Beginner Questions. Hoping to reach a professional level as video editor

[parker7d7]

Just had a few questions I had as a beginner and someone who is hoping to reach a professional level as a video editor. I have a --Thanks in advance to any and all answers:

ok so

1) Well I have a mac, so what's best for my needs? Should I learn on Imovie, or will I not be able to advance to a "pro" level on it, and should I just invest in something that I can use all the way down the road to producing stuff at that level?

2) Are there any special effects programs that can be used to make professional looking videos that are resonably priced?

3) Is there a technical assistance program or something that I can use to call for help that works with these programs^^

4) Are there any books, videos, etc that you would reccomend to help me learn things that I need to become a great video editor?

Thanks again or all answers

[Baldrick]

Skip imovie and learn/use final cut pro directly.

[smrpix]

Skip imovie and learn/use final cut pro directly.

Agreed. Premiere Pro is another viable option because you can expand your license to include After Effects, Photoshop and lots of other goodies, but FCPX is the most economical way to go. Lots of tutorials for both.

[parker7d7]

thanks and would you say premiere pro makes good looking videos or is it something for more of the beginner/intermediate level?

[parker7d7]

Skip imovie and learn/use final cut pro directly.

Agreed. Premiere Pro is another viable option because you can expand your license to include After Effects, Photoshop and lots of other goodies, but FCPX is the most economical way to go. Lots of tutorials for both.

If I wanted to save money would an older model of either be acceptable?and if so how far back is too far?

[hech54]

thanks and would you say premiere pro makes good looking videos

That makes no sense. If your source is crap(either quality-wise or even artistically), you get crap.

[smrpix]

If I wanted to save money would an older model of either be acceptable?and if so how far back is too far?

Premiere is on a subscription and FCPX is Apple's product and completely tied into their eco system. Even if you could find older versions there's no guarantee they would run on a modern mac. Since Apple is continuosly upgrading its OS you'd spend more time chasing your tail than editing. So no realistic savings to be had that way, I'm afraid.

[parker7d7]

thanks and would you say premiere pro makes good looking videos

That makes no sense. If your source is crap(either quality-wise or even artistically), you get crap.

I was asking whether it had professional looking capabilities or not. I do know that the better the talent, the better the quality of video, however, I assume that doesn't mean that there are not programs out there that can hold back ones capabilities and others that don't. Thanks for your chime though

[Cornucopia]

Both of those are Professional tools. Therefore, they can look as good as the quality & effort you put into them. Can you make award-winning Hollywood movies with them? - Yes. Can you make utter drivel, not even worthy of a single internet view? - Yes. They are TOOLS - what you do with those tools is what matters. Spend the time, money & effort on learning the craft and discerning/appreciating the art and organizing your thought & preparations.

As hech54 mentioned: GIGO.

AFA the age of the tool, on a Mac you are hampered by hardware and/or OS incompatibilities being imposed on you much moreso than on a PC. You probably won't be at a level to exhaust your toolset anytime soon, so if an older version has the features that you are currently looking for and is compatible/supported by your machine, go for it. Especially if it's cheaper/free. A notable and possibly important exception to this rule would be camera/source file format support.

Scott

[parker7d7]

If I wanted to save money would an older model of either be acceptable?and if so how far back is too far?

Premiere is on a subscription and FCPX is Apple's product and completely tied into their eco system. Even if you could find older versions there's no guarantee they would run on a modern mac. Since Apple is continuosly upgrading its OS you'd spend more time chasing your tail than editing. So no realistic savings to be had that way, I'm afraid.

Oh okay good to know. Thanks

[parker7d7]

Both of those are Professional tools. Therefore, they can look as good as the quality & effort you put into them. Can you make award-winning Hollywood movies with them? - Yes. Can you make utter drivel, not even worthy of a single internet view? - Yes. They are TOOLS - what you do with those tools is what matters. Spend the time, money & effort on learning the craft and discerning/appreciating the art and organizing your thought & preparations.

