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MagicByRy New user 53 Posts |
Does anyone know of any good video editing or video effects programs? Something a little more advanced than the plain Windows Movie Maker. I would like to try a demo download before I buy something. What do you guys recommend (or not recommend)? A few of the things I am specifically trying to do is easily resize video (so the video only takes up a portion of the entire projected area) and make video and still images continuously rotate. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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damien666 Special user canada 513 Posts |
Pinnacle studio is pretty good - it is a PC program. If you get 'Hollywood Effects" with it, you will have over 300 transitions to play with. The program works by importing video from your camera with a firewire --- or you can get a box that makes import possible with regular VCR cords. You could also get Adobe Premiere which is quite a bit more expensive than Pinnacle.
If you have a MAC, you can get 'Final Cut Pro' (a lot of actual TV shows are done with this program) - but again, it is quite expensive and may be more than you need... Shop around and ask local computer stores. Good luck, Damien |
glodmagic Special user USA 501 Posts |
I use Pinnacle on the PC also and I use iMovie and Final Cut Express (very affordable and powerful) on a Mac.
Remember ANY of your posts here can be Googled by your customers and Clients. Just entering your name in Google can bring up your negative comments that stay for years!
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Kevin Ridgeway V.I.P. Indianapolis, IN & Phoenix, AZ 1832 Posts |
We use Adobe Pro 1.5. We also use a lot of things from Boris. ONe great plug in for Adobe is Boris' Grafitti 3.0 You can create unlimited amounts of text, movements, video moving all over the screen etc.
Hope that helps Kevin
Living Illusions
Ridgeway & Johnson Entertainment Inc Kevin Ridgeway & Kristen Johnson aka Lady Houdini The World's Premier Female Escape Artist www.LadyHoudini.com www.livingillusions.com |
MagicByRy New user 53 Posts |
Thanks so much guys! This is exactly what I was looking for, I will check some of these programs out.
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Dennis Michael Inner circle Southern, NJ 5821 Posts |
Here are a list of Programs. Elements has a 30 download feature, however you can't burn a DVD:
Dennis Michael
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Mercury52 Inner circle Kevin Reylek 2239 Posts |
Out of all the editing programs I've used, I like Final Cut Pro the best. I've used Pinnacle, Adobe, Nero, Windows Movie Maker, etc. Final Cut knocks them all down. It has some built in effects stuff, but also integrates with Adobe AfterEffects and Apple's Motion Software as well. If you just need more basic advanced editing, you could go with Final Cut Express by itself, and it may do all you need. It may be a turn-off for you, but this is only available on Macs, and there are no demo downloads. If you're ever near an Apple store though, stop in and take a look. Great software.
Kevin
Kevin Reylek
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evanthx Regular user Seattle, WA 197 Posts |
I use Pinnacle and find it nice but you have to have a decent burner with it - I have a burner and pinnacle just can't use it. My external burner is nicer and has no problems.
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the levitator Special user Spellbound Productions 546 Posts |
2 words, Vegas Video. It's easy to use, nearly limitless in its capabilities and has the best live-time preview I've ever used. You can also get their DVD authoring software together with it. I believe they offer a demo.
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glodmagic Special user USA 501 Posts |
You are correct, James, I forgot to mention Vegas Video. Excellent program.
Kevin is sooo right. Final Cut Pro is what major productions are done from (TV commercials, Indie films, etc). I like the drag and drop export to the new iDVD which creates the DVD hassle free.
Remember ANY of your posts here can be Googled by your customers and Clients. Just entering your name in Google can bring up your negative comments that stay for years!
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dearwiseone Inner circle Portland, OR 1143 Posts |
Final Cut is used occasionally to make TV commercials, etc., but Avid is more of an industry standard. Final Cut has several downfalls, the biggest being it's only MAC compatible. Importing files from Photoshop, Illustrator, and exporting video to iDVD isn't as smooth as when using Adobe Premiere. Plus, iDVD is a basic authoring program and doesn't really allow for a full range of DVD authoring options.
Adobe Premiere is the best all around compatible editing software because it integrates Photoshop, and now the new award-winning Adobe Encore. Adobe Encore allows for more advanced authoring. Of course Premiere is not perfect. The learning curve is a little steeper for the Adobe brand of products, but I think the benefits pay off especially if you're doing your own graphic design, DVD authoring, etc. Good luck! |
Mercury52 Inner circle Kevin Reylek 2239 Posts |
To play devil's advocate, being available only on Mac machines isn't neccesarily a downfall. And yes, while Avid is certainly still the industry standard for feature films, Final Cut was used to edit Cold Mountain, Intolerable Cruelty, and probably a few others I'm missing. It's only getting bigger and better. For someone who's interested in multimedia work, particularly music or video, Mac is the way to go, hands down. I still use a PC (I'm on one now). But I do all of my video work on Mac. The school I'm at now uses almost exclusively Macs with Final Cut, although we do use Avid on occassion. As far as integration with Photoshop, iDVD, etc, I've had zero problems. If you want more than iDVD for you authoring, look at DVD Studio Pro and Roxio's Toast program. Again, Mac stuff.
Kevin
Kevin Reylek
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DavidCaserta New user 81 Posts |
I use Roxio Videowave and love it. It is very reasonable ($70) and very user friendly. I shot 15 mini DV tapes full of footage and was able to edit them all into my promo and burn it on DVD all with this program. Check it out.
