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  1. Member
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    Jul 2017
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    Florida USA
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    Hi all, thanks for this forum.

    I'm looking to upgrade my video creation tools, and need your help.

    Specifically, I want to be able to better manage video layers. As example, in Gimp I can move image layers around, edit them, erase parts of image, adjust opacity and color etc. I want this same power in a video editor.

    I'm currently working with good old Quicktime 7, which um, might be a little out of date. I can create a video using two video layers, but the tools available are quite limited.

    Budget is, say, under $100. I don't really want to make the leap all the way to the professional powerhouse video editors if i can avoid it.

    I'm on a 5 year old 27in iMac with 16GB RAM, running Yosemite.

    Thanks for any tips!
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  2. Explorer Case's Avatar
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    Have you tried iMovie? Does it suit your needs? It is gratis since April 18, 2017, if you didn’t already have it bundled with a Mac. You may have to hunt down v10.1.1 (2016-01) if you want to stay on Yosemite, as newer versions require El Capitan or later.
    Final Cut Pro is $300, so that’s probably above budget.
    Adobe Premiere Pro CC has a monthly fee, which sucks if you use it infrequently. Probably above budget anyway.
    Adobe Premiere Elements ($100) is the stripped down version, which may or may not have the features you need/want. Both have a free trial.
    Blender (free) can do a lot, including video editing, but it is mainly 3D creation software.
    Mazylab Movie Maker ($30) / MovieMator (free) / NCH VideoPad ($40) also have a go at the Mac video editing enthusiasts.
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  3. Member
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    Hi Case, thanks for your reply.

    Originally Posted by Case View Post
    Have you tried iMovie? Does it suit your needs? It is gratis since April 18, 2017,
    Ah, I didn't know that. I'm using an ancient version of iMovie, you know, before they started screwing it up. But if iMovie is now free, it can't hurt to give it another look.

    You may have to hunt down v10.1.1 (2016-01) if you want to stay on Yosemite, as newer versions require El Capitan or later.
    Ok thanks, I'll work on that.

    Adobe Premiere Elements ($100) is the stripped down version, which may or may not have the features you need/want. Both have a free trial.
    Is Adobe Premiere Elements part of their subscription web site system, or a stand alone downloadable app, do you know?

    Mazylab Movie Maker ($30) / MovieMator (free) / NCH VideoPad ($40) also have a go at the Mac video editing enthusiasts.
    Mazylab is new to me, I'll go check that out.

    To focus the conversation, what's really on mind at the moment is an effective way to work with video layers. Is that a common feature of most video editing apps these days, or a high end feature?

    Thanks again!
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  4. Member
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    Jul 2017
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    Florida USA
    Search Comp PM
    In case anyone else ever has this question...

    I found a tool which works for me.

    OpenShot
    http://www.openshot.org/

    It's a free Mac video editor, similar to iMovie.

    I can't do a real review yet, but can report it does have the feature I was looking for, the ability to work with layers of video. I can see already that you can adjust the transparency of one video layer so that the layer underneath shows through. Not sure yet what other layer manipulations are available. Given the price and ease of use, worth a look.
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