As hech54 mentioned: GIGO.

AFA the age of the tool, on a Mac you are hampered by hardware and/or OS incompatibilities being imposed on you much moreso than on a PC. You probably won't be at a level to exhaust your toolset anytime soon, so if an older version has the features that you are currently looking for and is compatible/supported by your machine, go for it. Especially if it's cheaper/free. A notable and possibly important exception to this rule would be camera/source file format support.

Scott

Yeah I think I might play around with imovie for a while, then when I get good enough that I know what I'm doing move to final cut.

[poisondeathray]

Imovie is too limiting in too many ways. It's intended for ease of use, casual users, home consumers, "1 click" productions. If you aspire to learn and grow, start with FCPX or Premiere Pro now. Don't waste your time with imovie - none of the technical skills are translatable to real editing tools . It's basically a toy

Adobe is on a subscription / pay per month model , but FCPX is a "standard" purchase from the Apple store

[Cornucopia]

Very true, but the artistic (though not technical) skill in editing can be built upon a beginning in iMovie (or even WMM on the PC for that matter). If you have ZERO money, it's better than nothing.

Like: when should you make a cut? what kind of shot would look good after this one? which progression of shots best imparts this mood?...

Scott

[newpball]

Good tools increase productivity and allow you to go fancy but it won't make you into a "pro", practice, knowledge and dedication does.

[Brainiac]

As long as you learn the concepts behind video editing, moving from one software to another becomes less of a struggle.
And here is something else to consider: optical drive support. If you plan on using DVDs and Blu-ray as delivery formats then your options may be limited depending on which software package you settle on. IIRC, Adobe does allow you to download Encore when you subscribe with them. Apple users can chime in.

Brainiac

[parker7d7]

Imovie is too limiting in too many ways. It's intended for ease of use, casual users, home consumers, "1 click" productions. If you aspire to learn and grow, start with FCPX or Premiere Pro now. Don't waste your time with imovie - none of the technical skills are translatable to real editing tools . It's basically a toy

Adobe is on a subscription / pay per month model , but FCPX is a "standard" purchase from the Apple store

Ive been doing some research on it- and since its something I know im not going to drop or give up on theres no reason why I shouldnt just invest now-especially if I movie is limiting. So I think I'm leaning more towards Final Cut Pro over Adobe

[parker7d7]

Anyone know how the special effects are on Final cut compared to Adobe? Is it a big difference or something only noticed if your really into special effects as opposed to only using it moderatley

[newpball]

Ive been doing some research on it- and since its something I know im not going to drop or give up on theres no reason why I shouldnt just invest now-especially if I movie is limiting. So I think I'm leaning more towards Final Cut Pro over Adobe

You sound like a person who is contemplating what ancient authentic samurai sword to get before he even has made one single step in the Dojo.

Anyone know how the special effects are on Final cut compared to Adobe? Is it a big difference or something only noticed if your really into special effects as opposed to only using it moderatley

If you want to learn editing from scratch start with the basics for at least one year then start thinking about using some special effects.

[poisondeathray]

Today's editors are expected to know a bit of everything, including grading, masking, basic effects work. There are no longer any "pure" editors anymore. Whether you intend to work for yourself , freelance, or for a company - the more "hats" you wear the more jobs you will qualify for instead to have to pass off something.

Most companies hiring "editors" will want a certification, like "FCP certified" or "Adobe certified" or "Avid Certified" etc.. In the real world, it doesn't matter what you use. Those "paper" certifications are just to get you in the door. As mentioned above, any decent editor can easily get the job done with any decent edting software. But Imovie isn't one of those pieces of decent editing software - you're very limited in terms of input and output format support , codecs. Internally, it's very capable of doing basic edits and transitions, but that's it. It has 2 video tracks. No sane person would cut a full feature , or commercial , music video etc... on imovie. Sure you can get your feet wet with it, make some home movies, test out some creative aspects, but it's not suitable for professional usage

