Looking for Respectable Free Video Editing Software

[WhiskeyJack]

title says it all.

Just would like to be able to chop up video, maybe add in some text and fade in and out and stuff. Any advice?

[Lt. Bob]

me too!

Time to add something else to my list of stuff to learn

[Greg_L]

I always think I should have learned video. And I still think I should learn video and then I never actually do it. Now I'm so far behind the curve that there's no point. Dumber people than me can make really nice videos. I guess I'm super dumb. And lazy. Probably both.

[Tadpui]

Davinci Resolve has a free version. It's not the most user-friendly software out there, but it's feature-rich and free. Just have Google/YouTube on speed-dial to look up every single thing you want to do in your first few projects. I've been using it for 4 or 5 years now and I still have to look up how-to's and tutorials pretty frequently.

That's the only free editor that I have any experience with, other than a few brief attempts to use Windows' buit-in movie editor. You can do a few things in the Windows editor, but you might get frustrated by its limitations pretty quickly. Nothing to lose by trying it though.

Reaper can do video as well, although I've had mixed results with it. I haven't even tried in years now, so maybe they've made some improvements along the way. See what happens if you drag a video file into your timeline!

I haven't browsed around lately, so I've lost touch with what all is out there in the freeware category. The only other options I can recall are all paid, and even those are moving to the obnoxious subscription model.

[WhiskeyJack]

Davinci Resolve has a free version. It's not the most user-friendly software out there, but it's feature-rich and free. Just have Google/YouTube on speed-dial to look up every single thing you want to do in your first few projects. I've been using it for 4 or 5 years now and I still have to look up how-to's and tutorials pretty frequently.

That's the only free editor that I have any experience with, other than a few brief attempts to use Windows' buit-in movie editor. You can do a few things in the Windows editor, but you might get frustrated by its limitations pretty quickly. Nothing to lose by trying it though.

Reaper can do video as well, although I've had mixed results with it. I haven't even tried in years now, so maybe they've made some improvements along the way. See what happens if you drag a video file into your timeline!

I haven't browsed around lately, so I've lost touch with what all is out there in the freeware category. The only other options I can recall are all paid, and even those are moving to the obnoxious subscription model.

This is the info I needed. I may actually look into Reaper. totally forgot it did video but i wasn't sure if was just "adding audio into pre-edited video" or if it did more than just that. This is the 2nd vote I have also gotten for that Davinici software so i am basically sold If i can't do what i want ot do in reaper.

@Greg_L This little project is a one and done thing. I don't have any interest in learning a new hobby or time suck right now. I just have one little project i need to do and than that'll be it.

You guys will get to see it too LOL. It's kinda cringe but also cool. I dunno. It's definitely both though lol.

[Armistice]

Can't help alas - I use Vegas, which I paid for because at the time there wasn't much free - and it's a bit clunky now, although I really don't use it enough to really master it, but it's one of those stupid bits of software that if you don't buy the full suite, which costs an arm or a leg, they hobble various things in it. Damned annoying. I'm sure there's something user friendly and simple out there now - people are posting videos all the time.

What does @rayc use, I wonder. He pumps things out pretty quickly. Bubba did too, but he doesn't hang here any more, alas.

[rayc]

The Windows Movie Maker before W7 was great...now it's challenging to use. I was using Wondershare Video Editor as a free prog. It's not bad but super tight editing for vocal synch is almost impossible.

[vomitHatSteve]

I always think I should have learned video. And I still think I should learn video and then I never actually do it. Now I'm so far behind the curve that there's no point. Dumber people than me can make really nice videos. I guess I'm super dumb. And lazy. Probably both.

Honestly, it's probably easier to get into video than it used to be.
Processing power and storage keep getting cheaper and cheaper, so you lose a lot less time to just dealing with importing/moving/whatever files.
And the technology is getting more user-friendly.

As for free (or you've already paid for them) options
Windows 10 ships with a Video Editor program that's pretty usable.
Reaper still isn't great with video. I just poked around a little, and it couldn't import half of my clips.
Most websites that host video have some basic editing tools now if you're just looking to trim off dead air or whatever.

