2012 Best Video Editing Software Comparisons and Reviews

10-9  Excellent 8-6    Good 5-4    Average 3-2    Poor 1-0    Bad	CyberLink PowerDirector	Corel VideoStudio Pro X5	Adobe Premiere Elements	MAGIX Movie Edit Pro	Roxio Creator	VideoPad	AVS Video Editor	Pinnacle Studio HD	Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum	MoviePlus
Reviewer Comments
Lowest Price	$49.95	$69.99	$99.99	$99.99	$99.99	$69.95	$59.00	$59.99	$39.95	$79.99

 

Video Editing Software: Endless Possibilities

Taking pictures and video is so easy, especially with digital devices, that it doesn't take long to accumulate a lot of footage. Instead of keeping your videos and photos on a memory card or on your computer, you can create polished movies and slideshows to show off. This type of software makes it easy to trim portions of film at the front, end or in the middle. You can add music to videos and you can even add audio voiceovers. Once you finish creating a great video, you can share it with others in a variety of ways including on Facebook.
After testing many video editing applications, we found CyberLink PowerDirector, Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 and Adobe Premiere Elements to be the best video editing software on the market. As you're considering all the things you can do with this software, you may

Video Editing Software: What to Look For

When shopping for the best video editing software, you'll want to find an application that offers a variety of useful editing tools, compatibility with many file formats, an easy-to-use interface and strong support options. Below is a breakdown of what we were looking for when we tested video editor software:

Editing Tools
Editing tools include everything from changing the background lighting and color tones to clipping the video so you get the perfect segment for what you need. We specifically looked for applications that include a storyboard and timeline layout, a video stabilizer and the ability to add text to the video. We also searched for tools that enable you to enhance audio and adjust the balance between the visual and audio components. Another important aspect of video editing is the type of professional transitions the software offers. The types of transitions you use in your video can have a large influence on the overall feel of your video. You'll also want movie editing software that allows you to add chapter breaks and effective menus to your videos.

Supported Formats
When shopping for movie editing software, you'll want an application that allows you to import and export your media in the formats that work best for you. For instance, the best video editing software will burn DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. Some applications allow you to upload your movie directly to YouTube. A good application will work with virtually any camera, camcorder or even VCR and let you pull the files you want directly from the device via your computer.

Ease of Use
Editing video can become complicated because you're dealing with visual and audio files as well as transitions and effects. The more complex your video, the more important it is to have an easy-to-use application. Having an intuitive interface and well-organized menus is paramount.

Help & Support
The best video editing software is rich with features and tools that can help you customize your movies. The better the support, the more you will be able to manipulate the tools to create the finished product you're envisioning. A user guide, tutorials, community forums, FAQs and manufacturer contact information can all come in handy depending on the issue you're facing. We looked for all of these.

Video editing software can turn your raw video footage and photos into professional-quality masterpieces. The applications we reviewed can provide you with the features you want in an easy-to-use interface. We also found software that provides a variety of help and support options to help you use all the features to their fullest. Now you can put those videos and photos to use when you make your own home movie to share with your friends and family.
At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™
want to read articles about video editing software to get additional ideas of creative projects.

Shooting Products and Video Using Home Depot Lighting

We had a very tight budget, and I had recently done a behind the scenes video on creating and lighting a unique scene with just Home Depot lights. So, I thought why not do the same thing for the ONE project.

Final Result Samples

Samples from the final set of stills – Shot sRAW on 5D Mark II w/ 50mm @ F/4

The Setup

Step 1 – Flooring and Wall Tiles ($1065 Total cost)

The first step was setting up the flooring and the wall tiles. Interestingly enough, this was actually where the majority of our budget was spent. But, we figured that we would be using this set in future videos, so it wouldn’t be a one time cost.
The entire space is 10×10 feet. So we purchased 100 square feet of wood flooring tiles from Home Depot (which cost around $200) along with 200 square feet of Seesaw Wall Flat tiles to cover both walls. For some reason, these cardboard molded wall flats cost $86 per box and it took 10 boxes to cover both walls. So, yeah, that is where the majority of our budget went as it cost $860. To the attach them to the wall, we simply used 4 pieces of double sided tape per tile.

Step 2 – J.C. Our Lighting Dummy

Whenever I am doing scene setups, I place a lighting dummy where my subject is going to be in order to shape my light. It isn’t reasonable to have a person stand in for 60 minutes as I sit there and mold and shape our light. So, I pop in J.C., our lighting dummy, to give me a nice example of how the lighting is changing as I add and modify each light.

