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Ambrosia7177

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 6, 2016
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Hello.

I am a cub reporter of sorts and have been busy the last month out in the field interviewing people about the coronavirus.

Now I have a maybe 100 videos that I took on my iPhone, and I don't know what to do with them as far as editing them so they are ready to publish online.

I would like to learn how to use software to edit my raw videos, but am not sure where to begin?! Furthermore, I don't want to have to invest tons of money and time to get going, because I have little of either. (I lost my job so money is tight.)

Here is a list of basic things that I am thinking I will need the software to do..


Must Have:
- Clip of beginner and end of videos, and clip out middle sections (e.g. stranger walks in front of interview)
- Adjust brightness and contrast - if that is even possible with a video
- Render the video so it will play in any web browser and on any mobile device.
- Change the video dimensions and file size to make it web and mobile friendly - assuming that is possible

Nice to Have:
- Some way to edit the audio
- Ability to change audio track volume levels - usually making them louder since an iPhone isn't the best microphone!
- Ability to edit out portions of audio - get rid of a barking dog, or someone swearing
- Ability to "zero out" of portion of the audio track (i.e. make silent) as a way to deal with distrctions like barking dog or swearing
- If there way a way to edit the audio in Audacity and then merge back with the video, that would be ideal!
- Ability to crop out portions of a video is that possible?


I am hoping that there is some software that i could get that is affordable, and good enough that it will allow me to publish my videos before they lose their timeliness and relevance.

If it is going to take me a month to learn video editing, then that is a problem right now. (Maybe if I get good at this, I can step up the software I use and take some classes to become a semi-professional, but for now I just want to make my videos "presentable" and helpto educate people.)

Is this attainable?

Oh, I have a few MacBook Pros, with the best one being a 13" Retina with 16GB of RAM. Not the best for video, but for what I am trying to do, hopefully good enough. Also, most of my videos of maybe 2-10 minutes long, so no majoy motion pictures to deal with!

Thanks.
 
You can do all that with iMovie. You'll need to import your videos into Photos, and then they will be available in iMovie.


That will be fine for what you want to do.

I am running Sierra.

Do I have Photos?

Do I have iMovie?

Why do you have to import videos into the Photos application to use the iMovie application?

Hopefully all of this is remaining outside of any online accounts or "The Cloud"?
 
I am running Sierra.

Do I have Photos?

Do I have iMovie?
Both should be on your Mac in the Applications Folder.

Why do you have to import videos into the Photos application to use the iMovie application?
OK, disregard that. I didn't think that you could import direct to iMovie, but having just checked, I find that you can. Into iMovie v10.1.14 anyway. Learn something new every day. :D
 
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Both should be on your Mac in the Applications Folder.


OK, disregard that. I didn't think that you could import direct to iMovie, but having just checked, I find that you can. Into iMovie v10.1.14 anyway. Learn something new every day. :D

I don't have iMovie, justPhotos and iTunes.

Even if I did have iMovie, which software would be the best combination of a.) Price, b.) Features, c.) Ease of learning, and d.) Most learning resources?

Late last year I broke down and bought a subscription to Adobe Lightroom, and while it was okay, I ended up using Nikon Capture to finish the project I was working on, which was a photo gallery website with photos and videos. Nikon Capture is free, and in my opinion easier to work with.

Then to add insult to injury, when I cancelled my Adobe subscription, in the fine print it said there was like a $60 cancellation penalty?! needless to say, I am not too happy with Adobe's business model and attempt to lock people into a subscription for life!

I don't mind paying for software if it is affordable, and ideally a one-tme license. And equally important, I want software that has tons of easy-to-use resources to help me quickly learn. (Sometimes the downside of free and open-source softare is that the software is good but the are no resources to help you learn how to use it!)

And with the pandemic, there is no way to go into an Apple Store and get training.

So which path is the best to take?
 
I don't have iMovie,
You should be able to find it in the App Store, and it should be free.

Even if I did have iMovie, which software would be the best combination of a.) Price, b.) Features, c.) Ease of learning, and d.) Most learning resources?
There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

There are various free Video Editors around, but none, in my opinion come close to iMovie in terms of integration. You don't have access to Photos to add pictures, or iTunes to add music. The best that I've found for controlling the audio is Video Pad, but I don't know what the restriction is with the free version rather than the paid version.

There is DaVinci Resolve, but I've tried more than once to get to grips with it and have failed miserably.

Paid options include Apple's Final Cut Pro and Adobe's Premier. I don't know the $ price, but FCP is £300 and Adobe £20 per month.

If you can get iMovie it will be by far your best option for what you want to do.
 
You should be able to find it in the App Store, and it should be free.

Okay, another dumb question...

How do you use the AppStore? (I not a mobile user, so I have no clue about such modern things!)

Isn't the AppStore where you download "apps" onto your iPhone?

I recall setting up some Apple account maybe 4 years ago - I think I needed it to upgrade macOS or something like that. But not being in the smartphone space, mobile apps are a foreign concept to me.


