Video editing prog for mac, advice please

allanm

allanm

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Allan
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I have a Macbook Pro, a bit long in the tooth now at 5 years old, and have just bought a GoPro Hero 3+.
I used to have iMovie on iLife 9, never used it so sold the disc, but I saw a couple of tutorials on the GoPro and the guy was using iMovie and making a pretty good job of some slo mo clips.
So, the questions. Is iMovie any good? I see reviews on the app store and very few people rate the latest incarnation of iMovie.
Should I buy it ( again) and if I do, what is the best version to use, or is there an alternative video editing programme that won't break the bank, thats simple to use and will complement my GoPro?
Thanks in advance
Allan
 
Allan,

I use imovie11 to edit my mini dv tapes and am very happy with it compared to ulead video studio 11 or pinnacle 9 on windows.
 
andrewc said:
Premiere Elements

FinalCut Pro
Adobe Premier Pro
Sony Vegas?
Click to expand...

I think I have Premier Elements too ( i think v10) , at least I still have the activation codes, I might download that again and have a go. Final Cut pro is a bit out of my reach at the moment but I see iMovie 11 is only £10.49 on the app store. Its not a lot of money to waste if I don't like it, but is it any better ( easier to use) than iMove 9?

Allan
 
Sorry not used imovie9.
 
Final Cut rocks. The latest version is as easy to use as iMovie but amazingly powerful.

If you're not going to be stressing it though I bet you love iMovie and the spare £190.

Seeing the bad reviews of iMovie, a cynic would suggest Apple broke it to help FCPX sales. But also, happy users seldom review stuff on the App Store. I'd get a trial of FCPX and when that runs out risk a tenner on iMovie. See which you like.
 
I've used both iMovie and FCPX, and for me it has to be FCPX. So much more powerful, its a professional program, whereas iMovie seems like it is more mucking about with family videos. No problem if that's all you are doing, but if you want serious editing tools, then You'll have to spend the money.
 
TCR4x4 said:
..............but if you want serious editing tools, then You'll have to spend the money.
Click to expand...

At the moment its only going to be simple stuff till I get used to it and I guess iMovie will suffice, if its any good. Maybe FCPX in the future, anyway, thanks for all the input.
Allan
 
I am amazed that no one has mentioned the free Gopro software "GoPro Studio" which is superb. I convert the footage in Gopro Studio and then import it into Final Cut Pro X to apply the finishing touches http://www.fairwayflyovers.co.uk

Rob
 
Ive been using GoPro studio, and it seems pretty easy, so far. I have seen tutorials that start in GoPro studio then to add other effects, people are using other editors as well. I watched one for a slow mo project. Initial conversion was done in GPStudio then fine tuned and tweaked in iMovie.
I was assuming this would be the way to start and if iMovie was good enough as a secondary programme to use for the more involved processing.
Allan
 
I use FCPX and found it matches all my requirements including audio management. I use Clipwrap (re-wrap to Apple Pro-res) to import video clips from GH2 camera and them import to FCPX.
 
If you're looking for a professional editor on a Mac I'd be looking for either FCP7 or Avid.

The entire FCPX debacle has killed it as a serious editor - I know Apple have spent 2 years trying to fix it, but too many people were burned.
 
Hi, I've been in similar position to you, have a GoPro 2, was editing on a pc using the excellent sony vegas, then earlier this year got a macbook pro, I've done my editing using imovie 11 (not as good as Sony Vegas), initially I was having many problems with quality, I bought a book "imovie 11 the hidden manual" which is excellent, also after much searching on the web, I discovered that the gopro raw files need to be converted in GoPro studion, then edited in an external editor like imovie, now I'm happy using imovie 11, easy to use getting good results.
I wouln't class myself as an expert but I might be able to help you thru the problems I had, I wish I'd had someone to ask when I started using it.
My opinion of imovie 11 now is that its a very good program, especially for the price.
 
Thanks Kevin, I bought iMovie 11 but haven't really looked at it yet. I've been able to convert files ok in GPStudio and after fiddling about with the settings in VLC, I can get 2.7K video to play nice and smoothly.
I've been playing around indoors with the camera for a few days since I got it, today, I finally took it out and used it in anger. I was very impressed with the quality of the video, I don't know where they get the clips from on Youtube when they compare the Hero to other cameras, but they are nothing like the clips I get, mine are far better than anything they show, from any camera.
Allan
 
I really disliked iMovie, i thought it was very limited in what it had to offer but this was a few years ago now. But £10 doesn't sound that bad
 
I'm not looking to do a lot of editing, so something apparently simple like iMovie will suit me just fine to start with.
I just downloaded the free trial of FCPX to see how I get on with that, but I suspect it will be overkill for what I want to do.
And, £10 v £200? No contest.....at the moment
Allan
 
st599 said:
If you're looking for a professional editor on a Mac I'd be looking for either FCP7 or Avid.