Step 3 – Wiring the Set ($50 in wires and strips at Home Depot)

Concealing cables on a set is always a challenge, especially when you are shooting wide. Luckily, in this video we didn’t shoot wide enough to see the flooring. But, for future videos I knew that we would. But, with the wood tile floors we had a simple solution, we simply ran the cables behind the tiles along the edge of the wall then pushed the wood flooring against the cables to pinch and conceal it against the wall.

Step 4 – Husky Daylight Work Lights ($50 each at Home Depot)

We used two Husky Florescent work lights as uplights to bring out the texture of the wall tiles. We used florescent daylight temperature lights because we wanted the background to be a nice shade of blue, while we white balanced to tungsten that would be used on the subject.


The image above shows the placement of the uplights on the floor. Each is evenly spaced from the corner of the set.

Step 5 – Workforce Tungsten Work Light Stand ($35 at Home Depot)

The next light in our setup is a twin head Workforce Work Light light which we use as a rim light on our subject off camera left.


While using work lights is cheap, there are downsides. Some of which include the heat, the lack of power control, as well as directional control. While we can’t change the first two, we can change the direction of the lighting. To prevent the tungsten light from hitting the uplit walls, I added on a little cardboard GOBO (Go In Between Object). Don’t worry, the light doesn’t get hot enough to burn the cardboard, though just to be safe, I wouldn’t leave the set turned on while I went to do my grocery shopping.

Step 6 – Workforce Tungsten Work Light ($15 at Home Depot)

To define the right side of the subject, I added an additional tungsten Workforce light to camera right.

Step 7 – Tungsten Modeling Light (Can use the $35 light used above)

Since we have modeling lights sitting around the studio, I didn’t need to spend more money on the work lights for our set. So, while we are using a modeling light as the main light, this would look and work exactly the same with the dual light stand used above. The benefit to using a modeling light is that I have a nice little barn door to easily control the direction of the light.
This light is placed directly to camera right and is used as the main light on our subject.

Step 8 – Softening the Main Light ($30 Scrim)

To soften our main light, we are using a standard scrim out of a simple silver reflector kit that can be purchased for $20 – $30 pretty much anywhere. The purpose of softening this light is to prevent hot spots and shine on the subjects face. This is particularly useful as our set is getting quite hot (literally) because of the amount of tungsten lights in close proximity. So, keeping that main light soft is going to help conceal any oil/shine on our subjects face.


The scrim is placed on a stand directly in front of the main modeling light as shown above.

Finished Set

With the ambient room lights off, you can see the final look of our set above. At this point, we are ready to bring in our real subject, and make a few fine tweaks with the light positioning in order to adjust the exposure and any stray bits of light.
Hope you guys enjoyed this little behind the scenes look. To check out this behind the scenes video as well as our other tutorials be sure to subscribe to the SLR Lounge YouTube Channel.

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/shooting-products-and-video-using-home-depot-lighting#ixzz1jOIiUVdD

Wedding Videography Package Advice and Tips

 Have you ever found the options on a wedding videography package to be confusing and too technical. Well here is a general breakdown of most of the categories you will ever have to deal with (use the navigation to the right to skip ahead). This way the next time you look over wedding video package options, you can make an educated decision as to whether the services are worth the price

Cameras

"I don't want the videographers to miss anything, but it how much should I pay for extra cameras and videographers?"

If you find yourself asking yourself this question, you are not alone. The truth is that there is no way to know because each videographer and videography company is different. This is a list of the various factors that determine the type of coverage that you receive:

Style of Cameraman

This is the most important aspect of determining the quality and quantity of your wedding footage. As you watch one sample wedding video to another, pay attention to the aspects below to see that style they have and which style you are willing to pay for (note that the negative and critical connotations are for humor and a more human understanding):

Tripod Abuser
One thing that I feel has disgraced the profession is the multitude of videographers that are glued to a tripod. Tripod use (or abuse) has its purposes, which includes steady shots and smooth horizontal panning. But this is best for scripted footage, such as having actors and preplanned shot sequences. Many professional videographers are well-versed in this, but also have the ability to remove the camera from its anchor and get quality footage the is only attainable on foot. Honestly, anyone with one day of training can use a camera on a tripod efficiently and skillfully and I do not believe this justifies a $50 to $100 per hour pay scale.

