I'm going to be doing some extensive film editing in my Dell XPS 400. I would also want to: - do some CGI effects Compositing - do synchronized sound effects, music, etc. Could some of you please help me out with this question: What is the best high-end Non-Pro video editing software for the home enthusiast to do all of the above? Or, another way of asking this may be: what is the best low-end pro editing software that a home enthusiast could buy (and still understand)? My budget is $500. I'm aware that whatever I purchase, I'll still have quite a learning curve. However, I'm hoping to find out from you people what is the most User-Friendly system out there (where I won't have to go to video broadcast school for 3 years just to use it). Something by Adobe?? Ulead?? Avid?? Or the Canopus' Edius Pro 3?? I'd love to hear everyone's comments on this! Thanks in advance for your expert help!
When I think "NON-Pro" I think something Like "Ulead Video Studio" or "Pinnacle Studio 9" and when I think "Pro" I think "AviD" or "Premier Pro" or "Edius Pro" or "Media Studio Pro"..... Actually one editor that I have been useing a Lot Lately that Is quite easy to use but has Most of the Features of other High end editors is "Ulead Media Studio Pro 8" which has seperate Modules for CGI Effects and Composting and audio editing ect.... Another Good One that I like to use a Lot that is Fairly easy to use is "Sony Vegas Video 6" but it doesn"t have a Lot of CG effects unless you get an Effects Add-on Like "Boris Red" .... One of the Most versitile is "Adobe Premier Pro" because there is Literally Hundreds of Different add-Ons for it Like Plugins and effects Packages ect but the Program Interface is a Bit Complicated.... These are the editing Programs i am Most familliar with as we use these at the Studio were I work and I use them at Home for other projects and all are Learnable in Time depending on how complex of work you want to do.... You Might want to Download a Demo version of a program before you buy it so you Know it will do what you want and be easy enough to learn..... Cheers
one question, what kind of cgi effects? i would strongly suggest Adobe Premiere Pro the reason i say this is because you will find after a few weeks or so how limited the programs that are 50-200 dollars really are 500 is about enough for premiere, so that should be a good choice. the learning curve will take maybe an hour or 2, and with all the online recources and broadband, you can watch all the training videos you like that can answer all your questions if your want really complex cgi, go with Adobe After Effects. It has a much steeper learning curve but can do prettymuch anything if youre smart, you will go and spend the extra 2-300 dollars, and you will be rewarded with much better results, and although it may be a little harder to learn, the benifits of its expandability will reward you in the future a example to rap this up ulead will have an explosion effect, but only one size and one color for one or 2 times, this will be okay, but if you want any more, they will all be the same and repetitive on the other hand, premiere will have 5 different explosions with different colors, shapes, brightnesses, duration, exetera hope this helps
ps, ive never gone to any film school, all you have to do is experiment for an hour and youll start getting it : ) plus check out sites such as adobe.com or creativecow.com for video as well as text tutorials, and also forums.
Thanks to you both, Minion and TimKizzle, for sharing your knowledge and expertise with me! I greatly appreciate your posts - they really help. Again, Many thanks. As for what kind of CGI will I be doing, here's what I hope to do. 1) Virtual set extension - utilizing 2D CGI elements. I have some 'flat screen' footage of the ocean surface. I want to copy and paste the duplicate side-by-side to the original shot, so I will then have a wide-frame image that resembles letterbox/CinemaScope frame size. This may involve sky replacement too. 2) I want to remove the imagery in a large window and completely replace it with other footage that has some animals running though it. 3) Water simulation of the ocean surface to put against shots/footage of real glaciers. To sum things up: - removing the imagery outside a window and replacing it with other imagery. - Some match-moving, since a few of the shots I'm working on have a moving camera. - Sky replacement. - Also taking moving 2D elements from one shot and compositing them into another. (example - cutting out a person from one shot and then putting them into another shot). And of course rendering the finished work. - Water simulation of the ocean surface. And putting a ship onto it that will leave a water-wake across the waves. I was wondering what CGI software(s) can do these sort of things - that isn't in the $700 range of Maya or Aftereffects. What would you guys suggest? I'm anticipating that just one software won't do everything... I'm very much looking forward to your suggestions.
The CG Effect you want to do are Fairly Complex, Too Complex to do with the Limited Effect in a NLE editor like Premier..... You Might be able to do some of this Stuff in Adobe After Effects but you Might need a More Complex CG Animation program Like "3D Studio Max" but Maya might also be able to do some of this Stuff.. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=5659302&siteID=123112 At the Studio I work at in Vancouver we have seperate Effects poeple who do any Complex effects that can not be Done on a NL Editor so I don"t Much about the actual Process they go through to add the effects as it isn"t my Job but I know that for Most 2D/3D Modeling effects we use 3d studio Max but it is very complex but might be the Only way to do some of the effects you want to do..... Good luck
personally, i dont think the 3d rendering is your best bet you cant really cut some one out of a movie unless they are not moving or, preferably, infront of a green or blue screen, although any color that can be distinguished from the said person should work what kind of progect is this your trying to do, it sounds like some kind of documentary also, if you use after effects, im not sure about premiere but this will probobly work with it as well, you can make 3d layers and fake you simulation ocean with other footage, maybe decrasing the opacity of the ocean a little. difficulty of your prepositions to me 1- not that hard, might take a while to match everyting up on the sea bed, especially if there are animals, ect, but again, in you scope i think 2, easy with adobe stuff, but it will not look real unless you tweak it a little, plus you might have to do tracking in the video with the window in it to keep the stuff you want in the window, or you could use masks, either way, its prettymuch just cutting a hole in the window, so pretty easy, tweaking may be needed to make it look real 3. id really like at least a still shot of a frame of these glaciers and a better understanding of what your trying to do, but this sounds like creating 3d stuff, which is very hard for someone who wants water, which as you might know is very hard to recreat digitally these numbers refer to your 3 ideas ask for clarification if you dont understand, im not sure how much you know about editing and film, so sorry if it is confusing hope this helps
just looked at your final post again, the boat with a wake is near inpossible without special knoledge of 3d compositing and much time and efford however, the boat on a horizon or on the water is possible, again, cuting objects out is very hard unless they are on a colored screen, but if the boad is small in the shot you have, i might be possible to use a still pic that is cut out in photoshop and move it along the horizon or water, but it cant be up close after effects can help with match moving, will take a tutorial or 2 to learn how to do it though, what you want to do is deffinetly not possidble with the likes of ulead products or even premiere elements, or any other of these 200 dollar things pm me your email, i have some other questions too
