Your Preferred Video Editing Software

I haven't needed anything but Vegas HD Platinum myself. Like you, I installed DaVinci Resolve on my previous computer and tried some things ... but when I replaced the computer I didn't bother re-installing it because it got no real use. Apple stuff doesn't seem to run on Windows, so no comment there.

@sybersitizen

I got a bit frustrated with Vegas when it couldn't handle S-log footage or apply LUTs, but for a lot of editing functions it worked out ok. I'm afraid that FCPX is limited to Apple Machines. It does work really well with the M1 family of chips.

@4paul Yeah, I got the sense that Da Vinci was a very capable system and benefited from a lot of excellent online tutorials and support. I just didn't have the time or motivation to master it. Whereas FCPX just seemed a lot easier to pick up. And it came with the Sony S-log LUTS preloaded so very easy to use.

Hi Howard,

Well iMovie makes the transition to FCPX less daunting. I wasn't aware that Adobe had put out a free, stripped down version of Premiere. It sounds like it could be worth a look. Maybe someone else can advise.

@QuietOC

Since the pandemic started and I've had to do a lot more teaching online, I've had to become familiar with more elaborate video editing techniques. One tool I use a lot now is the split screen. I think another driver toward video is our cameras are now much, much better at recording video. Being able to use S-Log recording is analogous to recording in Raw in a stills camera.

I think the top tier professional video editors are largely settled on Da Vinci, Adobe Premiere and Apple's Final Cut Pro. These have excellent colour-grading tools and embedded LUT profiles for log, or hybrid-log footage.

But there's a lot of quite good video editors also available that could suit less-demanding users as well. Hence, my attempt to start a bit of a discussion around them.

The last two years I used Camtasia for producing (70+) instruction videos - which is ok, but could also create some trouble with image/sound not being synchronous.

When I did a crowdfunding project some time ago I used Adobe Premiere Pro - particularly to blend footage of several cameras. Learning curve was steep and my instruction tutorial (video) drove me nuts - but in the end it worked.

I am also looking for software that offers a medium steep learning curve and is not too expensive.

Glad you find it useful.
I've found the learning curve for FCPX to be manageable.

Mostly I've been recording short videos covering topics for my courses. This is part of a series of short clips covering differential calculus for students who find they need it. But haven't done any calculus courses before.

Thanks, I thought it was a way to show the usefulness of FCPX. A lot of academics are still happy to record via a webcam and use little animated content. For good reasons I suppose. Research on student engagement with videos shows the median time students do engage with video content is only 5-6 minutes, so upload lectures have little pedagogical value.

The problem with the transition is really, the recording space is too small to light properly. Maybe it'd work better with a different background.

The sound benefits from using a good shotgun microphone, positioned well. And then run through the FCPX AI voice-isolating algorithm. This removes all the background building hums and occasional bangs from doors outside the room. It just preserves any sounds it recognises as a 'voice'.