The Running Man
Be wary of the fact that even though a tripod makes the footage stationary, not being anchored to one can mean that the videographer is running back and forth to get other shots. This may be distracting to the ambiance of the ceremony or reception and should be of concern. If you prefer the better footage with a great videographer, you might want to compromise and ask him to be less noticeable or distracting. My personal style is candid, where I often find great places in the background.

The Director
This can be a good thing and a bad thing. This is also seen in the best of photographers and the worst of photographers. I have been unfortunate enough to have seen wedding videos where the videographer barks orders and the whole thing is caught on tape. "Smile! Turn that way! Good!" Please avoid this at all costs. If a videographer is good at scripted shots, you will see the results in the sample footage. Some people can see it in the faces of the bride and groom unfortunately, unless they are great actors. This is why I prefer to use a hands-off approach to get natural and candid shots that reflect the actual joy they experience on their special day. This, however, will not yield any scripted sequence and this is an issue described further in the editing section.

The "2 cameras, 1 videographer" option

This means that one camera does not move. This is good as a backup to get footage at other parts of the wedding, but you really have to see footage to see if they use this effectively. If the editor cuts back and forth to the same frame, it may not be to your liking. Also, the backup camera ("B" camera) is usually one that costs less that $1000 (while your cameraman may be using a $4000 camera) and this is most noticeable when edited with the better footage from the "A" camera. I move around and get enough shots from multiple angles where having a "B" camera is not necessary.

New Toys, like the Button Camera

These are fun and great, but just make sure that it is worth it. See footage that actually uses the new gadget and see if you want that in your video at all, since the small cameras provide surveillance-style footage and the whole "Blair Witch" shaky-cam effect. Also, be wary of the fact that the groom may have to wear the camera (which is not that big) and the transmitter (which is not big either, but can get annoying for more than an hour at a time). If you like the feature and understand the pros and cons, I say go for it.

Sound

One option or feature that you may see on a wedding videography package list or brochure is the use of "wireless microphones." This brings sound into the picture. Many people do not realize how important audio can be to the video, since what good is it having your best man speak words from the heart to the camera with "YMCA" peaking the audio. Again, see actual footage of actual weddings to see what you will get, especially in loud situations such as the reception and important situations such as your vows. Ask the videographer if he is prepared.

One example involves a wedding where the altar was in front of a water fountain, of which the venue forgot to turn off as the bride and groom said their vows. My audio was drowned out by the constant pattering of water. Luckily, I was able to pull most of the audio out with effective sound editing and proceeded to buy a wireless lavalier mic the next week. A lavalier microphone is the type of microphone used in interviews, usually attached to the lapel. Grooms tend to dislike carrying the transmitter, so I alternatively place it somewhere near the altar. This also provides two audio streams where I, as the editor, have the option of choosing the clearer of the two.

Editing

Many videography studios will charge extra for special effects, slide shows, and highlight reels. Again, take a look at final products to see what you are buying. Many editors are not professional editors, using purchased templates to make their final product. This often results in a "cheesy" feel (I have permission to use that word because my clientele prefer to avoid "cheesiness" and use that word commonly). Be wary of paying for special effects where it takes 20 minutes of work to plug in footage into a template.

Music video styles can vary between great and downright horrible. Often, footage is clipped and just played to music in the background. If they take it one step further they will sync the clips with the beat of the music, often with transitions that may or may not please you. Many editors get plug-in packages that include wedding video transitions, for example the video clip morphs into a wedding ring and zooms off. This can cause what I call "effect overkill" and is the result of the person trying to let the editing program's options make the video good by including every possible feature. Here and there you will see photographers do the same, though it is generally tolerated less. A real, professional editor can make the footage look good with simple cuts and then adds special effects to carefully add emphasis to certain moments. Look at any movie that is done well. Most of the cuts and transitions are straight cuts or fade transitions that are well-placed.

Delivered Product

The style of a DVD case is often representative of the dedication and style that the studio has for its videos, though I would always say to not judge a book. However, the printing of the DVD is important. Adhesive labels will peel off in the years to come and may damage DVD players. The alternatives are inkjet-printable surfaces, which allows direct printing on the DVD. This isn't as good as silk-screening, but silk-screens (used on the DVD movies you buy) are expensive and meant for printing thousands of DVDs.

