Badmovies.org Forum

So, I'm wondering what everyone considers to be the best video editing software?  I've been using Windows Movie Maker as it's free and simple to use.  My wife purchased a copy of MovieStar 5 for me for fathers day a little while back, but it's complete trash from what I've seen.  It continually freezes on me and is hard to use.

So, anyone know of any cheap (preferably free!) and easy to use video editing software?  Someone gave me a "copy" of Adobe Premiere but it's way too complicated for me.  I want to be able to cut scenes, edit everything together with some slick transitions and maybe even add in some digital effects.

It's sad, I can build a computer, I can tell you most anything about any piece of computer hardware in the last 15 years.....yet, video editing completely confuses me.

Thanks guys!

I use Cinelerra (http://cvs.cinelerra.org/).  It's for Linux, not Windows, but via the Live distros (http://cvs.cinelerra.org/getting_cinelerra.php) that ship with Cinelerra, Windows users are but a reboot from using it.

If you get a chance, view some of the sample clips or hunt the 'Net for some screenshots.

Thanks Ulthar!  I'll certainly check it out.  Linux only is not a problem for me as I'm running a dual boot between XP Pro and Ubuntu at the moment.  Thanks again!

I used to use Adobe Premiere for the site, because it came with the Miro DC-30+ that I used for the captures.  It is very powerful software, but I can understand how you found it to have a steep learning curve.  Currently, what I use is Pinnacle Studio 10 - which came with the MovieBox Plus USB2 that I now use for the captures.  I've played around with the Studio 10 software and it still seems to have a lot of options for editing, without the learning curve of Premiere. 

Well the industry standard for editing is Final Cut Pro, with Avid and Premiere close behind.  I personally use Premiere: it may have an initial learning curve, but once you master some of the tricks you can create something quite fantastic with it.  To do some simple things it's not actually too hard: I've found for some of the people I know who were intimidated at first, is that it's a lot of info to take in at first, but once you logically work out the process in your mind it actually becomes quite clear and very flexible.

I'd very much swing you towards giving it another shot: I've found some of the other generic type programs to be somewhat limiting: good for capturing/home video editing, but for something more 'professional' Premiere can succeed on almost all counts.

Though it is worth noting that I tend to use version 6.5 which seems a bit easier to use with some of the video tweaking features [like fading in and out etc] than version 7.

As Ulthar suggested, you really ought to give Cinelerra a shot.  It is not only an excellent and capable program, but it is also free.  If nothing else, that will help eliminate any potential legal issues regarding your "copy" of Adobe.  NOTE:  There are two versions of the program.  Ulthar links to the community developed version, which I'd recommend as well.  Generally, it is a bit more stable and offers a few more features.  If you're still looking for screenshots, take a look at this (http://www.heroinewarrior.com/cinelerra_shots.php3) page.  :teddyr:

We have using a Ulead MEDIA STUDIO PRO-7 on a cheap Hewlitt Packard PC.
It only cost a couple of hundred dollars but is amazing...it has a paintbox, audio mixer, handles 4 layers of video and four layers of audio. It also comes with DVD authoring software, which allows you to go directly from your editor onto a DVD. We have done four feature films with it, complete with music, titles, etc. ("DETOUR TO HELL"; "STONED DEAD"; "BAD SPIRITS"; and "DYING FOR DOLLARS".)  The editing system has something like 103 transition effects, will do alow motion, fast motion, freezes, color corrections, and audio effects such as echos, etc.   This will do (almost) everything that an avid will do...it even has a built-in vectorscope.

What version of Premiere did you use?  There's the older version, and at some point there was a MAJOR leap and it became in many ways a copy of Final Cut Pro.  The one which is similar to Final Cut Pro is actually generally quite easy to use.  It also has some easy to use stuff I like - like the ability to right click a clip and immediately change its speed or reverse it.  I've made several kung fu shorts, and that helps a lot, believe me. 

However, I did have one project and several video clips got unlinked from the file for NO APPARENT REASON (but it kept the audio, which doesn't even make sense as they're sourced from the same file), which has me worried about trying to do longer, more involved projects with it.  Luckily, I had finished the video and exported a complete AVI of the 7 minute short before this happened. 

Still, despite that problem, I think I'll stick with it at this point, and just be careful to backup my work.

Oh, and since some other people here use it, can someone tell me why the digital zoom in Premiere is so choppy?  It chunks rather than smoothly zooming in, and I can't figure out why.  I'm using the Camera View zoom effect.

LOL I have used almost every single programe in the world LOL!!! Well Premire is not user friendly, Avid is a pro programe espically with all the plug in programes I had to use with it ( I love Borris!!!!).
For you go with a Pinacle Liqued it's easy and it has alot you can spend months playing with espically with key frameing which is important for CGI work. I use that programe at my work place right now for the simple lil promos in comercial use. It's not my fav programe to use but for you it will seem fitting! You can get a used version for about $100 - $200 if still not in your range go for Pinacle new studio editions they are not sooo hot stuff but they are cheap and work.

Message me here if you have any more questions!!!

But please before getting any programes in my field of work make sure to check you ram speed memory! You sound like a Guy who would know that stuff but I know so many, even film editors, who have bought something thier computer couldn't handle and wasted $1000 of dolars!!

Pinnacle Studio is my choice. Very intuitive interface, you can do a lot with it, and it's relatively cheap. It has gotten mixed reviews, however, and not unjustly.

Studio 9 was a little unstable, and tended not to play well with other applications. I used to reboot and make sure all unnecessary processes were shut down before doing anything important with it. But the good outweighed the bad enough that I've stuck with Studio, and they've gradually improved it. The current version, Studio 11, hasn't given me any trouble so far, touch wood.

I use Adobe Premiere Pro 2 and it is absolutely fantastic. You can use it in combination with Adobe After Effects for CGI but honestly I find After Effects difficult to use. Adobe Premiere may seem hard to learn at first but I highly suggest spending a few hours in it and getting a feel for it. Film a five minute short and then mess with it Premiere to learn the basics. It is an extremely powerful program and I find it easier to use than Avid and Final Cut Pro. Also almost everything you learn in Premiere can be applied to other programs.

dont download free ones they might be good at first but they put huge watermarks
on yur videos one i just used was right in the middle!