Cheap and Video Editing Software (that isn't Windows Movie Maker) = Hard to find

I bet though there is a decent open source equivalent

Use google, and here is a list of some Open Source Video Editors

* Avidemux
* AviSynth
* Cinelerra
* DScaler
* DVDx
* GNU VCDImager
* Jahshaka
* Kino
* LiVES
* Mpeg2Schnitt
* VirtualDub
* VirtualDubMod

Thanks Kommie. I have done a little looking around already, but not having any experience I'm not even sure of what I'm looking at, so I'm hoping there's someone with some insight of familarity. Really don't need anything fancy, so maybe MovieMaker is the way to go.

I have not used it, but - http://www.labnol.org/software/download/video-spin-better-video-editor-windows-movie-maker-free-youtube/2254/

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Buy a MacBook - done.

[/knee-jerk reaction]

That's actually a good reccomendation Dag, and I never really considered it until you said so. If I really like doing it, PC is sorta the square peg of the video editing world isn't it?

Whatever option you choose, you can find a great resource for video tutorials on heaps of programs here: http://wikivid.com/index.php/Main_page

The best video editing software is Sony Vegas 7.0. Its very easy and intuitive and not as restrictive as other NLEs.

You should also look on Youtube, there are many amateur video editing tutorials on there. Remember its a tool, my philosophy is that the tool has to be comfortable for you to use not the other way around. So find what you are comfortable with.

I definitely recommend Vegas, especially if you are going to experiment with more prosumer type endeavors and want to have a bit more power. Its most comfortable feature is that you are basically throwing clips up there on infinite number of tracks, pulling them back or layering over them to create some great editing very quickly. Most regular NLEs require you to clip, bin and then line the clips up in order, like old school film editing, its very restrictive I find because I worked with alot of clips at the same time.

Of course there is simpler stuff like the stuff Ulead or Pinnicale put out, but those video editors are really made for 60s dad or your 10 year old, they are very restrictive in what they can do, and don't offer you the flexibility.

There is one negative with Sony Vegas, the rendering process takes far longer since it doesn't currently have background rendering unlike say Pinnicale, however it's much more worth it. Rendering times for short 5 to 10 m projects is however very decent.

That's helpful too, Farhad, Thanks. It's going to take me a while to digest all this stuff, But I think I already have some good resources here to make a complete study of it.

The video recorders were DVC, and the audio is recorded separately on 4-track cassette, so I think my biggest worry is syncing everything up. There's nothing I despise more than out-of-sync sound on a music video.

I got a lot to learn, and I'm already suffering from way too many "hobbies".

Thanks again.

Well the most important thing is to digitize the sound, then use the sound as the basis to editing the rest of the video around it. Its impossible to do the reverse. When I filmed such projects we would shoot either to a specific look or just shoot 3 covers to create one project.

The Sony program suites are great albeit a bit pricey, I definitely recommend learning them if you get more serious. They cover a lot of fields, but while not all of them are the leading in their field like Vegas, you pretty much learn to use the rest when you've learned to use one.

if it's for a non-demanding, short, LOLcat clip, try a free version of Pinnacle's VideoSpin, I just tried it last week, it's as simple as you can get, nice interface too
free download, install file is around 200MB

>> ^schmawy:

Thanks Kommie. I have done a little looking around already, but not having any experience I'm not even sure of what I'm looking at, so I'm hoping there's someone with some insight of familarity. Really don't need anything fancy, so maybe MovieMaker is the way to go.


Ive looked at a bunch, doing Steves poem Vids, and I always come back to Windows movie maker, if your not looking to get too fancy its really easy to work with and actually you can do a lot with it with practice. Ive used it on all those poems...