One of the most common issues with inexpensive umbrellas is the canopy fabric coming detached from the end of one of the ribs. When this happens, all you have to do is thread a sewing needle and weave it through the small hole in the rib, up through the canopy fabric, then back down again. After a few passes, snip the thread and tie off the ends 2-3 times to make sure it holds. In the best case scenario, there will be no actual damage to the fabric itself, and your umbrella will be as good as new (or better) by the time you're finished. Thread your sewing needle with a strand of nylon thread and double-knot the loose end. Fold the torn canopy fabric over on itself by about 14in (0.64cm), then guide your needle back and forth through one side of the fabric and out the other until the knot comes to a stop against your first stitch. When you're done, tie the loose ends of the thread and snip off the excess. Aim to leave 11618in (0.160.32cm) of space between each of your stitches. A couple stitches will probably be all you need for a minor snag or puncture. Use a pair of fabric scissors to trim the patch 1412in (0.641.27cm) larger than the hole on all sides. Place the patch over the hole on the inside of the canopy, then straight-stitch around the outer edges of the patch until it's held firmly in place. Shop around for a patch with a color and texture that's similar to that of your umbrella. You'll most likely need to use a patch any time you're dealing with a rip or hole that's more than 1412in (0.641.27cm) long or wide. First, soak up a small amount of rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball and gently dab the application site to clean it. Next, cut the replacement patch to fit your hole. Finally, peel off the adhesive backing and press the patch firmly into place over the damaged area. Patching kits can be a lifesaver for those times when you don't have a needle and thread handy, or when you'd just rather not go to the effort of stitching your umbrella up yourself. You can pick up a nylon patching kit at any major craft store or home improvement center. The materials included with these kits typically measure 48in (1020cm), and come in common colors like black, red, blue, green, navy, and orange.

Summary: Wind a length of thread around a separated rib to hold it in place. Stitch up small tears with a needle and thread. Sew on a waterproof fabric patch if you need to cover a hole. Use a nylon patching kit to fix your umbrella without sewing it.

Non-Linear Editing (NLE) is just a fancy way to say you're no longer editing rolls of film by hand. That said, the term has come to mean mostly high-end, quality video editing software with robust features and controls. Common options include the following: DaVinci Resolve A new, free, and open-source video editing program. It may keep changing, but the price is enough to make it worth trying. Adobe Premier One of the classics, Premier works well on Mac and PC. If you use other Adobe products, like Photoshop, you may find Premier easy and intuitive to get used to. Final Cut X Pro This specific version of Final Cut was considered the industry standard for a long time, though it has gotten weaker with updates. Very popular for Mac computers. Avid The standard of many professional film editors, Avid has all the functionality of its competitors and an interface made to work on the project with a large team. Knowing the reason for the clip's existence will help you determine which parts of the clip are okay to keep and which parts need to go. You'll also want to consider the clip's current strengths and weaknesses. Strengths should be highlighted, and weaknesses should be masked or cut outright. If the shot, moment, or image isn't adding anything to the story, ditch it. For good video clips, every single frame needs to seem intentional. If you're only using one continuous camera feed, you can still mask over mistakes or slow moments with well-placed text or music. Flashy, obnoxious transitions are the hallmark of many poor editors. Ditch the snazzy flashbulb and stick to simple fades, dissolves, and hard cuts (no transition at all) when switching between clips. If you want to use a fancy effect, use it to transition in and out of the clip at the very beginning and end. Never use the novelty cuts and transitionsthey just take focus away from your clip. The rule of thirds comes from photography, and is used to compose great frames for film or photos: mentally divide the frame with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, so you have nine even boxes on your image. The rule of thirds states, simply, that the best images place items on these lines. When titling or adjusting the image, try to line up your text, the horizon, and special effects with these imaginary guidelines. Some video-recording hardware, such as smartphones, have a "Grid" option which places a three-by-three grid of squares over the camera interface. The purpose of a good editor is to disappear, and this is doubly true for a short video clip. Use a basic color correcter, like your program's "color balance" effect (they all have one), to make the footage smooth and attractive, lower the volume on the music so that you can still hear the camera audio, and make sure that, when played together, the sound is not too loud. Remember, you want people focused on content, not why the music is too loud. Just like video, audio needs to be faded in and out to sound natural. If you're only recording simple, one-take clips, then this doesn't need to apply; for all other shoots, knowing that you'll be editing a video later should make you a much more diligent camera person. Some things to consider include the following: Always shoot 5 seconds of nothing before and after shot (also known as "run-in" and "run-out" footage). This gives you crucial editing footage to splice with other shots. Take a few shots of "coverage," or the setting around you, to which you can cut in order to hide any mistakes in the footage. Never skimp on audio; use a dedicated microphone instead of a camera microphone, and consider mastering the audio separately.
Summary: Use a quality, professional non-linear editing system. Consider the point of your clip. Trim the video to be as short as possible without losing quality. Make all transitions as smooth as possible. Remember the rule of thirds, especially when titling. Balance color, sound, and music. Keep editing in mind next time you go shoot a clip.