The entire FCPX debacle has killed it as a serious editor - I know Apple have spent 2 years trying to fix it, but too many people were burned.
Click to expand...

Are you actually a professional video editor or someone who knows b****r all about it & is just regurgitating Internet forum twaddle?

FCP X is a perfectly decent professional editing platform especially with the new 10.1 version that shipped this week. Recommending FCP7 to a newcomer is stupid as it is end of life. If you want to stick with a more traditional professional NLE then Premiere Pro is excellent (as is Avid).

iMovie is a great little program for light editing use & streets ahead of Windows Movie Maker. I am sure that the OP will be delighted with it especially as it should already be installed on his MBP.
 
My niece is a proper video editor (srsly - she used to work for Ken Actual Burns and has had stuff at Cannes) - she hates FCPX. If you're editing fast and hard like stuff for the One Show while the program is actually running and you're used to FCP7 then it does indeed suck. IIRC she's swapped to Premiere.

But for the rest of us, it's ridiculously awesome. The multi cam thing is fabulous. But the versions of iMovie I've used (and I haven't used one in the last year or so) were also very capable. For a tenner it's worth a punt. (Apple stopped shipping it with Macs which is a shame - but like @nigelbb says it may well be on a 5 year old MBP)
 
It wasn't installed on my MBP, or if it was, I wiped it off when I installed ML ( I bought this second hand a short while ago when my Macbook got stolen) But, I have downloaded iMovie 11 for £10:49 and already produced my first 12 second video, complete with added soundtrack, white fade in, black fade out and 3 transitions between scenes.
I couldn't have done it without a little help from Mitch Davis on Youtube with his iMovie 11 Mavericks video. Theres also loads of rubbish tutorials on there!
Anyway, I figured out if I import and convert in GPStudio, I can then import into iMovie and go from there. Still loads to learn though before I even think about looking at my FCPX trial.
Allan
 
nigelbb said:
Are you actually a professional video editor or someone who knows b****r all about it & is just regurgitating Internet forum twaddle?

FCP X is a perfectly decent professional editing platform especially with the new 10.1 version that shipped this week. Recommending FCP7 to a newcomer is stupid as it is end of life. If you want to stick with a more traditional professional NLE then Premiere Pro is excellent (as is Avid).

iMovie is a great little program for light editing use & streets ahead of Windows Movie Maker. I am sure that the OP will be delighted with it especially as it should already be installed on his MBP.
Click to expand...
I'm in the industry and it's not internet twaddle.

When FCP launched it was unusable.
No multi camera
No backwards compatibility to FCP7
No pro codec support
No waveform monitor
Poor audio synch

it was little more than a souped up iMovie. So much so that the big users forced Apple to maintain FCP7.

I wouldn't recommend a Mac and FCP7 but if you must have a Mac it's a better editor than FCPX.
 
st599 said:
I'm in the industry and it's not internet twaddle.

When FCP launched it was unusable.
No multi camera
No backwards compatibility to FCP7
No pro codec support
No waveform monitor
Poor audio synch

it was little more than a souped up iMovie. So much so that the big users forced Apple to maintain FCP7.

I wouldn't recommend a Mac and FCP7 but if you must have a Mac it's a better editor than FCPX.
Click to expand...



FCPX got a lot of criticism on launch. But what you get now is nothing like the original. and that's upt o 10.0.9. The latest release 10.1 is a major improvement as well. I've only just got round to using it. The only item missing from your original list is the FCP7 to 10 conversion, but that's taken care of by a third party app.

I read that a number of editors find that the change from 7 to 10 a bit a a challenge as it works differently. I'm fortunate I didn't start editing until 10.0.3 came out and that overcame a lot of the initial criticism. If you've not tried FCPX since the orriginal try it now it's what it should have been. Multicam support and waveform monitors, plus lots more
 
Still haven't tried FCPX trial, but I've had a few sessions with 2013 version of iMovie.
I still got choppy video when editing so I splashed out on a new Macbook Pro ( non retina) now everything is smooth and fast.
I was going to try FCPX till I saw this....
http://alex4d.com/notes/item/imovie-2013-is-consumer-ui-on-fcpx

Looks like I might already have most of FCPX for £10.49!

Allan
 
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I have just had a look at iMovie 10. Unfortunately you don't have FCPX10.1 . What you have is a similar UI to FCPX 10.1. Apple have redesigned the way projects and events are stored in both versions. This is the main difference. There may be some additional tweeks but it's mainly the way media is handled and stored that's changed.

However if iMovie does all you want, and it's a very good program then to be honest £10.49 is a very good price.

Get to know iMovie then download the trial of FCPX and see if you need it. Multicam on FCPX is very easy, plus there a lot of third prty plug ins that help. However if iMovie does all you want save yourself £200
 
i use Final cut pro x 10.1 & filmconvert on my imac...they work a treat
 
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