
Make sure you play through your project again at this point to ensure the audio track goes well with the video.
Then we can adjust the volume levels to make sure all the audio is at the right settings.
How To Adjust Audio On Lumafusion
To adjust the audio levels, press the Audio icon in the bottom left corner.
You can edit audio really quickly on a track-by-track basis – so by adjusting the entire music or video track all at once. Or you can do it on an individual clip-by-clip basis.
First of all, press the Volume icon that’s inline with the music clip. This will mute the music so you can focus on the primary audio first.
Scrub to the very beginning of your footage on the timeline. Then press Play. Watch the audio bars in the left panel. You want to make sure the levels stay mostly in the green. If it hits the yellow occasionally – that’s okay. But you definitely don’t want it to reach the red at any point.
If the audio is reaching the red, you can lower the level by sliding down the marker on the audio level bar. Making this adjustment here will apply it to every clip on this track.
You probably won’t want to include any audio from the B-roll footage. If that’s the case, go to the audio level bar inline with the B-roll footage and either drag the slider down to zero or press the Mute button.
If you want to adjust the volume on an individual clip, double tap the clip and you’ll be taken to the Effects panel again. Go to Audio and adjust the Gain slider.
After the primary audio levels are set correctly and you’ve muted the B-roll footage, then it’s time to adjust the volume levels of your background music.
Unmute the music track by tapping the Mute button. Start by lowering the volume bar down to between -30 and -33. This is a good starting point but it will be different for different music tracks.
Listen through the entire video to see how it sounds and make any adjustments from there.
PRO TIP: Use headphones during this process as it will give you a much better idea of how the audio will actually sound.
Another really cool audio feature is Audio Ducking.
Double tap on a clip and in the Audio section go to Configuration. You’ll see the Ducking setting defaults as Auto.
This automatically adjusts the volume levels based on other clips in the timeline. So if someone is speaking, it will automatically lower the volume of the music. Then when there’s no speaking, it will boost the volume back up.
Now that all your audio levels are set, the next step is to color grade.
How To Color Grade On Lumafusion
To color grade or color correct your clips, start by double tapping the first primary footage clip. Go to the Color & Effects button in the bottom menu.
As with everything in LumaFusion, there are heaps of presets in here so you don’t need to start from scratch. If you find a preset that matches the tone of your video, absolutely go with that.
Alternatively, you can use the preset as a starting point and then dive into the settings to make any adjustments.
If you want to start from scratch, go back to the first tab with Color Presets. Make sure Original is selected.
Some of the effects you might want to adjust are:
- Brightness: Increase or decrease depending on what’s needed for your clip
- Shadow Amount: This adjusts the black tones so you can brighten or darken the blacks
- Blue: This is where you can make your shot warmer or cooler depending on what tone you’re after
- Vibrance: This is a great way to boost the colors
If at any point you want to see what the clip looked like before you made any adjustments, tap the Eye icon. This will turn off all the effects.
Once you’re happy with all the settings, make sure you save it as a preset. To do this tap the Star icon below the existing presets.
From here, you can apply the settings to all clips individually. But it’s much faster to apply them to all clips at once.
Select the first clip that you’ve made those adjustments to and press the Clipboard icon. Then press Copy. Scrub across until you’re on the next clip and press the Tick icon.
Then you can manually select the clips you want this to be applied to. Or you can go to the mini timeline right below the playback window. You’ll see white handles that can be dragged to select all the clips on your timeline.
If you don’t want your B-roll clips to be included in this, all you need to do is press the Lock icon that aligns with the B-roll in the left panel.
To paste the effects onto the selected clips, tap the Clipboard icon again. Here you can decide which effects you want to paste.
It’s a good idea to deselect all of them except the Color icon in case you have other effects applied to certain clips. Then tap Paste.
Go through and color grade all of the clips in your timeline. Then it’s time to export!
How To Export On Lumafusion
Press the Export icon in the bottom right corner and select Movie. You’ve got a few different export options. You can save the video to your photo gallery, directly to YouTube or send it via AirDrop.
We recommend saving it straight into your photo gallery so that you can watch through the video again before uploading to YouTube.
So select Photos and then you’ll have the option to adjust the export settings. LumaFusion has pulled in these default settings based on the first video clip that you imported.
For most people, these default settings will be fine but you can make any adjustments here that you like.
Once you’re ready to export, press the Export icon at the top and it will save out your video.
Then make sure you preview the video. Play it back, ideally on different devices and with headphones on. If you’re happy with how it looks and sounds, then it’s ready to be released into the wild!
So that’s our complete editing walkthrough using LumaFusion. Earlier we mentioned that we’d share our top three tools to help you level up your video creation in LumaFusion. So here they are!
Top 3 Tools for Creating Awesome Videos
Our top recommended tools that will help you create awesome videos are:
1. Create Animated Graphics & Animated Video Intros
Including animated graphics and animated video intros in your videos is a great way to brand your content and make it look more professional.
Placeit is an amazing tool that helps you quickly and easily generate these in a matter of minutes. Plus it has heaps of customization options so you can ensure your graphics and video intros match the branding of your business.
2. Use Stock Music
Music helps your viewers engage with your videos on a deeper level. That’s why finding the right track is so important. There are lots of different places you can get music from but you need to be careful about copyright issues.
Our top recommendations for stock music are Artlist & Epidemic Sound because they make the entire process super easy. You don’t need to worry about copyright issues and you’re guaranteed to find an awesome track.
3. Use Stock Footage
Using stock footage in your videos is another way to increase viewer engagement. It allows you to show the viewers so much more than just a talking head. Stock footage makes your content so much more engaging without needing to go and film everything yourself.
Our favourite sites are Storyblocks and Artgrid. Storyblocks is our #1 go-to but Artgrid has some amazing footage as well.
Now You Know How To Edit Video On iPad & iPhone With LumaFusion
In this LumaFusion tutorial, we covered everything you need to know to create a video from start to finish using this video editing app.
LumaFusion is an awesome editing software. It’s one of our favorite video editing apps for iPhone and iPad. It packs in the features you’d usually only see on advanced desktop editing software.
So it’s awesome to have video editing apps for iPhone at this higher level. If you want to edit video on iPhone – LumaFusion is an amazing option.
If you found our LumaFusion review & tutorial helpful, please share it on social media or with others who might like to learn more about iPad video editing.
The step-by-step process we followed is our Primal Video Method. It’s the fastest way to edit down your videos with minimal wasted time and rework!
You can download the Primal Video Method for FREE to use the next time you’re editing a video. It will work with LumaFusion but also any other video editing software to help you streamline your video creation process.
Recommended Gear & Resources
Check out an up-to-date list of all the gear, software & tools we use and recommend right now at Primal Video on our resources page here!
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