Video editing program similar to iMovie

[ngc09]

Hello so I am a Youtube Guru and I have been using iMovie, it's graphics, music, sound effects almost religiously. I love the interface of it, the simplicity....everything!

Anyways, a couple of months ago my Macbook Pro crashed and I literally cannot get into my computer so I purchased the Sony Vaio touch screen laptop. The laptop itself is great but the movie editor it comes with is crap. Windows movie editor is too basic for me, it doesn't give me a great range of options for editing, sound effects, music, etc. I then downloaded an unlocked version of Vegas Pro 11 and started working with that. For me that interface was too advanced and confusing. I attempted to edit and cut a 25 minute video, but I barely got through the first 10 minutes in 1 hour.

I need the best suggestions. I am willing to pay for a movie editor, but not something ridiculous ($500+). Before my computer crashed I was contemplating on purchasing Final Cut Pro because it had a similar interface like iMovie, just more graphics, editing options, sounds, and transitions.

Please help! I've been soooo lost!

Thank you

[Brainiac]

Since Vegas Pro 11 was a bit too advanced for you, I suggest investigating the following software:

Sony Movie Studio Platinum
Adobe Premiere Elements
Corel VideoStudio Pro X6 Ultimate
Pinnacle Studio 16

Some of the software comes with additional software for titling, special effects, etc. I would visit YouTube, for example, and search for projects uploaded by users who use the software, tutorials and overviews. Additionally, some of the software packages may be prone to crashing (I know first hand that Pinnacle Studio 16 is). Others here will undoubtedly offer more suggestions.

I have never used a touchscreen pc, so I do not know if that will be an issue.

Brainiac

[budwzr]

All the major NLE's do most everything. The difference is the interface and terminology.

In Vegas, you don't look for tools in menus, you look for them where the little tool icons are. At the clip, track, and global, domains.

Timeline tools are in the horizontal plane. Compositing tools in the vertical.

Some tools, like fade, are located at the beginning and end of clips. You have to hover the cursor to get into them. Most everything is visual.

Vegas uses "envelopes", which show as curves, to edit volume, composite level, etc. and you double click on the curve to create keypoints, similar to keyframes, that let you shape the curve.

User preferences and project settings are in the usual Windows toolbars on the top shelf.

There's a main window where you dock everything else like files, media generators, transitions, etc., and use the tabs to flip between views.

You have to decide for yourself the layout of the windows, or choose a preset layout. All windows break out to external monitors or if you want them static on screen. You can mix and match whatever wherever.

Not complicated, but you need to find where everything is first.