Video Editing?

[skybuster]

What do you guys use for editing video?

I do a lot of 8mm downloading and have started using Adobe Premiere 6.0, as well as windows movie maker.

Windows is pretty simple to use, but the Adobe has all kinds of features that I am still trying to figure out.

What does everyone else prefer?

[lor]

I use the Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 which is a later version of Premiere but not the most current since the new repackaging of the video,effects, & flash software adobe is now doing.
Premiere because its a more professional caliber program will have significantly more features than Movie Maker. But depending on what trying to do, the adobe program may be overkill.

If your using version 6.0, to learn the features.
You may want to make a trip to Powells Technical Books.
Most of the good Adobe Software books are version specific.
So you should be able to find a book which was current when Adobe 6.0 was the latest copy, thats probably the best way to learn the feature in your version.

[STGRule]

I use Adobe Premiere Elements 1.0 bundled with Photoshop elements 3.0. It's cheap and easy.

[JustCallMeDave]

Premiere is awfully expensive and has a huge learning curve for a home user to be using. Bravo to you for being able to afford it for a hobby.

Personally I'd use Pinnaclesys's Studio line of products. Easy to make good results.

With that said, there's a long stretch of things you're going to have to do to get good results going from tape to digital. Research research research.

[skybuster]

It's not a hobby. I am using it for my business, but wouldn't mind learning how to make cool fishing videos as well.

My video guy just resigned as he is moving to Denver soon, so I am stuck doing all of the video stuff myself for a while. He is the one that put the Adobe 6.0 on the computer, I guess he spared no expense since it was my money. He did find me a $150.00 piece of hardware at the Goodwill for $10.00, so that helps a little.

He did come over yesterday and gave me a walk through of the program, and typed out a cheat sheet to help me out. I played with it a little and it appears that the program is probably smarter than I am. I think I will look for one of those technical books as someone suggested.

[JustCallMeDave]

Premiere is pretty high end, still. While you can do a LOT with it, I'm still going to recommend Studio. You can get really sharp looking results (titling, transitioning, background music, etc) for a surprisingly little amount of time spent on the project.

If you'd like to download a trial version and put it through its paces, click here.

[lor]

As long as your as your using a single camera and audio source.
Then programs such as Pinnacle, movie maker, etc will be fine. This is what I started out using.
As I stated earlier, it really depends on what your trying to do.
For me, the switch came when I was attempting to sync the footage from multiple cameras and be able to switch between shots. The hobby level packages backed then only allowed 1 video,audio, and soundtrack.When working with the footage from multiple camera which record the same event just from different angles.And use all the audio or just a single audio source.
The hobby level programs become less useful.

[skybuster]

Thanks for the info guys. I really think I need a book on Adobe.

I just finished my first video. It was just over 55 minutes long and needed some basic editing, just splicing in some stuff and cutting out stuff in a few spots. I used the Adobe program to capture all of the video, and then imported it to Windows to edit. I know that I should have been able to do the whole thing in Adobe, but I'm not that talented yet. It turned out pretty good though.

Can anyone tell me why the date stamp doesn't go from my sony camera to my sony computer through firwire? I have to run the signal through a DV-Bridge to get the date stamp to come up.

[StrikeFighter]

All of my movies where shot with a simple Sony camera and all edited with a Imac that comes with I-Life which is I-photo, Idvd and Imovie. They are the simple to use. I have more expensive software but don't use it. However if you have a PC then you will have to use the above mention product.
You can see some movies here of various thing included extensive underwater video movies. Just click on Movie Theater

[Reel_Big_Fish]

I use the Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5

It's what I use also.