A couple of days ago, after having read a comment on YouTube, I found out about this advanced and professional video editor called HitFilm Express 4. The editor is free of charge, the only thing you need to do in order to start using it is to register an account over at the HitFilm website.

Hitfilm Express lets you use all of it functions and export your project files without leaving a watermark on your exported video. In Filmora, the current video editor that I now use, you also have access to the whole program for free, but unless you buy a license, all your exported videos will carry a watermark.

I'll probably going to toogle back and forth between these two, especially since Filmora offers many great and priceworthy effects packs. However, if you're not planning to use effects extensively, I would advise you to choose HitFilm Express over Filmora since HitFilm offers many great effects and color enhancing tools that are included with their editor.

Since I've been using Filmora for awhile, it was pretty easy to get started with HitFilm Express right away. So, one tip I can give you is to install the free version of Filmora, get used to it, and then start using HitFilm Express. In that way, you'll get a much smoother start using HitFilm.

Another reason that I'll alternate between these two video editors is because of some of the functions HitFilm offers today, and that Filmora currently lacks.

• Motion Tracking – something you can use when for example you want to overlay a moving object, like a car, with a text or graphic, or add a 3D text effect to your scenes.
• Keying and Layer Blend Modes – lets you change how different layers interact with each other, perfect for those times you want to create a multiple exposure or double exposure effect when footage blend together.
• Audio and Blockbuster Effects – built-in sound effects include my favorite, the telephone effect, alongside blockbuster effects such as fire, gunfire and lightning effects.
• Composite Shots – instead of creating a scene with several layers in the editor timeline, you can create all those layers by making a composite shot (a group of layers), wich leaves you with a nice and tidy timeline while in the editor. When it's time to use your composite shots, you just drag them into the editor like the same way you would do with a video clip.
• The Trimmer – this is a feature I really appreciate. In the trimmer window, you can decide how much of your imported clips you want to include in the editor timeline. Just choose the segment you want to include in your project and drag it into the editor while keeping the original imported clip untouched.

Upon installing HitFilm Express, it shut down when I wanted to create a new project or start editing. After a bit of research, I found out that this problem was fairly common and due to outdated graphics driver. By updating the graphics driver, this solved my issue. You can do the same easily via a software upgrade program that suits your computer model or download them manually from the manufacturer website.

HitFilm Express comes with lots of informative videos and user manuals, and YouTube is filled with additional guides put together by some of its many users.

This is a great video editor, and that it's all for free is not what you would ordinarily expect. Grab it while you can!