learning how to edit video

Ever since I got my macbook I wanted to try to have a go at video editing. But frankly, I don't even know where to start. Any suggestions on tools and methods? Perhaps even a tutorial or a book? Thanks

Best way to learn is to just play with the software - at least thats how i learnt to do it.

Every program will do things differently. iMovie is probably the best place to start.

giulio said:

iMovie is probably the best place to start.

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Agreed, then when you have outgrown imovie move on to final cut express

Get a cam corder or a digital camera capable of video and start recording some clips. You can then import these clips into software of your choice. iMovie is probably a good place to start if you already have it.

When I make my music videos - I use....

Cinematize to extract about 20 to 30 secs of a clip... then Quicktime to cut it down in secs... to fit to the music portion.

Add to iMovie.......... add the filter effects..... there ya go!

*Bragging now * Here's my winning video I did for the 2007 Xena Convention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHQT32igXNk

Apple's website has a great tutorial for iMovie 08. I've been playing with it for a week and after playing, learned a lot more by watching the videos. If you are going to import video from a camcorder, make sure you have a firewire cable because from what I understand and have experienced, you can't import video into the macbook via usb.

T

Del said:

Best way to learn is to just play with the software - at least thats how i learnt to do it.

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That is it! Just mess with iMovie. iMovie uses most of the basic principles of editing. Once you figure out on your own (the big picture) then come back and ask for the smaller details ! If you mess around enuf on your own you will have a better understanding then if you read it. After iMovie if you get serious I would, and have gone, to Final Cut.

thanks for all the replies. what I really want to know what does editing actually entail? let's say I made a video of my friends wedding. what would one need to edit? brightness or fading and such? oh I feel like such a nooooob

lol don't... well you might put the weding to music, fade from scene to scene, choose not to have to drunk uncles toast... that kinda stuff not really so much as color correction or fading

There's a wide range of things you can do with video editing that will expand alongside your experience. For now all you'll probably want to do as you are just entering into editing is capture the video, lay it out on the timeline and add music to it. Perhaps even some trimming and adding of transitions.

The layout of iMovie is very easy to navigate, and the integration of of iMovie with the rest of the iLife applications (iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD) make it very simple to add things to the video like pictures or music and then to send it off to a DVD when you're finished.

Does your camera have a DV-Out plug? (For Firewire). That's the first step to capturing video once that's done it's a breeze from there on out.

Oh and make sure you save constantly! Haha, I can't count how many times I've lost half a project because I made a lot of progress and went to render something then the application quit and I lost two and a half hours worth of work. (Honestly 99% of those experiences were on Windows-based editing programs but still it's better safe than sorry).

Sexy Patrol said:

Oh and make sure you save constantly! Haha, I can't count how many times I've lost half a project because I made a lot of progress and went to render something then the application quit and I lost two and a half hours worth of work. (Honestly 99% of those experiences were on Windows-based editing programs but still it's better safe than sorry).

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YES!!!! lol i have lost so many files because of iMovie crashing(the computer i was using was not suited for video) SAVE SAVE SAVE!!

great! can you recommend a good but inexpensive camera with firewire out?

Define "inexpensive". If by that you mean under $1,000 I'd look for a Canon HV20. It's HDV, so it'll be excellent quality and it'll definitely have DV-out.