Video editing software

LuttiS

My work system is going to need some upgrading, and i've been told to get a spec list together.. the internet is surprisingly vague for a Resolve hardware requirements..

What do y'all recommend for a capable system? Budget not going to stretch to massive heights... 

Stuckfast

Is there any budget to get you some training?

Wolfetone

Everyone seems to suggest the DSLR route. A basic DSLR setup will have you tearing your hair out.

Pound for pound, zooming/focus pulling is never as smooth as a dedicated video camera, low light performance is rarely as good, the range of auto video oriented settings is rarely as good, sound inputs never as good, no built in nd filters etc. 

I've been using Sony Pro video cameras for years. I have since gone over to DSLR's and regretted it. DSLR's are still majorly stills cameras and you need a lot of outboard gear to bring them up to spec.

With reference to the editing software, I have always used Sony Vegas but there is a lite version which retails at £79 and will do absolutely everything you want including text and object track motion. Unless you are going to professional broadcast, this will be fine. 

My advice is a used HDD camera. 

midlifecrisis

i found my lowly laptop was to underpowered to run resolve but this thing seems to run ok
https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/index.html
you can trial it and its under £40 for the best version.  seems very dimilar to adobe premier elements

digitalscream

Lodious said:

I think the free version of Resolve does not use GPU acceleration (I could be wrong about that?)

Don't know about the other operating systems, but the Linux version does.

hywelg

midlifecrisis said:

i found my lowly laptop was to underpowered to run resolve but this thing seems to run ok
https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/index.html
you can trial it and its under £40 for the best version.  seems very dimilar to adobe premier elements

I would warn you off anything from nchsoftware. Bunch of crooks. I tried a few bits of software from.them including one paid for app. It was buggy as hell and just didn't work for the intended purpose. Trying to get a refund was a nightmare. Trying to uninstall the freeware was nigh on impossible requiring deep registry editing. 

midlifecrisis

hywelg said:

midlifecrisis said:

i found my lowly laptop was to underpowered to run resolve but this thing seems to run ok
https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/index.html
you can trial it and its under £40 for the best version.  seems very dimilar to adobe premier elements

I would warn you off anything from nchsoftware. Bunch of crooks. I tried a few bits of software from.them including one paid for app. It was buggy as hell and just didn't work for the intended purpose. Trying to get a refund was a nightmare. Trying to uninstall the freeware was nigh on impossible requiring deep registry editing. 

wow, thanks for the update. Ive been running the trial for just over a week, its nagging me to buy but ive resisted and it still works but il watch it

fastonebaz

@LuttiS try Hitfilm.  Express version is free.  Tonnes of features.  I found it alot easier to get to grips with than Resolve.  You can buy fx bundles in small increments if you need to.

maltingsaudio

Sorry @LuttiS but this sort of thing really gets my goat. I’m not having a go at you but at the way companies and the general populous believe that by downloading for free a piece of software they can do the same job as a trained professional . It’s the same thing that has killed off the music recording industry.

LuttiS

maltingsaudio said:

Sorry @LuttiS but this sort of thing really gets my goat. I’m not having a go at you but at the way companies and the general populous believe that by downloading for free a piece of software they can do the same job as a trained professional . It’s the same thing that has killed off the music recording industry.

I have illusions as to what my abilities are.. I have done some in the past so I'm not completly blind going in.
The level of video that I need to do will literally be staring at the product and putting a voice over and subtitles..  not exactly Spielberg stuff.. 

Also fwiw... I did give my boss a warning that I'm not a professional video chap and don't expect miracles..

TTBZ

Wolfetone said:

Everyone seems to suggest the DSLR route. A basic DSLR setup will have you tearing your hair out.

Pound for pound, zooming/focus pulling is never as smooth as a dedicated video camera, low light performance is rarely as good, the range of auto video oriented settings is rarely as good, sound inputs never as good, no built in nd filters etc. 

