I've heard that IMovie is the best movie making software available. But I don't have a Mac, I have a PC. My question is,
- should I buy a Mac?
- should I get Movie Maker for my PC?
- or should I use some other way of editting my film?
imovie is good for beginners because of how simple it is. You can't do much with it because it doesn't have very many options. I have never used Movie Maker, but i have used Windows movie maker which comes pre-installed on most PCs. Also imovie is nowhere near the best software. Final Cut pro is but is only available for Macs and cost almost as much as the computer it'self. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Advid are the two best Moving making software for PC. Theres also Sony Vegas but I have no experience with it so I can't tell you anything.
quote:
Originally posted by masterspud
imovie is good for beginners because of how simple it is. You can't do much with it because it doesn't have very many options. I have never used Movie Maker, but i have used Windows movie maker which comes pre-installed on most PCs. Also imovie is nowhere near the best software. Final Cut pro is but is only available for Macs and cost almost as much as the computer it'self. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Advid are the two best Moving making software for PC. Theres also Sony Vegas but I have no experience with it so I can't tell you anything.
Dude I feel like the world's biggest idiot. After reading your post, I looked through the programs on my PC and whaddya know, I've got Windows Movie Maker! I've had this computer almost 4 years and JUST realized that!
....let's keep this between me and you, lol.
Just keep in mind that movie maker is very basic. It will get the job done but not nearly as good as Premiere, final cut, advid, or vegas. I used it when I first started making shorts when I was 12. It's a great program to start off in if you have never edited before.
I would say, if you were to compare what you get free when you buy a computer, then a Mac gives you more. iMovie seems to have better features and is more robust than Windows Movie Maker. If you are learning to edit video, it will provide you with basic tools. However, a lot of features needed for more involved and serious work will be missing. In iMovie (or Windows Movie Maker), it is difficult to make changes with frame-accurate precision. Manipulating audio is also challenging, although it can be done.
Nice thing about iMovie is its tight integration with the rest of the iLife suite (iDVD, iPhoto, iTunes, GrageBand).
If you haven't edited a film on a computer, start with whatever you already have. Once you outgrow the tool, buy a better one. Either platform will work (although I would say, you get fewer headaches on a Mac).
Movie Maker is FINE. I would not recommend buying a Mac JUST for iMovie. Movie Maker is like an old mistress to me... no stone has been unturned, if you catch my drift. It works fine, but not as elegantly as iMovie.
However, iMovie has silly limitations of its own. Personally I despised having it edit the footage directly instead of using reference files: I LIKE to go back to my footage, darnit! Plus the interface had some odd overhauls with the new iLife. However, overall it is "better" than Movie Maker.
But, again, that single piece of software is NOT justification for buying a Mac. Now, if we're deciding between Final Cut and Premiere or something then that would change things, but these are both free stock video editors that accomplish the same basic things in different ways.
If you can't tell, I've edited a LOT with Movie Maker and quite a bit with iMovie. ?;)?
EDIT: hmm, I looked at your other post and I didn't realize you're shooting in HD. I have no experience editing in HD with either editors, but I'm sure there are differences in workflow and functionality there as well. I'd do a bit of research, just to make sure Movie Maker/iMovie would support your recording format codec and such.
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http://vimeo.com/corax
Windows movie maker doesn't support HD. I'm pretty positive iMovie does.
Also one thing about iMovie is that it doesn't edit in a "timeline" format. I'm not exactly sure what it's called exactly. From experience it was much easy to learn Premiere because of workign with movie maker first. iMovie is a very different editing format from all of the leading editors. Yeah, its easier to use but if you plan on doing more with your editing go with something other then iMovie.
quote:
Originally posted by masterspud
Windows movie maker doesn't support HD. I'm pretty positive iMovie does.
Also one thing about iMovie is that it doesn't edit in a "timeline" format. I'm not exactly sure what it's called exactly. From experience it was much easy to learn Premiere because of workign with movie maker first. iMovie is a very different editing format from all of the leading editors. Yeah, its easier to use but if you plan on doing more with your editing go with something other then iMovie.
Nope, the Vista version does HD as well.
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You can import the high-definition video file into Windows Movie Maker, and then edit it in Windows Movie Maker. After you are done editing, you can then publish your final movie as a Windows Media High Definition (WMV HD) Video file (which has a .wmv file name extension). Your published WMV HD movie will be 1440 x 1080 pixels or 1280 x 720 pixels (depending on the movie setting you choose when you publish your movie).
Again, I've never used it but it seems to be there.
Going off of what masterspud brought up, I agree that Movie Maker will facilitate transitioning to more advanced editors (it's interesting how iMovie now is nothing like FCP). I'd also say it would be better for developing software problem solving skills more, because it lacks the extremely inviting usability of iMovie's interface. Basically, Movie Maker doesn't hold your hand. You'll learn to be independent in workflow and editing technique, something I don't think people who use iMovie learn very well. Those are just my opinions though.
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http://vimeo.com/corax
