What software to add menus to video

[Victor Hen]

I am getting into a project where I will be taking video from a camcorder and editing it. By editing, I mean trimming the start and ending and maybe trimming out a few frames in the middle. Then I may add a menu at the beginning and a second short clip at the end. Which software will do that with a minimum time to learn?

After editing, I will need to save in Flash for website, plus burn to DVD.

[Baldrick]

Adobe Creative Suite. Edit with Adobe premiere Pro. Make menus for DVD with Adobe Encore. Make menus for flash with Adobe Flash Professional.

BUt I guess you are looking for something cheaper? Hmm..... Edit with Windows Live Movie Maker. Make a DVD with menus with Windows DVD Maker. Convert to Flash FLV/MP4 with some free converter. Make a flash menu with help of FlowPlayer and other free flash players.

I don't think you will find ONE software that does everything for you.

[pepegot1]

Try Videostudio Pro X3-cheap and good.

[Victor Hen]

Adobe Creative Suite. Edit with Adobe premiere Pro. Make menus for DVD with Adobe Encore. Make menus for flash with Adobe Flash Professional.

Actually, I have a copy of Premiere Pro CS4, but have never used it. It seems like there would be a steep learning curve. I think that PP has the ability to make menus, so would not need to use Encore. Is this correct?

[lordsmurf]

You think wrong. Premiere is an editor, not authorware.
You're thinking of the $50 consumer app Premiere Elements.

[Victor Hen]

So, if I didn't need a menu, I could probably just use PP? Here is what I will use it for:
1) Import video in AVCHD format from camera
2) Trim the video (probably the only editing I will do)
3) Add a Title at the beginning
4) Add a post roll at the end (this is new to me, but am willing to learn)
5) Save as a Flash file for the web
6) Save and burn to DVD

As you can probably tell, I trying to avoid the need for two programs to accomplish what I want.

[guns1inger]

You can't just burn video to DVD. It has to be authored if it is to play as a DVD on a standard DVD player. Some editors can output a basic authored disc (no menus - basically for digital rushes), so perhaps you can do this all in Premiere. You will have to *shock, gasp!* read the manual to confirm is this is the case.

If not, there are plenty of freeware options to author DVDs for you, from Muxman to AVStoDVD to GUIforDVDAuthor.

It is also worth noting that, so far at least, I have yet to see a single tool that can do all that you want, and do it well. There are plenty that claim to, and plenty that do all the different steps (Nero, Roxio), but they are second rate pieces of software. If you want to do the job properly, use the right tool at each stage of the job. If that means learning 2 or 3 or even 6 different programs, then that is the cost of do digital video well.

[Victor Hen]

Thanks for the help. I feel a little dense, but it took me to play with both the PPro and Encore to understand. Actually, PPro does not burn CD's like you suggested and Encore does, but adds many other functions, which I may use some of them. There is a nice feature which transfers your edited project from PPro to Encore for further processing. Adobe calls this "Adobe Dynamic Link".