Make sure that you know how many videos you will receive and how much it will cost to get any extra copies beyond that. Also, see if you able to copy the DVD. I only charge for extra DVDs due to time and materials and I allow my clients to copy their video as much as they like. If you have the option of getting the video hosted on a website, find out if there are any extra costs and for how long the video will be hosted for (some places only offer this service for six months). Here is an explanation of my wedding video DVD covers and printing.

Extras

Extras, like a love story option or slide shows, are great. Just remember that some places offer extras to make easy extra money, while the true purpose should be to give the client flexibility and options to satisfy personal preferences. See if the price justifies the service. It's like getting air conditioning (when it is not included) with a new car; it gives the seller a chance to increase revenue on top of a closed sale. Explore the options and flexibility of a videographer, although. It shows skill and talent to be able to cater to each unique client.

Pricing

The truth: Many studios take advantage of the insane markup on wedding services and price accordingly. The best advice I can give is to pay for talent and skill. Expensive video equipment and pre-paid editing templates do not always justify a budget-tightening price. Many places are run by businessmen that hire amateurs. . This does not justify the cost by a long shot, but it allows the studio to have several offices and spend large amounts on advertising and marketing.

So when you are looking at wedding videography package options, try to see what they actually offer beyond flashy terms and "fluff." Many things should come by default with a wedding video montage. Be wary of when things are waved around like a banner (like "including 20 special effects") when they have little bearing on the caliber of the production. The best advice I could give is to look around and weigh the price for the end product. Always see actual weddings, instead of flashy promo clips that do not reflect what you will show your loved ones in the years to come.

10 Secrets to Shooting Great Wedding Videos

Have you wanted to use your camcorder and video equipment to make some money, or are you already shooting live events? Shooting and producing wedding videos is a great way to profit from your equipment and experience. Whether you’re just entering the videography field or looking to add wedding videography to your list of services, these 10 insider secrets will help you produce professional wedding videos, right from the start.
Excerpted from The Video Guide to Professional Wedding Videography

1. Choose the Right Gear.
Video equipment becomes obsolete very quickly because of the constant advancements in technology. You don’t need the highest-end gear to shoot great wedding videos; the basics will do just fine. The basic equipment that you’ll need to shoot wedding videos includes a fluid head tripod, remote microphone system and an audio mixer. Oh, and a digital format camcorder, of course.

2. Back up your audio.
Audio for wedding videos can be touchy. Remote microphones may pick up some voices better than others and last minute glitches could prevent you from getting any audio at all. This is why many wedding videographers are investing in Sony Mini-Disc recorders to back up their audio. The recorder allows you to back-up your audio from the ceremony and the reception. The MD recorder is easily carried in the groom’s pocket, with a lavaliere microphone.

3. Understand LUX Ratings.
LUX is a measurement of camera sensitivity that is important to consider when purchasing a video camera. Cameras with lower LUX ratings produce better video in low light situations than cameras with higher LUX ratings. For wedding videography, which most often takes place in low light situations; churches, synagogues, reception halls, it is necessary to use a camera with a low LUX rating. The more sensitive to light your video camera is, the better quality wedding shots you’ll get, and the more professional the finished wedding video will be.
4. Attend the rehearsal.
Unless you can attend the wedding rehearsal, you probably shouldn’t book the job. Attending the rehearsal and planning ahead can easily avoid problems with lighting, microphone placement, and blocked views. The rehearsal also gives you another chance to consult with the bride and groom. Any last minute requests for their wedding video that they, or you, may have can be discussed before the wedding day rush is on.

5. Get “B-roll” coverage.
“B-roll” (which stands for”Before-Rol”) coverage is of critical importance to the professional quality of your wedding video production. To get B-roll footage, simply use a tripod to take exterior shots of the building in which the event will take place, stained glass or other architectural features, the food and flower arrangements and any other special touches you notice.
In addition to these still shots, begin videotaping about 20 minutes before the wedding is to begin, in order to get shots of the guests being seated, and audio of the music played before the ceremony.

6. Test your audio.
Testing your audio before the ceremony is the best way to avoid common audio problems. To test your audio, make sure to arrive at the wedding location at least two hours early, in order to set up your equipment and check it out, and have time to fix any problems that you find. Another good tip is to monitor the audio with your headphones to be sure that it has a professional quality.

7. Concentrate on close-ups.
It is extremely important to get close-up shots at the wedding. Close-ups make your images look sharper and they allow you to capture emotion in your wedding video. Be sure to get close-up shots of the bride and groom, the wedding party, and the parents throughout the wedding and the reception, and use them frequently.

