Video editing software

[QB1]

I've just got a little bullet cam to see if I actually use it that much on the bike and want to have a go at editing and adding music etc any recommendations on software to use?

Thanks

[Uber Dave]

I use Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects, but Sony Vegas is meant to be good as well.

[MayallRob]

Seeing as I spent four years at Uni directing and producing films as part of my Media Arts course I may be able to help.

I'll assume you are using a Mac or a PC running Windows?

On Mac the best software to use IMO is Final Cut Pro. This is the software I use and feel most comfortable with, but you can also use the free Mac software 'iMovie'.

The most basic (and free) editing software for Windows is Microsoft Movie Maker. This is VERY basic editing software, so don't expect much from it. If you're not willing to pay for software though it is worth trying out.

Also heard that theres some free software on Windows you could try called 'Lightworks', but I have never used this and so cannot say if it is any good.

As Uber Dave said, Adobe After Effects is very good software but can take some getting used to (as it is purposefully designed for special effects) and can be expensive. The same goes for Premiere and Vegas, though these are more user friendly.

Of course, there are always ways of getting expensive editing software for free... Let me know if this is a route you might consider.

And, when you finally decide on which software to use, upload some videos for us to watch! I've been looking at the Bullet camera for some time but bought a GoPro instead. However, you can never have too many video cameras... ;)

[QB1]

Thank you both.

MayallRob you sound like the man to ask :)

I'll be using a PC running Windows. As it's early days may just give MicroSoft Movie Maker a go. Not sure if I am going to really get into using the cam that much to be honest but we'll see.

Thanks again

[MayallRob]

If all you want to do is trim the videos a bit and put a few clips together you can't go wrong with MS Movie Maker. I'm pretty confident that it comes pre-installed on all Windows PCs, so you should already have it. I haven't used it for a few years, but I'm hoping theyve added in settings so you can choose what resolution film you want to export (as I'm assuming your camera is 1080p?) and also what framerate.

It might be worth mentioning that if you're just sticking the camera on your bike, filming your trip and then want to upload it online, YouTube has a built in 'video editor' that also allows you to trim videos and stick clips together, and I know it maintains your resolution and framerate once you've uploaded. If this is something you're interested in I can explain how to use it a bit better, just let me know.

[QB1]

Many thanks yep it's 1080 I'm hoping to have a play this weekend then I'll have a go with Movie Maker and the one on You Tube 😀

[QB1]

Hi ya MayallRob question for you if you dont mind. I put the camera on the bike today and when I actually managed to remember which buttons were on and which were standby (oh dear....:o) it seems to record in batches rather than one continuous piece of film if that makes sense. Any idea why? Many thanks

[QB1]

Just seen a reply you posted on the other camera thread and think I have a 32gb card so will try a much smaller one.

[MayallRob]

Hi ya MayallRob question for you if you dont mind. I put the camera on the bike today and when I actually managed to remember which buttons were on and which were standby (oh dear....:o) it seems to record in batches rather than one continuous piece of film if that makes sense. Any idea why? Many thanks

Hi QB1.

I think this is a feature most video cameras use as a way to keep overall file sizes low. Its much easier to manage 5 separate files that are all 5GB each, rather than 1 file which is 25GB. Lower file sizes result in faster transfer times and shorter upload / download speeds.

If you're familiar with drive formats (such as NTFS or FAT etc), I think that FAT drives cannot handle files larger than 4GB, so when a file reaches that limit it stops and then continues recording as a separate file. It could well be that your SD card is FAT formatted.

Either way this is normal behavior and I wouldn't worry about it, and isn't to do with which memory card you are using. In the other thread I posted in, the camera would actually stop recording altogether as it couldn't transfer the data to the memory card fast enough.

I hope this all made sense?

[QB1]

Yep makes sense big thank you again 😀

[bigpete]

try corel video studio, you can get a free 30 day trial to see if you get on with it!
my camera also only records 4gb at a time and I find this software really easy to loop films together.