Video Editing (easy?)

[Snow Bird 1]

Yes, I know there are lists - thanks to those folk who posted them! However, now we have had time for people to have used one or two and there are (hopefully) some real-world experience, I have to ask......

Is there any sort of consensus on the ease of use and decent capabilities (for us people with no previous experience in video editing) on available (free) software out there (Windows)? I have quite a few 4 - 6 minute videos that need cutting/joining/etc. I mean basic stuff - to be able to cut some out, join with another clip, add audio, captions, change format (for uploading??), change resolution, increase/decrease motion rate etc. No worries about learning, just don't need 3D, special effects etc, yet!!!

Thanks All....

 

[SeaComms]

I have been using Shotcut for about week and loving it. Plenty of YouTube how to vids when you get stuck too. Best of all it's totally free. If you have a play I can send you the settings and tips I am using so far

 

[Spanishcop]

Am easy program to use I think is Pinnacle Studio 20. I think you will need the Ultimate if you plan to edit 4k. I've used pinnacle since version 7. I remember not having a clue about video editing back in the day and this is what I started with. Lots of you tube videos online to learn if you get stuck on something. They have added quite a bit lately to their software. You get thousands of effects to add to your movies, create dvd titles and lots of stuff. Anyways... Just throwing it out there.

 

[JoostGT3]

Windows movie maker if you're going for free. Found it difficult to re-edit though (for example, if you cut from one clip to another on the beat of the music and you made a small discussion, then I didn't find out how to undo it and re-adjust) also zooming into the music bar is limited, so that can be an issue.

After two attempts at making a movie (from zero knowledge) I decided to get adobe premiere elements (€80-ish) and found that for the moment it can doe what I need, and didnt have the named disadvantages of windows movie maker.

If you are going for movie maker: it is available for download directly from microsoft. There is also a site called moviemaker.org or so, which installs a bogus version which requires registration, won't work and makes it impossible to install the real version... So be careful; only download it from microsoft!

 

[Snow Bird 1]

Thanks for the input folks!! I will certainly look at each of those and any more that come in. This forum and it's great members that offer "real" and current info really make it so much easier to be a better operator and more effective user of the MP!!

 

[dsmpampis]

I'm using Adobe AE, it's a bit difficult but you can have great results.

 

[flyNfrank]

Video editing....is time consuming.

 

[WEOTN]

I believe Macs still come with iMovie built in, and it's about as easy as it can get and still have features that are easy to use. I don't do Windows if I don't have to but others have chimed in. I also bought a version of Final Cut Pro (years ago) and found it was written in a foreign language, that of professional editors, way WAY above my knowledge.

 

[Grungymike95]

Yes, I know there are lists - thanks to those folk who posted them! However, now we have had time for people to have used one or two and there are (hopefully) some real-world experience, I have to ask......

Is there any sort of consensus on the ease of use and decent capabilities (for us people with no previous experience in video editing) on available (free) software out there (Windows)? I have quite a few 4 - 6 minute videos that need cutting/joining/etc. I mean basic stuff - to be able to cut some out, join with another clip, add audio, captions, change format (for uploading??), change resolution, increase/decrease motion rate etc. No worries about learning, just don't need 3D, special effects etc, yet!!!

Thanks All....

I don't work with windows. But iMovie on Mac and iOS is very useful and straight forward. If you have an iPad or iPhone, iMovie is actually very solid.

 

[WALAWEE]

try VideoPad. free and easy. suits your requirements.

 

[ecoleman]

Da Vinci Resolve? Very good, powerful, plenty of YouTube help

 

[wolfmad]

I'm still using GoPro Studio I learned some using GoPro cameras

 

[hilbish]

I tried Videopad and it would export my movie the first few times I used it then it wouldn't do it anymore. AND my computer started to act strangely after the second day. Took several restore operations before my computer started to work right again. Then I found an article on the web that said computer dysfunction did happen with VideoPad. See problems here What's The Problem With NCH Software & How To Remove It?
Now I have switched to Windows Movie Maker and giving a try

 

[WWMav]

I'm still using GoPro Studio I learned some using GoPro cameras

Hey Wolfmad - are you using Studio on a WindowsPC? I tried editing a single clip from the Mavic in Studio on my Mac and it was very "jerky" and grainy in appearance ..... not at all satisfactory.

 

[wolfmad]

Yes
Windows 10