Everything You Need to Know About Split Screen!
What split screen is and where it is used:
Split screen is the division of the screen in several simultaneous images. It is widely used on TV and in motion pictures mostly to show actions occurring simultaneously:
- contestants in game shows completing their tasks
- two reporters in a split screen frame
- phone conversations
- and much more
This technique can be used in a more advanced way to make one actor appear in a scene twice – this, however, requires a lot of practice to make the split invisible. Actually, the only limit for using this tool is your own imagination.
You can use this effect in your own videos. For instance, Movavi Video Editor can be used as a simple video maker to put two videos side by side. Here’s the list of examples of what you can do:
- create unusual music videos with people singing different parts in each frame
- combine videos shot from different angles
- make program tutorials with your commentary
- record a game walkthrough and overlay webcam video
How to make a split screen video in Movavi Video Editor:
First, think through the idea of your video if you haven’t already. Do you have enough footage? What is your ultimate goal? Who will you show the video? Then, you can begin creating!
Upload all the necessary videos or images to the program. You can import all of them at once, or add one by one if you intend to split the screen into more than two parts.
All of your files will be put on the main track of the timeline by default. Choose one of the fragments and drag it to the upper overlay track. Now both of the videos are on the screen at the same time.
Next, double-click the overlay track to open the editing mode. Here you can choose the way your videos will be displayed:
- picture in picture: drag, rotate and change the size of the overlay clip
- side by side: split the screen vertically or horizontally, choose the side for both videos
You can add as many overlay videos and images as you want. You may need some of these tools as well:
- crop: cut out the edges of the clip
- split: divide the video into parts
- trim: shorten the track
There are also instruments for enhancing the quality of the video: stabilization, color correction, and more. Moreover, you can apply another special effect to both main and overlay videos in addition to the split screen: chroma key, fast forward, slow motion, pan&zoom, and so on.
What to do with audio tracks:
As you overlay videos, the audio will play at the same time as well. Unless it’s not your intention, you’d probably want to mute them all except for one. Another way out is to mute all the tracks and add a completely new tune. You can also cut it, add new one and enhance: normalize the volume, get rid of background noises, and more.
Split screen is just one of the interesting features that the Movavi Video Editor has. Basically, it is multifunctional software where you can create entire movies with filters, titles, fades and special effects. You can save the result in any video format, or upload it straight to your YouTube channel with all the necessary information – name, description, and tags.