Need advice on video editing software

[steppinthrax]

I need to be able to.

1. Merge and cut scenes.
2. Cut out bad scenes.
3. Add bg music
5. lower the quality of the video (important) so that it can be hosted on the web.
6. Add arrows or highlight certian objects in the video.
7. Do some limited special affects when flipping between scenes.
8. Add frozen frames such as an image of a logo to stay on the screen for a couple of secs in the beg of the movie.

The video will be coming from a Mini-DV camcorder. I'm thinking in my mind U-Lead because that is what everyone says.

I know very little about video editing and video editing software.

 

[Rottie]

you might want to try demo verison of any video editing softwares to your taste. I like Adobe Premiere Pro but it is steering curve for you and it is not cheap. If you want free then you can try Movie Maker comes with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista Premium.

 

[Modelworks]

http://www.virtualdub.org/ can do some of those things and its free.

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: Rottie
you might want to try demo verison of any video editing softwares to your taste. I like Adobe Premiere Pro but it is steering curve for you and it is not cheap. If you want free then you can try Movie Maker comes with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista Premium.

Thats what I used before i got my mac book and i would recommend you try it out

 

[gsellis]

You can do almost everything you listed with basic software from Pinnacle, Ulead, Adobe, Sony, Microsoft, Apple, etc including free.

Your real challenge will come from bullet 6, "6. Add arrows or highlight certian objects in the video." Usually, you do this with After Effects or Boris FX (especially if the object is moving because you need motion tracking.) If it is in a still, most editors allow imports/exports and you can do any highlighting in a photo editor/graphics app like PaintShopPro or PhotoShop. Wtih advanced editors, you can do it the new old fashion way, frame by frame by exporting the sequence as Targa, adding the effect by hand, and reimporting the sequence.

Some basic editors do allow you to add some shapes to the video. A lot of times, you will see news video have two layers, where the one layer is blurred and the hightlight creates a "clear, in-focus" spotlight of the object. That is done with blur editors and color correct or color filters. That tends to be in the advance packages like Avid Liquid, Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Edius, etc.

For 8, if you want the video to stop, advanced editors usually add a dynamic timewarp, so you slow it to zero, insert a captured frame, then dyanmically bring it back to speed.

 

[YouTube]

i use Sony Vegas it's great plus, there r tutorials on YOUTUBE lol just search "sony vegas"