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Apple Clips brings videos to life with emojis and animated titles

Some tips for using Apple's newest video editing app, Clips.

Scott Stein
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Scott Stein
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Clips is a video editor that works on both iPhone and iPad (and iPod Touch). It makes square videos that can be shared lots of places. Here's how it works.

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Clips has various live filter effects, much like Snapchat, Instagram or Prisma. You can turn photos or clips black and white, or comic-book style, or a handful of other tones.

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You need to tap one of the small icons up top to access filters.

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Sticker-like effects can be added, like speech bubbles or arrows. Or, emojis. The app can quickly add one of your most-used emojis, but you can substitute others later.

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Adding lots of effects can be done, and it's messy.

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Title cards can be inserted anywhere to add an animated title. Tap on the title to edit.

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There are a few title card styles to choose from.

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Write whatever you want.

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You can edit each clip, much like iMovie, to trim its length.

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Press and hold the red record button to add video or photos. With still photos, you can record voiceover on top of the photo for commentary.

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Apple includes a number of free soundtracks that automatically fit the length of the video you're making. Or you can add a song from your music library.

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You can work on multiple projects at once and save them in the app.

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Once you've finished your video, you can download it to the camera roll, upload it to the cloud or share it with apps such as iMessage. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo are already supported.

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You can add clips from your photo library, and then drag and re-order or re-edit them as needed. No need to rush.

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