Video Editors

[Mike]

I am looking for some free video editing programs from the internet. I have windows movie maker but I am looking for something with more control. I want to be able to layer parts of videos on top of eachother. Anyone know of any good programs for this?

[Andromeda]

Well most of the free things you are going to find on the internet probably will not be very good. Though considering that I use After Effects I do not look around much. I know of software, but it is not free unless you do it the other free way.

You might be able to find older version of the software I use that might be free or cheaper. I use After Effects and Premiere, both are Adobe products. For straight video editing, you would be better off with Premiere.

The main things I would be worried about is the types of compressions you will have available with free software and the quality and flexibility. I know Movie Maker and the free things you get from Microsoft tend to be rather poor at worse, terrible at best.

Sorry I cannot be too much of help, if you do find an education version or something of After Effects or Premiere, which there might be, I can help you out with it since I use the programs.

[Mike]

Well, you gave me something to start with. I will look into those programs. And if I really have to I guess I will buy the full versions.

EDIT: Okay, after looking at the price of After Effects I would just like to say that Adobe is probably one of the main reason that people create cracks to get free software. The damn program costs $700! I thought photoshop was bad at $300, but $700 is just insane. I'd probably rather spend the time learning programing codes to write my own software or hack their program than pay that much money!

EDIT#2: Oh that $700 was just for the standard edition of the program. If I want the profetional it is $1000! Even Microsoft office only costs a couple hundred bucks and it comes with lots of programs I would use everyday!


legal note: Don't steal or hack copywritten programs. Big Brother will find you and eat your children.

[Secret Azn Man]

Which is why there is a stripped down consumer version of Adobe Premiere called Adobe Premiere Elements. It sells for $99. There's also Adobe Photoshop Element for $99.

Adobe After Effect is not a video editor. It's a post-production tool allowing you to add visual effects, animated texts and other motion graphics. Something like the opening credits of any CSI shows is done with Adobe After Effect, Apple Motion, or something similar.

Now, the reason these professional applications costs so much, some cost as much as $12,000, is that they professional-grade trade tools. These tools are very powerful, containing filters and algorithms that somebody made and licensed. Professional video editors support as wide variety of video formats, decoders, and encoders. These things, each and every one of them may or may not, but usually, require a royalty fee from Adobe for using them. The same goes for professional image editors such as Adobe Photoshop and audio editors such as Apple Logic or Soundtrack Pro. Bottomline is there's a lot of stuff in these versatile and powerful professional tools that adds to the cost. Even Microsoft Office 2003 suite costs $150 for student version and $500 for professional version. MS Word 2003 and MS Word 2004 Mac both cost $200 by themselves.

The thieves who crack and pirate these pro apps are not the target market for such applications. Those who think they need Photoshop to make their "1337" GFX CS sprays and lame-ass O RLY Owl pictures really do not need Photoshop. They can do the same lame crap on MS Paint.

There are few talented and serious hobbyist out there who honestly can't afford to buy Photoshop or other pro tools but actually need and make full use of them. I don't have a problem with that. It's the dumb ass pirate who think he's the shit because he can follow step-by-step Photoshop tutorials yet don't even understand the basics of Photoshop such as knowing that Magic Wand is not always the best selection tool, that I find insulting.

*Stays in his soap box*

[Mike]

LOL, okay Sam I'm sorry. However, Adobe doesn't make this stuff easy to find, and it turns people like me away very quickly. The number one rule about maintaining a website is to make al the information easily accessable.

I wasn't saying that these people who hack programs just to be 1337 are right. I just said it makes me want to go find one of those hacks. I am not realy serious about using this video editing software. I am just bored and trying to do new things. I am however serious about using photoshop. I am definately not a pro yet, but I am getting pretty good at editing photos using layers, different blending options, and effects. I am still learning all the different things you can do with the blending options. The only thing I have rendered from scratch without the use of a tutorial is a fireball. It looks pretty realistic, but I want to learn to do so much more. I apologize if I got you a little steamed.

[Secret Azn Man]

Like I said, if you are really serious and interested in using these pro apps, I don't mind as much. But if you pirate them out of boredom, for shits and giggles, IMO, it just trivializes things. These type of people don't respect pro apps. They don't know the difference between PS 7 and PS CS 2.

If you want to test and mess around with video editing, there are trial versions. If after 30 days you feel you might use it more, buy the elements version. I honestly really doubt you'll need the full features from the pro version from the get-go.

[Andromeda]

I only use the software because I cannot afford to pay a thousand dollars to buy it professionally. I also cannot pay 5,000 dollars for Maya 7 or another 5,000 for Max 8, both of which I need to do my work. Then there is Z Brush I need to learn so I can be versatile for looking into CG movie jobs. There just too much software and for a college student or in my case a former college student with 70,000-80,000 in loans to repay, I have next to nothing but red numbers to my name and I still to keep trying to improve myself so I can stay competive in the job market while I am hunting for a job.

As for After Effects, I know it is for compositing, but if push comes to shove you could video edit on it. It is not what you would want to use for it, Premiere is more suited to the task, but I was laying down the options, since After Effects can do it just not as nicely as you probably prefer. But considering I am usually doing compositing or demo reels, After Effects works for me. Plus I figured suggesting After Effects, if he found a version he could use and learned some of the functions he might like the idea of having some extra options that Premiere makes a little more difficult or lacks completely. Especially if he does want to do a little compositing with his video, does mean he needs to green screen or anything, but just make photoshop elements to bring. Anyway I will stop rambling.

[Secret Azn Man]

You don't have to buy Maya 7 to use Maya. There's a FREE version called Maya 7 PLE (Personal Learning Edition) that has nearly the same features as the commercial version of Maya 7. It is specifically targeted for people like you, Andromeda. People who are seriouis about their work and want to learn more and break into the industry but cannot afford the commercial version. Maya 7 PLE is fully functional. You just can't use it for commercial purposes. Meaning you can't make money off of it.

3D Studio Max and many other pro apps offer student pricings that are often 50-75% off regular price. That's how I bought my stuff. 3D Studio Max sells for just under $400.

Though even then, $400 is a lot for college students. While ideally, you can simply purchase them with your student loans, which was what I did, some people just can't get big enough loans.

So, yeah, there are some reasonable exceptions to piirate. Remember, I don't have a problem with pirating pro apps if you don't have much choice and are serious about it.

With that said, please don't feel the need to defend your actions to me. Odds are, if you can defend yourself, I'm not talking about you. It's those who can't justify themselves are who I dislike. I'm just expressing my opinions.