How to Use GoPro Edit Templates: 6 Steps to Awesome Video Edits

Dena Haines Updated December 5, 2017 0 comments

Update: (December 2017) Earlier this year, GoPro Studio reached the end of it's life. It is no longer available for download and there are no more updates. RIP GoPro Studio!

You're going to need another program. Check out these great options for GoPro editing software.

In this post you'll learn how to use GoPro edit templates. They are fun and easy to use. They'll help you create professional looking videos, complete with music.

Here's my first video created with a GoPro edit template. This was filmed while on family vacation at Carter's Beach in Nova Scotia. For this video, I used the “Dubstep Baby” template. (It was difficult to get that cute baby story out of my head, but I managed. 🙂 )

Table of Contents

Underwater GoPro Video Created With GoPro Edit Templates

Watch on YouTube

Learn more about using a GoPro underwater.

The GoPro Edit Template actually made the creative process easier. I've edited in GoPro Studio with a blank template and found it more difficult.

As you read through the 6 steps to editing with GoPro Edit Templates, step 3 may seem out of order. But if you follow the suggestion, your clips will be easier to fit in the template.

Let's get started.

How to Use GoPro Edit Templates: 6 Easy Steps

To use GoPro Edit templates you simply drag and drop your video clips over the existing template clips. This is a nondestructive process. You won't hurt your videos or the template. It's easy and fun.

For this next video I used the “Pool Party With The Niños” template.

This template is longer and has more cuts than the Dubstep Baby. Working with templates is a great way to get the hang of using short video cuts to tell a fun or exciting story.

GoPro Snorkeling video on Nova Scotia's South Shore

Watch on YouTube

Learn more about GoPro settings and how to create a time-lapse video.

6 Easy Steps to Editing With GoPro Templates

Follow these 6 steps for a smooth experience using edit templates in GoPro studio.

1) Create a file to save your GoPro video edits

This is important because GoPro Studio has a nasty habit of crashing. When it crashes you'll want to start it up again and get back to work as soon as possible. With your project saved you'll save yourself a lot of work!

2) Review the videos you would like to include in your final edit

Make a list of the file name of each video you'll be using. As you watch the videos, write down how many moments (cuts) from each video you want to include in your final edit. Jotting down where the moments are (beginning, middle or end) will make editing easier.

Great videos are made up of the best moments mashed together. Once your list is made, you'll have an idea of how many cuts will be in your final video.

3) Open GoPro Studio, click -> Step 2: Edit (along the top)

Now you're ready to open GoPro Studio. Go directly to Step 2: Edit.

Want more options? Here's how to download more GoPro edit templates.

The template options will come up. They each have a short description including the general feel and number of cuts needed.

Click on the one that best applies to the story you want to tell and then click -> Create.

The template will load. Watch the template video and make a list of the duration of each clip. This will make prepping your clips easier because you'll know how long they need to be to easily fit the template frames.

This step makes learning how to use GoPro Studio templates a lot easier. I didn't do this the first time and I had to re-edit my video clips a couple of times. It was a little frustrating.

Now click -> Step 1: View and Trim. When you do this you'll be asked if you want to save what you were working on. You'll choose not to.

This will bring you back to where you can start loading up your project.

4) Click -> Import and add all the videos files you need

For the video I wanted to create I was making cuts from a lot of videos. But if you only have one long video to work with, that's fine. You can chop it up to create the number of clips you'll need for the template.

Make your clips using the in and out points.

Making clips does not destroy your video. You can use as many as you want, move the in and out points around and change them up. You're not going to hurt anything. Use the “<” button to set where you want your clip to start, and the “>” to set where it will stop.

If your video clip is upside down you can easily rotate it. Just click -> ROTATE/FLIP

As you create each clip, click -> Add Clip to Conversion List.

Then make your next clip, and so on. When you are finished making clips click -> Convert All.

When your clips are finished converting click -> proceed to Step 2.

5) Choose your template and click create

Once your template is loaded you can watch it again to refresh your memory. Think about how to fit your cuts in the template to tell a logical story. They don't need to be in the order you shot them.

It's time to drag and drop your clips on top of the template clips. Try and use clips from your cuts as close to the template clip duration time as possible. It's better to have them a little too long than too short.

If you want you can speed up or slow down a clip to make it fit, or to add interest.

If your clip is longer than needed you can also use the slider bar to choose which part of your clip will play.

If you would like to enhance or change the color of your clips you can by clicking on one of the color options. For this video I chose Protune, it made the colors pop.

Learn more about Protune.

Once you're happy with your story it's time to export.

6) Click Export and choose the option you want

I'm choosing YouTube because that's where we share our videos.

You'll need to save you finished video. Save using a unique name (different than what you've been using for the editing process) so it's easier to locate