8. Anticipate and follow the action.
In order to shoot a professional wedding video, you must anticipate and follow the action throughout the wedding, especially if you’re doing a one-camera shoot. You only get once chance to capture the action at a wedding ceremony, be prepared for whatever is coming. Talking to the couple and attending the rehearsal ceremony will help you to know what’s happening next, and your camera moves will be more fluid. Anticipating and following the action is key to shooting a professional wedding video.

9. Focus on capturing the event, not creating a special effects film.
There are many opportunities and options for special effects when creating a wedding video. However, special effects such as slow motion, layering graphics, and editing backgrounds work well in wedding videos only to a point. It is very important to remember that shooting a wedding video is all about capturing an important event, not creating a video with the most special effects. Remember to keep your focus on the couple, the ceremony, and the emotion of the wedding, and use special effects wisely.

10. Finish the job on time.
After you’ve shot the wedding ceremony and the reception, it’s time to produce the finished video. Make sure to allow at least a week of postproduction to finish the job on time. A week should give you time to transfer footage to your system, catch up with other possible clients, editing the ceremony, the reception, and the pre-and-post ceremonies, as well as transferring to tape or DVD and preparing the packaging. Remember that the MOST important part of post-production is delivering the finished video ON TIME. The married couple will be anxious to see their wedding video, and are depending on you to deliver it on the date and time that you promised. Your reputation, and your future clientele, depends on your ability to finish like a pro by producing a professional wedding video on time and on budget.

Essential Video Tutorials For Shooting & Editing Video

Over the last several years I have shot about three dozen weddings using a Canon GL2 and various versions of Apple’s iMovie. When I first started out, I paid for a couple of video tutorials to help learn the craft, but nowadays you can learn all the basics by watching (and practicing!) free online video tutorials.
I’ve gone through many of the YouTube tutorials on how to make videos and picked out some of the most useful ones. Some of the best are from Videomaker magazine, a longtime resource for videographers, both professional and hobbyists.
One of the first things you need to learn about shooting video is how to hold a camcorder. After viewing these videos, you’ll see that it’s not as obvious as you may think.

1. These two videos, Basic Hand-Held Shooting Tips, and Pans and Tilts 101 cover techniques for hand-holding, zooming, panning, tilting with a hand-held camcorder.

2. The Seven Deadly Sins of Camerawork This is probably the first video you should watch because it presents common mistakes (e.g. excessive camera shaking, excessive zooming, and poor cutting) that make many videos uninteresting to watch.
3. The basics of video shooting is learning various types of shots for interesting productions. When you start learning shot types you’ll begin to recognize them in all the best Hollywood movies you see. Graspr, the Instructional Video Network, has some very good Video 101 tutorials in this area. I suggest watching Close-up and Wide Shots, Cutaway Shots and Camera Angle. In fact, the entire series should be viewed.

Ads by Google

4. The best video productions are almost always effectively edited. Editing video is as much a skill as an art. Movie Maker and Adobe Premiere Elements are the introductory video editors for PC users. Tutorials for using these programs include Movie Maker Video Editing Tutorial and PalmBreezeCAFE’s three-part introduction to Adobe Premiere Elements.

For iMovie “˜09 users, the Apple site itself contains a very polished set of videos for organizing and editing your captured clips. Most YouTube videos on iMovie “˜09 primarily present an overview of the program, but a few skilled users have put together introductory tutorials: iMovie 09 Beyond the Basics and iMovie 09 – Advanced Features.
I personally think iMovie “˜09 is more difficult to use than the previous versions of iMovie. So if I still have iMovie “˜06′ HD installed on your Mac I would learn and continue to use it for longer video projects. A 20-part series on YouTube is a good introduction for iMovie HD.
5. If you’re thinking about going into the videography business, you’ll want to check out another Videomaker tutorial, How to Start a Wedding Video Business. This video covers a little about equipment, developing a contract, and how to cover a wedding. It really just scratches the service, but it’s a start. Wedding Videographer Style and The Best Videographer””IOV Award Winners are also a couple of five-minute introductions that will wet your appetite.
There are certainly more advanced and well done videos than the ones listed above. But I would recommend learning and practicing the basics of camcorder shooting and editing before you spend any money on expensive books and tutorials.
If you find this article useful, please let me know by leaving a few comments.