Looking for Video Creation Software

[loby]

Hello All, I am looking for Video creation software that I can added power points, banners (like CNN),scrolling text etc. It would be great to be able to create multi-language DVD's from it as well, but that can wait if I have too. I am thinking that maybe Final Cut Pro may do this but I am not sure.

Can anyone please recommend something? Much appreciated...

 

[cgbier]

How much do you want to pay?

For multi-language DVD (if you are talking about different audio tracks), I'd suggest either FCS3 or Premiere. They are a bit pricey though.
The editing portion can easily be done in FCP X. You would have to find someone to author your DVDs though.

 

[kaisdaddy]

FCP X would work...

...for editing, although you could probably get away with iMovie. For DVD burning, you could use Roxio Toast, although to get pretty menus you may want to try something like Moviegate: web.mac.com/cducommun/MG_English/

 

[floh]

I'm not really sure what you want to do... do you want to shoot videos with a camera and then edit them (i.e. cut them into a movie of our liking)? Or do you want to take an already edited movie and then add lower thirds, scrolling titles and such things? To me that sounds more like "Video Creation"...

If so, you might want to take a look at Apple "Motion". At a very reasonable price, you get some fine options for banners, text animation and nice effects.

If you want to actually edit a movie, then cgbier is right about "Final Cut Pro X", it can do anything you want. But for titles and lower thirds, you might still want to add Motion to that.

As for DVD authoring: It is complicated. I have yet to find an authoring tool for Mac that I am totally content with. And if you want multilanguage, you will have to pay a surprisingly big amount of money to get something usable. I can not fullheartedly recommend any of the software I have tried. So I would actually try to have people deal with files instead of DVDs. Multiple audio tracks are supported by virtually any encoding software (e.g. "Compressor" or even the free "Handbrake"), and nowadays most DVD players can play them just as easily.

A while ago, Steve Jobs has announced that he declares the disc to be dead and Apple has not offered an upgrade on DVD authoring software since. First I was really shocked, seeing that I love to buy DVDs, for the extras alone and because of the lack of original language video-on-demand in Germany. But by now, at least for my personal amateur videos, I have to kind of agree with him. Many of my friends don't live next door anymore and some of them even don't have a DVD player. The easiest way for me to share my videos with them is to send them a link...

 

[cgbier]

As for DVD authoring: It is complicated. I have yet to find an authoring tool for Mac that I am totally content with. And if you want multilanguage, you will have to pay a surprisingly big amount of money to get something usable. I can not fullheartedly recommend any of the software I have tried.

Dunno what you tried, but I produce DVD with three languages in DVDSP. Whatever extra language you have, you put into the A2 and down tracks. The viewer can choose the language of its taste in the menu of the finished disk.

Only problem: ebay prices for FCS3 are beyond sanity, and FCS1 & 2 (much cheaper) don't install under Lion.

 

[floh]

Dunno what you tried, but I produce DVD with three languages in DVDSP. Whatever extra language you have, you put into the A2 and down tracks. The viewer can choose the language of its taste in the menu of the finished disk.

Only problem: ebay prices for FCS3 are beyond sanity, and FCS1 & 2 (much cheaper) don't install under Lion.

Yes, DVD Studio Pro was a nice option that I used at our university media center back in the days. However, it has two major drawbacks: First, I don't own it. I know that's fixable, but as a student, I didn't have the cash for FCS and now I won't bother looking back from FCPX...
And second, DVD Studio Pro, as nice as it is, still works on version 4, which has been released in 2005 and did not change at all with newer releases of Final Cut Studio. That's what I mean by "Apple hasn't offered an upgrade".

The iLife version "iDVD" also hasn't been updated since 2006 and is not only not included with Lion anymore, but has given me a hard time burning letterboxed 16:9 movies that will show up either stretched or cut on about half of the players I tried them on.

It really seems to me like Apple doesn't want us to produce DVDs (or BluRays for that matter) anymore. I was actually hoping for a standalone version of DVDSP when Compressor and Motion showed up in the App Store, but I doubt that this is going to happen...

 

[mBox]

...And second, DVD Studio Pro, as nice as it is, still works on version 4, which has been released in 2005 and did not change at all with newer releases of Final Cut Studio. That's what I mean by "Apple hasn't offered an upgrade"...

Well it is old but pretty up to date as far as compliant DVD authoring. I've finalized many pro DVD's using the latest and its fine. Multi-language, easter egg laden, buggy internet connectivity option, etc...

All it doesnt do for me is BD.
I use Encore for that.

 

[cgbier]

I don't own it.

I do

DVDSP was actually the only app in the whole suite, I didn't see the need for an update for. The DVD format hasn't changed since then.

Even though I haven't touched FCS2 for editing for quite a while, I still keep it around JUST because of DVDSP.
I also have C5.5, but Encore is a crash fest on both of my Macs.

 

[mBox]

...I also have C5.5, but Encore is a crash fest on both of my Macs...

Funny you mentioned that Yea it is a bit of a buggy app. I have however survived over a dozen projects with CS5.5 with minor crashes, some bad to the point of having to start from scratch
Things to avoid. Dont bother with that slide-show option. Does not come anywhere near DVDSP's.
I would suggest to pre-transcode all your clips ala FCPX style.
Basically hates anything it cant read on the fly during authoring.
Some minor bugs like using the pop-up is flawless but controlling the Title button is useless usually hit and miss.
In the end its probably the best DVD/BD option available if you include it in the price of Production Premium or Master Collection.
As a stand alone, I wouldnt pay more than 200 bucks for it