[JD01]

DaVinci Resolve - its pretty complex but you'll get there.

[musicturtle]

Shotcut is free, open source, pretty easy to use. Especially if you can work your way around a DAW.

Not a lot of effects and stuff but works pretty well.

https://shotcut.org/

[musicturtle]

@WhiskeyJack

I did this a few months ago where I tested Shotcut, DaVinci and Lightworks. All free.

Lightworks seems to be the easiest to use.

DaVinci the steepest learning curve.

Shotcut I think is best for most basic editing.

They are all quite powerful and will do the trick. Kinda like DAWs, once you get comfortable, it's not really that difficult, but people tend to stick with what they know.

I have used Cyberlink Powerdirector for some time but will probably switch to Lightworks or Shotcut soon as Cyberlink has gone to the subscription route if you want to stay up to date.

[WhiskeyJack]

@WhiskeyJack

I did this a few months ago where I tested Shotcut, DaVinci and Lightworks. All free.

Lightworks seems to be the easiest to use.

DaVinci the steepest learning curve.

Shotcut I think is best for most basic editing.

They are all quite powerful and will do the trick. Kinda like DAWs, once you get comfortable, it's not really that difficult, but people tend to stick with what they know.

I have used Cyberlink Powerdirector for some time but will probably switch to Lightworks or Shotcut soon as Cyberlink has gone to the subscription route if you want to stay up to date.

Cheers. Thank you tony.

Literally just downloaded Resolve here now and i am going to try to fumble my way thru it and reaper and see what i can accomplish. This project of sorts is a one and done kinda of thing.

Lightworks also sound familiar and if i find myself spinning my tires too much in resolve i may shift gears to that. Really i am just dicing up an old video into smaller bits with fade outs and text. If i can improve on audio quality i might try to do that too but i am not going to waste too much time on it.

[CrowsofFritz]

I second Davinci.

Let me know if you have any questions. It can be confusing.

[WhiskeyJack]

I second Davinci.

Let me know if you have any questions. It can be confusing.

yes it's dumb and i;m tired so i traded that chore for tonight to actually play some guitars and drink some scotch. I'll attack this with a fresh brain later this weekend. I may hit you up @CrowsofFritz

[Tadpui]

yes it's dumb and i;m tired so i traded that chore for tonight to actually play some guitars and drink some scotch. I'll attack this with a fresh brain later this weekend. I may hit you up @CrowsofFritz

Now THAT'S a better use of time than fiddling with a video editor

[Armistice]

Fiddling with a video editor is about my least favourite thing... I enjoyed learning it but don't have the patience / desire to get decent footage that I can use to make a film clip with these days. Although given I've committed to an album, I guess I'll have to do something. I can go to the beach and take lots of footage of the waves...

It would actually be a great backdrop to mime against, but I'd feel like a prat set up on the beach somewhere with an electric guitar, pretending to sing and play...

[rayc]

[WhiskeyJack]

Fun Update.

So looks like whatever software i used really did not like having one 8 hour chunk of video put into it to manipulate in anyway so i ended up just using regular plain ass windows video or pictures software to trim out the pieces I wanted to individual smaller sized videos.

My wife showed me how to do that.....

Now i have a tester sized one put into reaper in an effort to maybe clean up the audio a little bit. There is some really nasty overtones of just old VHS video quality. This might be a bit of a chore to clean up / remove but we will see how it goes. I might just try to Use ReaQ to minimize it but it is going to cause significant harm to the music's audio quality. guess we wait and see.

Once i get the audio cleaned up i might still try to put it into resolve and see if i can do anything with the quality of the actual footage. Sharpen the images and colors maybe?

I know one thing is for sure though, I was one very cringey stage performer as a young man. I blame the cocktail of inhuman amounts of caffeine pills with fireball whiskey chaser but let's be honest, it's was always there under the surface with out the additives right?! HAHAA.

pure cringe that I do not look forward to sharing with any of you lol.