Starting out

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

So, I've got the songs picked out, the source vids acquired and the storyboarding done.

Now I need software that handles captures and video editing. I use a PC, and Matrox Rainbow Runner was insanely clunky and gave me an 800 M monstrosity of a vid. Could someone rec me a better piece of software? Esp one that exports to VCR as Matrox did not.

Or is using an editing VCR easier?

Comments

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

A few questions -

1) When you say "source vids" - do you mean your vidding from other people's vids?

2) If you already have an editing vcr, it might be easier and cheaper to do it that way, actually.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Source Vids = commercial videotapes (if possible) home-recorded HBO/SHO/A&E in most cases.

So far the only thing I'm taking from other vidders is inspiration: "I want to make something that nifty! And if she can do it, so can I."

Most of what I plan to use I haven't seen in fanvids yet.

I don't have an editing VCR. I'm just exploring my options.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't want to send you backwards instead of forwards, and I don't know the prices on Windows vidding software. But You can probably get a vcr with everything you need for $400.

[luminosity]

If you're exporting a vid in AVI, uncompressed, 800mb is the norm. However, there are other platforms that will compress to about 10% that size (Quicktime [mov] or mpg), or even less (wmv and/or rm).

I can't speak to the VCR editing being any easier, though. It could be cheaper if you already have one.

[jmtorres.livejournal.com]

What she said. It sounds like what you need is a converter program, to take your uncompressed file and compress it (for web?). Alas, I know nothing of PCs so I cannot advise.

As someone who's done both VCR and digital editing--I find digital editing vastly easier; it's more precise and (the programs I use) allow non-linear editing. But VCR editing was faster--I didn't have to capture my source, which is probably the single most time-consuming thing I do with any vid (although of course, compressing the vid at the end *feels* longer because I want to get it done already, damn it).

DV - only way to go

[sleipnirrr.livejournal.com]

If you're trying to capture from tape, edit, then put back to tape, DV format is the way to go.
You can pick up cheap stuff from any number of companies (Dazzle (http://www.dazzle.com) to Pinnacle (http://www.pinnaclesys.com/) to Canopus (http://www.canopus.com/) - in order of increasing quality and price - and there are many others).
You'll be able to do pro-level stuff with any of them - some just take a little more sweat than others (more money, less sweat). For around $300 (plus a decent computer) for my personal fave, the Canopus ADVC-100 - you can be off and running.

If you try to edit via tape with anything short of a professional editing VCR ($thousands), you'll have nothing but frustration. Trust me.

Once you've got your DV movie all done, you can save it to tape, or use anything from Windows Media to Quicktime to turn it into a reasonable size file for downloading. Piece of cake.