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benscholz99 Loyal user 282 Posts |
Final Cut Pro is great, but it is expensive and only compatible on macs. this was just siad but if your interested in a great program get this. I have only been using it for 3-4 months and still have not hit on all the features.
ben |
ScottRSullivan Special user 874 Posts |
First of all, check out this thread:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......12&5 Many different editing programs are discussed in detail here. Next, I'm going to upset a few boats, but here goes: It doesn't really matter. For what you're doing, Mac/PC, doesn't matter. Avid/Final Cut/Premiere. Doesn't matter. It's sort of like saying, should I get a Canon or Nikon to take a picture. They will both take excellant photos. There is a stereotype that Macs are better for graphics and PCs are better for math related computations. Today this is just not true. Sit them side by side (I have) and you can do the exact same thing on both. Heck you can even open the same files these days. For your needs it just doesn't matter. Every program mentioned will have so many functions, you'll never use 99% of them. Heck, I do this for a living and I don't even use many of the features in these programs. However, it's knowing how to use certain features that will make your video look good. Just like having a solid understanding of light will make your photographs look good regardless of the camera and film used, a solid understanding of composition, light and storytelling will make your videos look good. There is no way around this. Having a typewriter will not make anyone a novelist. The only reason you should use a $1,000+ program like FCP, Premiere Pro or Avid is if you are going to be working with other editors/distributors. And in this case, I would only recommend using Avid as it is the only one that is taken seriously. If you are a video "buff" and enjoy tinkering with video, get and editing program that you can afford and play with it. Every one of the <$100 programs will be able to do the cuts that you want. Please, I am not directing this at anyone directly, just speaking from experience. I have seen so many countless videos that are just plain awful, but the magician thought it was the best video on the planet. It's sort of like karaoke. Why do some people think they sound good when, well, you know. On the other hand, I have seen top notch videos that were cut on a $50 program. The tool doesn't matter in the end. It's just that. A tool. If you want a truely professional video, there is only one option. Hire a professional. Would you hire a medical buff to operate on you? Warm regards, Scott |
Mercury52 Inner circle Kevin Reylek 2239 Posts |
I do agree with Scott that many of these programs do have similar capabilities and features. The biggest reason I advocate Final Cut so highly over all other programs is it's user-friendly nature. It's just so darned easy to use out of the box compared to other programs. The closest thing to Final Cut on a PC is Adobe Premiere, and I've never used it on any machine without having some kind of problem to figure out, or some kind of glitch. A less expensive program maybe save you money, but I know I'd rather spend a few more bucks and have something that is not only reliable, but will not make me pull out my hair in frustration. For me, that program is Final Cut Pro. As Scott said, the end result is what's important, and you can certainly get a good result out of an inexpensive program. For me though, the act of creating the product is just as important as my end product. Just like I'd rather hold a hammer with a nice rubber grip than one with a splintered wood handle. Both will drive a nail, but one is certainly going to be a less painful, more enjoyable tool. If I'm frustrated with the process, it makes it more difficult to enjoy the end result. And to go along with Scott again, yes, if you really want it nicely done, hire a pro.
Kevin
Kevin Reylek
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dearwiseone Inner circle Portland, OR 1143 Posts |
Scott has some good points, but he's not totally correct. Scott, don't forget: not all editing programs are created equal. True, you don't need to purchase Avid or the like, but the cheap programs are not all equal. I'm Avid certified, and have taken several Final Cut Pro certified training classes as well. I'm not an expert on the subject, but I'm a media arts major and have been hired to produced DVDs and multimedia for colleges and coorporations in the state, so I have a small background.
Some of the cheaper programs don't offer the same advanced settings for capturing video and audio as the higher end programs do. If you're looking to produce a professional-looking promo video, dvd, or presentation, you'll want features such as color correction, high quality mpeg encoding, etc. For example, Pinnacle's latest won't let you control DVD encoding settings, work with audio effects, etc. Scott's right about MACs and PCs. There used to be a bigger difference, but not now. Perhaps the only advantage of a PC is the increased compatibility, but even that, as Scott noted, is being overcome slowly. BOTTOM LINE: If you know what you're doing and you want to produce a high-quality product, you DO need high quality software and hardware. Go with programs like Premiere, Final Cut, etc. If you don't know what you're doing, hiring a professional might be the best option. Good Luck!!! |
ScottRSullivan Special user 874 Posts |
Great post! Absolutely right. As an professional Avid editor, you know a few things that most do not. You are in a fortunate position (not by luck, but by hard work!). You understand the advantage of color correction and mpeg ecoding. I wish more people understood how poor color correction leads to that 'cheap' look and proper gamma settings, color correction and even frame rate can make a production look so much better. (This is one reason I put together the free course I've given out in the other thread.) I've seen too many magicians turned editors who have used Premiere Pro or FCP and never even knew they could (or should) color correct! In my opinion, it's the single most important edit and goes completely unnoticed!
I ignored many features that I think don't matter for the typical (read - weekend warrior) user. The average magician doing his own video won't NEED batch capturing (a great time saving tool for multiple projects on a deadline), real time color correction or titles, etc. And for most promo videos, they average 3-10 minutes, so just about every encoder's default setting will work since you don't have to squeeze more than several hours on a single DVD. With such a short video, you'll be able to get 7-8 Megabits per second, easily, on the disc. High compression isn't needed so there won't be any visible artifacts on such a short video. Though, I have never worked with Pinnacle, so thank you for the information. Some don't even know the difference between a single 1/4" chip and a 3CCD camera. I wish more did know. That's why posts like yours are 100% AWESOME. The more knowledge out there, the better. Thanks for the added info! Keep it up! Warm regards, Scott |
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