If you're short on funds, many of the professional software titles are accessible through public libraries, local universities etc... So check those out and get a feel for them, or download the trial versions

Anyone know how the special effects are on Final cut compared to Adobe? Is it a big difference or something only noticed if your really into special effects as opposed to only using it moderatley

It depends on what you mean specifically by "effects"

Both Premiere Pro and FCPX have basic effects. But higher end, motion graphics, titles etc.. are usually done in after effects or motion . PP and FCPX are essentially NLE's, not effects software

[parker7d7]

Ive been doing some research on it- and since its something I know im not going to drop or give up on theres no reason why I shouldnt just invest now-especially if I movie is limiting. So I think I'm leaning more towards Final Cut Pro over Adobe

You sound like a person who is contemplating what ancient authentic samurai sword to get before he even has made one single step in the Dojo.

Anyone know how the special effects are on Final cut compared to Adobe? Is it a big difference or something only noticed if your really into special effects as opposed to only using it moderatley

If you want to learn editing from scratch start with the basics for at least one year then start thinking about using some special effects.

I would rather invest time in learning out how to function wield an ancient authentic samurai sword---then be a person who spends a little less time only to find themselves less skilled, in the same dojo--if possible. I always have been the type though--unless this is a situation where its impossible to do so-or sort of a walk for the first time comes before running for the first time. Thanks for the input

[parker7d7]

[QUOTE=poisondeathray;2375880]Today's editors are expected to know a bit of everything, including grading, masking, basic effects work. There are no longer any "pure" editors anymore. Whether you intend to work for yourself , freelance, or for a company - the more "hats" you wear the more jobs you will qualify for instead to have to pass off something.

Most companies hiring "editors" will want a certification, like "FCP certified" or "Adobe certified" or "Avid Certified" etc.. In the real world, it doesn't matter what you use. Those "paper" certifications are just to get you in the door. As mentioned above, any decent editor can easily get the job done with any decent edting software. But Imovie isn't one of those pieces of decent editing software - you're very limited in terms of input and output format support , codecs. Internally, it's very capable of doing basic edits and transitions, but that's it. It has 2 video tracks. No sane person would cut a full feature , or commercial , music video etc... on imovie. Sure you can get your feet wet with it, make some home movies, test out some creative aspects, but it's not suitable for professional usage

If you're short on funds, many of the professional software titles are accessible through public libraries, local universities etc... So check those out and get a feel for them, or download the trial versions


From what I'm hearing, and learning from research I'm almost sold on final cut pro. Funds arent really an issue, just trying to figure out how to spend my money as wisely as possible. So thanks for helping me towards that

[parker7d7]

Haha not trying to get too 21 questions-ish on you guys haha but does sony vegas pro compare as a possibly better program then final cut or adobe premier?

[poisondeathray]

Haha not trying to get too 21 questions-ish on you guys haha but does sony vegas pro compare as a possibly better program then final cut or adobe premier?

"better" in what way ?

They are all comparable in terms of ability to get the job done - but Vegas is Windows only, FCPX is Mac only. PP is available on both platforms

Interface wise, PP and FCPX are more similar to each other than Vegas

Sometimes the platform does affect your decision. eg. If you work for a company that uses Apple and Macs exclusively, you might not want to start learning Vegas

[parker7d7]

I have access to an old HP, but I use my mac laptop on an everyday basis so I would prefer to do things on a mac but it wouldnt be problem to set up my old windows on a desk if the software program is better?

[parker7d7]

Anyone know what price I should have in mind in my endeavors-when its all said and done and I'm ready to start making pro type videos? (excluding when technology upgrades just how much I might need for a set up that I can produce pro level videos from. Maybe any input from how much you spent to do this? Thanks for any help

[parker7d7]

[QUOTE=poisondeathray;2375887]

Haha not trying to get too 21 questions-ish on you guys haha but does sony vegas pro compare as a possibly better program then final cut or adobe premier?

"better" in what way ?