There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

Any websites that you'd recommend that teach you step by step how to use iMovie?


There are various free Video Editors around, but none, in my opinion come close to iMovie in terms of integration. You don't have access to Photos to add pictures, or iTunes to add music.

If iMovie is free, isn't it kind of amateurish and lacking real features?


The best that I've found for controlling the audio is Video Pad, but I don't know what the restriction is with the free version rather than the paid version.

Conceptually, in iMovie if I had a video where the audio was way too low or let's say I needed to just edit out some of the audio, but not necessarily clip out the video, can you do that easily (or at all) in iMovie?


Paid options include Apple's Final Cut Pro and Adobe's Premier. I don't know the $ price, but FCP is £300 and Adobe £20 per month.

How does Apple's Final Cut Pro compare to other pay software?

Is it considered professional" software?

I thought Final Cut pro went away? or am I thinking of something else?


If you can get iMovie it will be by far your best option for what you want to do.

How does it compare to Final Cut Pro?

It might be hard to justify $300, but if it is substantially better, then I mght consider it to be a better long term investment. (I'd hate to spend a whole bunch of time learning video editing software only to outgrow it in 6 months and then have to start all over again?!)
 
You use the Mac App Store; look in your Applications folder, and look for a blue circle with a white "A" in it. That's the Mac App Store. Then you should be able to find iMovie in it.
If you're using Mac OS 10.12 Sierra, I don't know if you'd be able to download iMovie, but maybe a slightly older version will be available for download. If not, you can upgrade to a newer version; the 13" Retina MacBook Pro can support the current version (Mac OS 10.15 Catalina), keeping mind it will only run 64-bit applications (meaning if you still have an older version of Audacity, you'll want to update it to the latest 64-bit version.) Otherwise you may still be able to find Mojave online somewhere, as that can run the current version of iMovie as well.
Regardless, if you can I still recommend doing a system/Time Machine backup before any Mac OS upgrade!
 
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How do you use the AppStore?
Again, it should be in your Applications Folder. You'll just need to sign in with your Apple ID to use it.
Screenshot 2020-04-21 at 23.03.00.png


Isn't the AppStore where you download "apps" onto your iPhone?
Yes, but the version on your Mac is for computer Apps.

Any websites that you'd recommend that teach you step by step how to use iMovie?
No, take your pick.

If iMovie is free, isn't it kind of amateurish and lacking real features?
Not in the slightest. It's perfectly adequate for what you want to do. However, you wouldn't use it for your latest cinema blockbuster.

How does Apple's Final Cut Pro compare to other pay software?
No idea. Sorry.

Is it considered professional" software?
Pretty much, as far as I know.

How does(iMovie) it compare to Final Cut Pro?
It doesn't, to be honest.

It might be hard to justify $300, but if it is substantially better, then I mght consider it to be a better long term investment. (I'd hate to spend a whole bunch of time learning video editing software only to outgrow it in 6 months and then have to start all over again?!)

iMovie will do all of this for free. FCP will do it for $300

Must Have:
- Clip of beginner and end of videos, and clip out middle sections (e.g. stranger walks in front of interview)
- Adjust brightness and contrast - if that is even possible with a video
- Render the video so it will play in any web browser and on any mobile device.
- Change the video dimensions and file size to make it web and mobile friendly - assuming that is possible

Nice to Have:
- Some way to edit the audio
- Ability to change audio track volume levels - usually making them louder since an iPhone isn't the best microphone!
- Ability to edit out portions of audio - get rid of a barking dog, or someone swearing
- Ability to "zero out" of portion of the audio track (i.e. make silent) as a way to deal with distrctions like barking dog or swearing

Give iMovie a go first and then buy FCP if you're not happy.
 
You use the Mac App Store; look in your Applications folder, and look for a blue circle with a white "A" in it. That's the Mac App Store.

Oh, okay.


Then you should be able to find iMovie in it.

I think the thing I was talking about before was an AppleID maybe?

Is that how you buy things on the AppStore?


If you're using Mac OS 10.12 Sierra, I don't know if you'd be able to download iMovie, but maybe a slightly older version will be available for download. If not, you can upgrade to a newer version; the 13" Retina MacBook Pro can support the current version (Mac OS 10.15 Catalina), keeping mind it will only run 64-bit applications (meaning if you still have an older version of Audacity, you'll want to update it to the latest 64-bit version.) Otherwise you may still be able to find Mojave online somewhere, as that can run the current version of iMovie as well.
Regardless, if you can I still recommend doing a system/Time Machine backup before any Mac OS upgrade!

Yeah, I want to avoid that for now, as it could screw up a lot of stuff on my Mac, and I'm so far behind on getting projects done, upgrading to a new macOS is not on this year's list!
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Yes, but the version on your Mac is for computer Apps.

Okay.



Not in the slightest. It's perfectly adequate for what you want to do. However, you wouldn't use it for your latest cinema blockbuster.

iMovie will do all of this for free. FCP will do it for $300

Give iMovie a go first and then buy FCP if you're not happy.