I've been using Sony Pro video cameras for years. I have since gone over to DSLR's and regretted it. DSLR's are still majorly stills cameras and you need a lot of outboard gear to bring them up to spec.

Know what you mean but on the cheap I still think a DSLR or M43 is a better option than a camcorder with a fixed lens and tiny sensor - depends on what you're shooting though I guess. You could get a used 7d, some decent lenses and external zoom recorder for dirt cheap now.

Though if budget would allow i would love a C100 or 300, I'm going away from Canon and probably to a Panasonic GH5 as it's much more suited for video work than others in its price range in my opinion - better data rates and 10bit recording, IBIS, flat profiles with built in lut preview etc. I always use an external audio recorder so the lack of XLR inputs doesn't matter to me.

That said I used to use an FS7 for work and bloody loved it. Don't like Sony menu systems though, just so fiddly and that's what's putting me off an A7 series.

Lodious

I am totally loving Resolve. It's really easy to get started with and seems very intuitive, but the best thing has been the quality of the tutorials to support the program here....



I watched the first part of the colour grading one last night and found it brilliant. I'm new to grading and learned tons in the first 45mins. 

fastonebaz

@LuttiS ;
I stand corrected.  despite having been a keen user of hitfilm for the past 3 years Ive compared it to da vinci resolve now and da vinci resolve blazes through exports blowing hitfilm right out of the water.  Im making the switch now!

TTBZ

Once you're used to the interface and workflow of a "pro" NLE it's impossible to go back to something lesser unless you really have to. If you haven't already, look up 3/4 point editing, it's by far the most efficient way to edit. A lot of the big name YouTubers seem to drag all their clips onto the timeline and cut it up with the blade tool then delete the unwanted parts, or drag the start/end of their clips in the timelines, and it's just painful to watch. Every editor I've worked with in the real world uses 3 point editing.

WiresDreamDisasters

TTBZ said:

Once you're used to the interface and workflow of a "pro" NLE it's impossible to go back to something lesser unless you really have to. If you haven't already, look up 3/4 point editing, it's by far the most efficient way to edit. A lot of the big name YouTubers seem to drag all their clips onto the timeline and cut it up with the blade tool then delete the unwanted parts, or drag the start/end of their clips in the timelines, and it's just painful to watch. Every editor I've worked with in the real world uses 3 point editing.

Heh. I didn't know it was called 3 point editing. *ducks*

PolarityMan

TTBZ said:

Wolfetone said:

Everyone seems to suggest the DSLR route. A basic DSLR setup will have you tearing your hair out.

Pound for pound, zooming/focus pulling is never as smooth as a dedicated video camera, low light performance is rarely as good, the range of auto video oriented settings is rarely as good, sound inputs never as good, no built in nd filters etc. 

I've been using Sony Pro video cameras for years. I have since gone over to DSLR's and regretted it. DSLR's are still majorly stills cameras and you need a lot of outboard gear to bring them up to spec.

Know what you mean but on the cheap I still think a DSLR or M43 is a better option than a camcorder with a fixed lens and tiny sensor - depends on what you're shooting though I guess. You could get a used 7d, some decent lenses and external zoom recorder for dirt cheap now.

Though if budget would allow i would love a C100 or 300, I'm going away from Canon and probably to a Panasonic GH5 as it's much more suited for video work than others in its price range in my opinion - better data rates and 10bit recording, IBIS, flat profiles with built in lut preview etc. I always use an external audio recorder so the lack of XLR inputs doesn't matter to me.

That said I used to use an FS7 for work and bloody loved it. Don't like Sony menu systems though, just so fiddly and that's what's putting me off an A7 series.

Not my area of expertise at all but I also think in this particular target market the audio is going to be captured externally to the camera anyway so that adecent mic / sound card etc can be used and that most people getting into this already have an initial investment in some recording gear.

Add to that the desire for multiple camera angles in a 1-man operation and the DSLR route starts to look even more cost effective.

FWIW the guys doing this were using DSLRs and gopros and the low light performance seems pretty good