Just meant which one is better in terms of thoroughness in options (special fx,transitions etc)

[poisondeathray]

Just meant which one is better in terms of thoroughness in options (special fx,transitions etc)

All the pro NLE's are comparable. A cross dissolve done in program "A" looks like a cross dissolve done in program "B". The main differences between the pro level NLE's is in the GUI setup, workflow and organization. There are little quircks and minor differences, but for the most part they do the same thing.

I have feeling that you're not describing what you actually want . It seems to me that you're actually more interested in special effects ? newpball might have been on to something...

"Editing" is more about effective storytelling and communication. Scott framed it best - these are just tools. Throwing in a bunch of fancy transitions and effects - just because you "can" - isn't "video editing" . Or maybe a better question is what do you classify as "professional looking videos" ? Maybe you had some examples or something specific in mind ?





Desktops are usually better than laptops when you're looking at the same generation for video editing. But if your laptop is much newer than your old PC desktop it might actually be better.

[parker7d7]

Just meant which one is better in terms of thoroughness in options (special fx,transitions etc)

All the pro NLE's are comparable. A cross dissolve done in program "A" looks like a cross dissolve done in program "B". The main differences between the pro level NLE's is in the GUI setup, workflow and organization. There are little quircks and minor differences, but for the most part they do the same thing.

I have feeling that you're not describing what you actually want . It seems to me that you're actually more interested in special effects ? newpball might have been on to something...

"Editing" is more about effective storytelling and communication. Scott framed it best - these are just tools. Throwing in a bunch of fancy transitions and effects - just because you "can" - isn't "video editing" . Or maybe a better question is what do you classify as "professional looking videos" ? Maybe you had some examples or something specific in mind ?





Desktops are usually better than laptops when you're looking at the same generation for video editing. But if your laptop is much newer than your old PC desktop it might actually be better.

I only mention special effects just because I thought they might be important but im realizing now that they aren't going to be as important as I first anticipated.
I can try to find a video of what I considered to be a well made video, however, I am just starting out and dont have the eye yet for what might make it good in the eye of a seasoned video editor. Nonetheless Ill still try to find one

[parker7d7]

Just meant which one is better in terms of thoroughness in options (special fx,transitions etc)

All the pro NLE's are comparable. A cross dissolve done in program "A" looks like a cross dissolve done in program "B". The main differences between the pro level NLE's is in the GUI setup, workflow and organization. There are little quircks and minor differences, but for the most part they do the same thing.

I have feeling that you're not describing what you actually want . It seems to me that you're actually more interested in special effects ? newpball might have been on to something...

"Editing" is more about effective storytelling and communication. Scott framed it best - these are just tools. Throwing in a bunch of fancy transitions and effects - just because you "can" - isn't "video editing" . Or maybe a better question is what do you classify as "professional looking videos" ? Maybe you had some examples or something specific in mind ?





Desktops are usually better than laptops when you're looking at the same generation for video editing. But if your laptop is much newer than your old PC desktop it might actually be better.

Just really curious on the topic, but how much did it cost you for a set up you were happy with minus the computer-and constant upgrades? Or could you give me an estimate of how much it might cost me? Just trying to gain a number to make sure Im not over(or maybe under?) spending

[poisondeathray]

What makes a "good" edit is often very subjective . If you tick all the checkmarks, and client is happy, then technically that is a good edit

Some people might not like the grading, or creative style of a certain edit, but the director or executive producer might have wanted it done a certain , specific way

But to be a "good editor" you have to be flexible enough to able to do all those things - to be able to produce what is asked of you - and quickly with deadlines

It was mentioned earlier - but of you're just doing the editing and are given garbage material - there is only so much you can do with it. GIGO



RE - cost:

It's going to depend on what you need specifically.

For example, If you're not doing 3D work, CAD , those sorts of things you're probably not going to need a workstation card

If you're planning on editing UHD material, you're going to need signficant hardware upgrades

A recent MBP running FCPX should be good enough for 1080p material, but you should at least have one or more external drives for media