Video editing software
After a few years of using iMovie, I’m thinking of buying some more advanced video editing software. Pricing for Premiere Pro and even Sony Vegas put those options out of my reach. That pretty much leaves Final Cut Pro X. We have a 27” iMac, older version but with a Core i5 CPU that seems to be able to handle video work pretty well. We also have an older Core2Duo Macbook that can handle a quick edit but it isn’t a pleasant experience. Any opinions on FCP? I can get it 25% off thanks to discounts on iTunes store cards at Myer, bringing it to a fairly reasonable $240.
Final Cut Pro X is great. After using iMovie you’ll love it.
your i5 iMac will be fine but I would compress all footage to 720 before loading it - for many reasons.
Thanks, spaz. I’m guessing you’re recommending 720p for sharing on youtube etc, and also to reduce processing load?
I’m a bit confused about the Motion and Compressor add-ons. How necessary are they?
If they work they are amazing. For me they don’t work and I find other ways around them (compressor anyway).
720 mostly for processing and file size. Unless your working on a cinema release production?
Even when I shoot in 720, 1080 or 2k I edit on a 576 timeline (sometime on a 720 timeline) so I have room to zoom and pan within the video file.
I love Adobe Premiere. bit harder to learn but you can make a rough video quite quickly if you know the C and V shortcuts.
Premier is identical (near enough) to FCP7, you need knowledge, skill and experience to use it properly to produce even mediocre results or your videos will have audio, video and render issues.
FCPX is a different ballgame and much cheaper. It’s intuitive (like most mac software) and an easy transition from iMovie. All rendering/import tasks, levels, audio, fx, etc.. are built in to work without complex user manipulation (unless you go to advanced settings but even then your limited so as not to make a mess). It suits both pro and amateur editors.
Unlike Premier and FCP7 which are really best used by trained, experienced editors as there is much file maintenance needs to be done.
Sony Vegas is a good Amateur/semi pro program also.
FCP bro!!!
FCPX do you mean Rick?
Don’t compress your video footage before you edit… If your using any form of FCP you should be transcoding using MPEG streamclip to apple codecs, super easy, and your imac should handle it. Compressing prior to editing only limits your options and quality. If your computer isn’t handling the full resolution image, simply reduce the resolution of the playback within final cut or premiere, for smoother and quicker playback or render while you edit.
Premiere Pro will handle most footage natively.
I use Premiere Pro and love it, I don’t really like the FCPX workflow personally, however it is similar to Imovie so the transition will be easy.
Yeah thanks, FMF. I probably would prefer to go with Premiere Pro but the price is just freakin’ ridiculous.
I will be using it for footage from my GP3. In the past, iMovie has been able to transcode that footage itself during import. Will FCPX do that, too, or do I need to use MPEGstreamclip?
It might do it? (I haven’t used FCPX extensively) Have a quick google search, but to my knowledge, MPEG streamclip seems still to be the go-to workflow (It’s FREE software!) so even if it doesn’t, you won’t have any trouble downloading streamclip and transcoding
Looks like FCPX can do the conversion but it makes huge files. Maybe that’s why people use MPEGstreamclip instead?
Yeah thanks, FMF. I probably would prefer to go with Premiere Pro but the price is just freakin’ ridiculous.
I will be using it for footage from my GP3. In the past, iMovie has been able to transcode that footage itself during import. Will FCPX do that, too, or do I need to use MPEGstreamclip?
Yep!!!!!
Ohhhh, you’ve already found it!!!!!
Converting with MPEG streamclip will similarly generate a larger file size, however, as noted in the link you posted, that means less work for your computer in ‘decompressing’ the file during playback. So, if you find you have a slow clunky workflow by editing the native gopro files, (of which you can do in FCPX) then you could buy an external HDD, and either optimise the files or convert them with MPEGstreamclip, which will allow your computer to handle the files easier (even though they are bigger!)
This thread describes how to convert your file to be of similar size as the original, but better bitrate, using streamclip.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eos-crop-sensor-hd/480054-mpeg-streamclip-enormous-file-sizes.html
Also to note, once you begin to colour correct and adjust your footage, you have more depth and data to play with using the converted files, so it might be a good practice to learn at some point! Like the creative cow forum says, whichever works best on your system will be the best method to use! nothing worse then constantly waiting for the computer to catch up from lag..
If your mostly editing GP3 footage download the GoPro software Cineform, it’s like a mix between Mpegstreamclip and cinematools.
Great for creating true slomo from high fps and doing the manipulation required to make GoPro footage look good.