So what kinds of things will iMovie not do that Final Cut Pro would do? (Layman's terms please.)

For instance, are there some obvious features or common things a person would want to do editing and producing movies that Final Cut Pro has that things like iMovie lacks?

Or is it just a matter of Final Cut Pro having a better workflow?


Also, since I am on macOS Sierra, which version of iMovie will be available to me, and will that version be okay for what I need?

Or will I get stuck with a really old version that maybe isn't as versatile?
 
So what kinds of things will iMovie not do that Final Cut Pro would do? (Layman's terms please.)

For instance, are there some obvious features or common things a person would want to do editing and producing movies that Final Cut Pro has that things like iMovie lacks?

Or is it just a matter of Final Cut Pro having a better workflow?
Sorry, I haven't used FCP so can't comment on it in that detail. We had it on a Mac at work. It came with a stack of manuals about 6 inches thick. I couldn't figure out how to use it.

Also, since I am on macOS Sierra, which version of iMovie will be available to me, and will that version be okay for what I need?
Version 10 point something. The version for Mojave is 10.1.14. There's not a lot of difference.

Or will I get stuck with a really old version that maybe isn't as versatile?
No.

This is what I do with iMovie:
 
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Paid options include Apple's Final Cut Pro and Adobe's Premier. I don't know the $ price, but FCP is £300 and Adobe £20 per month.

Apple is currently offering a 90-day free trial of Final Cut Pro. This is the fully-functional program with no limitations. If you're serious about video and willing to take the time to learn, IMO this is the way to go. But I suspect you would have to upgrade to Catalina (or possibly Mojave) to run the current version. I understand you are reluctant to do that, but it's just something else to consider...

 
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@Dave Braine,

Very nice video - thanks for sharing!

It looks like you are in Ireland?

Is that your horse?
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Apple is currently offering a 90-day free trial of Final Cut Pro. This is the fully-functional program with no limitations. If you're serious about video and willing to take the time to learn, IMO this is the way to go. But I suspect you would have to upgrade to Catalina (or possibly Mojave) to run the current version. I understand you are reluctant to do that, but it's just something else to consider...


I'm thinking it's best to take @Dave Braine's advice and learn iMovie first, and then if I want more I can look at Final Cut Pro.

But thank you for the information. Who knows? Maybe I can apply the advice each of you is offering?
 
Apple is currently offering a 90-day free trial of Final Cut Pro.
I agree with @Dave Braine on iMovie. It does everything you listed. And there are several tutorials and one-off answers on YT for the asking.
I use FCPX as well. If you think upgrading an OS is difficult, FCPX is not the program for you. Very steep learning curve. Want to add LUTS? Want to change one color for another? Want to work with multiple video formats? FCPX does all this and more. But the good news is there is some design overlap with iMovie. Really, use iMove until one day you ask it to do something and it can't. Then (easily) transition to FCPX.
 
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I agree with @Dave Braine on iMovie. It does everything you listed. And there are several tutorials and one-off answers on YT for the asking.

Yeah, I'm going to look into it.


I use FCPX as well. If you think upgrading an OS is difficult, FCPX is not the program for you.

Upgrading an OS and having to also upgrade software and change settings and try to not break your current data/documents/workflow/life can be extremely difficult, and way more so than learning new software.

I'm not Mrs. Jones. ;-)



Very steep learning curve. Want to add LUTS? Wants to change one color for another? Want to work with multiple video formats? FCPX does all this and more. But the good news is there is some design overlap with iMovie. Really, use iMove until one day you ask it to do something and it can't. Then (easily) transition to FCPX.

Since they are similar (apparently), I guess I can start off with iMovie, and as you suggest, if I outgrow it then switch.

I just didn't want to waste my time in something that was inferior out-of-the-box.
 
So if you were starting from scratch, how long would it take you - or the average person - to learn everything needed to make such a video woth subtitles, music, editing, and all?

If it were with the modern iMovie, you could probably learn just about everything in an afternoon or two.
 
If it were with the modern iMovie, you could probably learn just about everything in an afternoon or two.

As opposed to what?

If I move forward with this, it will be on macOS Sierra.

Not sure what version is available to me?
 
Apple's FCP or DaVinci's resolve which could take you forever if you are like me.

But with the complexity comes power... and frankly, iMovie drove me nuts trying to figure it out... and FCPx not so much. FCPx offers power and additional features that one can "ease into" after getting started with the basics.
 
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True, but the vast majority of us don't need FCP's power.

The real issue, at least in my experience, is that Apple tends to "dumb down" programs like iMovie, and the iWork suite (Pages, et al)... and when they start removing features or making assumptions about what we need, well, we realize that we do need that power - as it will be the only way to get things done. Obviously, YMMV.
 
As opposed to what?

If I move forward with this, it will be on macOS Sierra.

Not sure what version is available to me?
When you download iMovie, the App Store will decide which version to download (it won't let you download a version that your system can't support)
 
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