dedward Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Hi, We have just produced a play in a small venue and have filmed a performance on two cameras at different angles - we would like to produce a DVD which we can then sell to raise money for charity..... Are there any really good programs to use, and do you have any advice?! Thanks Dedward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karl Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Some copies of Windows come with Windows Movie Maker. It's a bit noddy but can be used to splice together two video sources (depending on the format). Don't forget to check licence issues with regard to filming performances. As a rule you need a special licence to do this with published plays. Edited to make it make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Movie Maker is indeed a bit 'Fisher Price', but it's free and it'll probably do just fine for what you want. I haven't played around with iMovie on my Macbook yet, but I'd imagine it's quite similar. If you're in the market for something a bit more high-end, I can recommend Sony Vegas - we use it quite a bit at work, and it's really rather splendid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 For two cameras I'd have thought you'd spend far too long lining things up with MovieMaker, as you'd have to do it at every edit point. I'm not aware of any low cost options for this one. I use & like Sony Vegas for editing all multicamera stuff, then DVD Architect to end up with a very pro looking disk. It's not cheap though. Others will, I'm sure, direct you to the Adobe products, which are not cheap either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossmck Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 The newest iMovie is indeed a lot like that ... the old version ironically is better imho... I use Final Cut Pro personally, and I believe there's an "Express" version of this, but it's Mac only... Adobe Premiere is a similar package on Windows I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Depending on your platform - then you have a pretty good choice, Vegas, Final Cut, Premiere and Avid. Much is down to personal choice bit Final Cut and Premiere have dedicated multicamera editing - not sure about the others. Essentially, you load up the two video clips from the cameras, sync the starts for lip-sync and then you run the tracks switching cameras as required. This chops up the files and you can go back and fine tune your cuts It isn't quite as simple as that, of course - but that's video for you! Bad news is that these programmes are expensive - some very much so. I run Avid and Premiere, and pretty well choose Premiere for most of my work. It isn't better, just what I know best. However, a few years ago, Avid did a cut down version that was free! They don't offer it anymore, but I'd bet that a bit of in-depth Googling may well find it for you somewhere on the net. It has to be registered with Avid, but I'm pretty sure the registration is still valid. It isn't freeware, so you do need to register it. Worth a go, maybe? Unless you are a student, then Adobe is really going to cost you. Most people buy the bundle, CS3 Production which chucks in all sorts of stuff. Some is very handy indeed - On Location, which was Serious Magic's DV rack is an excellent product for getting the material off the camera into the computer and ULTRA is a superb keyer with virtual studio environments. I paid a grand for just ULTRA and DV Rack a couple of years ago, and really like it. The basic software with Macs and PCs is ok for doing very basic stuff, but syncing two cams and cutting is going to be a problem. Don't forget the files sizes are also really big for a full length performance and you might need to break up the project into more manageable chunks if you don't want to spend a lot of time watching prgress bars creep acros the screen. Long running time means even longer rendering time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedward Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 Hi, Thanks for all your comments - the formatthat the Hard Drive Camera films to is .mod, which I don't think is recognised by Windows Movie Maker - does Sony Vegas support this format do you know? Thanks Dedward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnparrack Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 If you are on a budget you can buy Premiere elements for around £50 (or £100 with Photoshop elements bundled with it) which comes complete with a dvd authoring interface. If you've got a few quid to spend then buy yourself the full Premiere CS3 and Adobe Encore for authoring..very easy to use and edit multi camera stuff..Hope you locked both cameras timecode because it will make your edit all the easier and a whole lot quicker. Final Cut pro is a mac based standard editing programme and is also very good. If this is going to be a regular thing it's worth investing in a Hardware rendering card which will help render the final movie a lot quicker, for example : 1.5hrs (14gb) takes 6hrs to software render but only 1.5hrs to Hardware render.(using Matrox RTX2 card and 3ghz Pentium dual processor) Have a look at some of the matrox prducts...linky http://www.planetdv.net/Content/Video_Edit...ards/Matrox.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve h Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 The newest iMovie is indeed a lot like that ... the old version ironically is better imho... IMO apple realised iMovie was just getting too good hence the new one! Your account says its a school theatre so theres the possibility of educational discounts...especially if its something your going to do often. Premiere is quite a nice bit of kit, but deffos not as good as final cut Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Ok Steve, I'll bite - FCP v Adobe. Make your case. My own view is that neither is better, just different - but After Effects works better with PP than FCP, doesn't it? I think we're jst talking about the video verson of Cubase v Logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 the format that the Hard Drive Camera films to is .mod, which I don't think is recognised by Windows Movie Maker - does Sony Vegas support this format do you know? Not in mine, but it's a few years old now & the later versions may have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I don't have any files to try it with, but .mod files are mpeg-2s, so simply renaming one .mpg may well work. Just be aware that editing these files is sometimes a tad tricky if you are looking for very accurate cuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossmck Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 IMO apple realised iMovie was just getting too good hence the new one! Just noticed - they make the old version available for those that bought the new one - guess I'm not the only one that preferred it http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html Premiere is quite a nice bit of kit, but deffos not as good as final cut Ok Steve, I'll bite - FCP v Adobe. Make your case. I'll throw in my 0.02 here... I also prefer Final Cut Pro... I've not used Premiere on a PC but on the Mac, Final Cut is definitely the better app - it's smoother and feels a lot more at home on the Mac than Premiere does (obviously Premiere may be right at home on Windows). Premiere integrates better with AE, but FCP integrates far better with the likes of Motion and Shake (used to composite the CGI in Lord of The Rings amongst others) which has always felt (to me) a cut above After Effects (and a several 100x higher price tag!!) However, I'm fairly sure there's a reason the BBC are moving to Final Cut for a lot of stuff. It's all down to personal preference... I know people that use Avid and wouldn't dream of touching anything else, so I'm sure there's an equally loyal Premiere userbase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 When working full time, I had access to Avid and Quantel professional suites; after I retired I started using Premier Pro and found it could do most of the stuff I was used to in an Avid suite. However, I've never been a big fan of the user interface--my brain just doesn't seem to work the Premier way! However.... Bearing in mind the OP's request, may I throw another suggestion into the mix? On the advice of a keen amateur film maker I met (believe it or not, he was in the next bed to me when I had a knee operation) lately I've been playing with some software called "Magix Movie Editor Pro". This does almost as much as Premier Pro at a fraction of the cost. I find the UI uncluttered and easy to pick up and the cost is a small fraction of Adobe's. There's a full-featured one week demo (extendable to 30 days if you register) so the OP could try before he buys. Worth a look--their web site is HERE. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve h Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Ok Steve, I'll bite - FCP v Adobe. Make your case. Having used both (although admittadly a few years between them so an older version of premiere) I found premiere clunky and kept crashing - and this was nothing to do with my windows system. I've found editing quicker and easier in FCP - especially in something like the OP has asked for where I can drag the full length clips from both onto the timeline, line them up and chop and change between them, when using AP it would cut up the clips and make this task harder Again, just my 2p. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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