What video editor do you use?

Doug W

Doug W

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Being rather new to the video making world, We used my daughter's Flip camera to make a video. We have no lack of audio recording software but for editing video, I just downloaded a program, TrakAxPC, off the Internet and sludged our way through it. With little experience in the video world, I can't tell you if it is great or lame.

I am curious to know what video editors others are using. I really don't know enough about video software to have an opinion myself.
 
iMovie

JJ
 
Two thumbs up for iMovie '09! I've found it's best to use the free Mpeg Streamclip to first convert footage to either Apple Intermediate Codec or Apple Prores 422 before importing to iMovie. After that, it's the quickest and smoothest video editing experience I've had. You can quickly scrub through footage, snap to beats, and do precise edits.

If you're on a PC, it's surprising how decent the new Windows Movie Maker is in Windows 7! Lot's of great presets for sharing on the popular sites and making DVDs.

~ Paul
 
Thanks all. I will take a look at iMovie if I get a Mac and in the meantime, Sony Vegas. I am still using XP so the Windows 7 version of Movie Maker is not an option. I would probably still be using Windows 3.1 if I hadn't gotten interested in computer recording.
 
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Sony Vegas

I use Sony Vegas 9, which seems to do just fine for me. It's the cheapo version (about £30 I think) with only 4 video and 4 audio tracks, but it seems to do the job. I like it, anyway. I use my normal camera to record the video, rather than a specific video camera. It works ok, as long as there's plenty of light.

I'm open to other PC suggestions, though if anyone else uses anything better :)
 
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Is the iMovie '09 a lot better than iMovie '08? Also, I'm not sure I understand what the Mpeg Streamclip is. Any light you could shed would be appreciated. :)

paulk said:
Two thumbs up for iMovie '09! I've found it's best to use the free Mpeg Streamclip to first convert footage to either Apple Intermediate Codec or Apple Prores 422 before importing to iMovie. After that, it's the quickest and smoothest video editing experience I've had. You can quickly scrub through footage, snap to beats, and do precise edits.

If you're on a PC, it's surprising how decent the new Windows Movie Maker is in Windows 7! Lot's of great presets for sharing on the popular sites and making DVDs.

~ Paul
Click to expand...
 
ughh i need to get some better stuff for my videos.
For recording.. I use a camera. just a regular camera that can also record video.

And then for video editing i use windows movie maker.
"But Diana, your videos have so many tracks! How can you use Windows movie maker if it only allows one video and one audio track??"
I have to add one track at a time, publish, start a new project, import again, lather rinse repeat..

i need to invest in a better system. That "cheap version of Sony Vegas" sounds pretty good to me.
 
If you have an iMac, the iMovie supplied with this computer works quite well for learning youtube downloads and saving them to event files for easy access. I haven't really messed around with the editing features though, just the looping of segments, and the slowing down of the vids for closer study...e.lo..
 
Lucky enough to have a Macbook Pro with Final Cut Express on it. Have Final Pro at work, but Express is pretty good for a lot of stuff I do.
 
oldrookie said:
Lucky enough to have a Macbook Pro with Final Cut Express on it. Have Final Pro at work, but Express is pretty good for a lot of stuff I do.
Click to expand...

I've been thinking of getting Final Cut Express. I'm currently working with iMovie. Is there a big learning curve to start getting into Express?
 
They are quite different, but trust on me this. You will not want to go back to a lesser editing system. Once you get the basics down you will find it quick and relatively easy to be as creative as you want to be.

Might suggest a one-month subscription to Lynda.com. Think it is about $25.00 for several hours of training (on nearly every software package available) on FCE. Easy to drop at the end of the month. No connection with the site, other than as a satisfied user.


Happy to walk you through the basics of it, if you decide to get it.
I'm a broadcast journalism professor and we teach most of the software we use with that site. Lets the faculty focus on teaching how to tell a story, rather than on the buttons to push to make the software work.
 
oldrookie said:
They are quite different, but trust on me this. You will not want to go back to a lesser editing system. Once you get the basics down you will find it quick and relatively easy to be as creative as you want to be.

Might suggest a one-month subscription to Lynda.com. Think it is about $25.00 for several hours of training (on nearly every software package available) on FCE. Easy to drop at the end of the month. No connection with the site, other than as a satisfied user.



Happy to walk you through the basics of it, if you decide to get it.
I'm a broadcast journalism professor and we teach most of the software we use with that site. Lets the faculty focus on teaching how to tell a story, rather than on the buttons to push to make the software work.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the info!! Once I'm ready, I just might give you a shout. :)
 
I have been into video for a number of years. I started with Pinnacle, then Sony Vegas then Adobe Premiere Pro which i currently use. All of them do what you want, many do more than you ever want to do! As a simple starter I would recommend Pinnacle. It does not have a number of video tracks to offer (I think they want you to buy Avid... don't!) but there are work arounds to give you two video tracks. Built in music (but they want you to buy more!) Very easy three stage system.
Frankly it is what you get to know and used to is the one you like.
 
Windows Movie Maker

An interesting thing about Windows Movie Maker is the community that exists for it. There are people who do a lot of special add-ons for Movie Maker... many of which are free. I got a green screen and blue screen (chromakey) add-ons for Movie Maker.

It think it's not bad to get your feet wet, especially for the price (free with Windows). From what I've seen, the format is more-or-less what you would get in other programs. So you can consider Windows Movie Maker as your tutorial.

Does anybody have actual software performance comparisons that they can post?
 
Sony Vegas is my go to video editing software for the more specific and elaborate edits, but for quick and easy edits Cyberlink Power Director is great, and it's very affordable.
 
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