Video editing apps for beginners

[Samtb]

What Mac or iOS video editing app would you recommend for beginners - not too expensive but can still do colour grading etc? Is Gilmore any good?

Also is there a point in using filmic pro?

 

[e1me5]

I would suggest Final Cut Pro X. I don’t know your budget but don’t know your skills either (if you are a beginner or an enthusiast). But it’s a good move to future proof your skills and learn on a pro app (that’s not that expensive anw) as you don’t know where your road will take you.

As for filming pro, I use it for shots I can’t get with my Sony fs7II, mostly macro shots or incognito situations, and the quality is just great from my 6S. Hell I even prefer it from a GoPro hero 6 black mostly due to the focus ability of the iPhone. I think there is a log setting in the app that’s a premium feature but I’ve seen examples and it’s a nifty creative tool.

 

[Samtb]

I would suggest Final Cut Pro X. I don’t know your budget but don’t know your skills either (if you are a beginner or an enthusiast). But it’s a good move to future proof your skills and learn on a pro app (that’s not that expensive anw) as you don’t know where your road will take you.

As for filming pro, I use it for shots I can’t get with my Sony fs7II, mostly macro shots or incognito situations, and the quality is just great from my 6S. Hell I even prefer it from a GoPro hero 6 black mostly due to the focus ability of the iPhone. I think there is a log setting in the app that’s a premium feature but I’ve seen examples and it’s a nifty creative tool.

I’m a beginner. What can you do in final cut that you can’t do in iMovie? What are the main things?

 

[joema2]

I’m a beginner. What can you do in final cut that you can’t do in iMovie? What are the main things?

iMovie is often used by pros and shares some of the same internal code as FCPX. If you are shooting single-camera 1080p material, iMovie might be all you need. However I don't think iMovie has built-in support for proxy files, multicam or external media (what FCPX calls "leave files in place"). I think FCPX also has more advanced color grading tools.

Proxies are often needed for H264 4k to get adequate editing performance. Multi-camera support helps sync and edit the same thing shot from two or more cameras, or sync external audio to a camera's video. External media management avoids importing and duplicating media already on your hard drive.

iMovie is very good and if you're just starting there's nothing wrong with it. The super-fast "skimmer" technology is shared between it and FCPX. I know professional news reporters who use iMovie in the field when they shoot brief video clips to supplement their photos.

Since iMovie is free you could start with that and then move up to FCPX later if needed. The UI is superficially similar, but FCPX is a true professional tool and is sometimes used to make TV shows and theatrical movies.

 

[Kierikka]

iMovie is a great startingpoint to learn editing. I am from theold school and learned to edit on tape in the 90s and today I only use FCPX. With iMovie you can learn how to think when editing and when you feel that you master the basics download a trial of FCPX or Premiere and see what fits your needs. It is not the tool that makes the film/movie it is the story you are telling.

 

[Boyd01]

I started with Adobe Premiere in 1995, switched to Final Cut Pro in 2001 and still use it. Just get the free trial of Final Cut Pro, there are no restrictions on it, you can use all its features for 30 days. If you're lucky, Apple will release a new version during your free trial, so you can download another 30 day free trial.

https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/trial/

I think Apple has a nice education bundle that also includes Logic Pro, if you're eligible for that. But even at full price, FCP is very reasonable IMO. And considerably cheaper than it was 10 years ago!