VideoSpin: Free PC Video Editing by Pinnacle

Pinnacle Systems recently released a free PC editing program called VideoSpin, requiring only a 148-megabyte download from www.videospin.com. I decided to give the program a try to see what the implications were for MindBites users and those looking for cost-effective ways to edit on the PC. Unfortunately, my heart is not set on VideoSpin, and all-in-all it doesn’t change the landscape of free PC editing in any fundamental way.

I will start with what is good about VideoSpin and then mention my critiques. The program has almost no learning curve. Its interface is simple and linear. You have mainly two modes: Edit and Make Movie. All the editing, adding sound effects, transitions, titles, and so on is done in Edit mode, and then Make Movie is used to export your final product.

There is a nice volume bar that you can easily key-frame and move around, making fading audio in and out very simple. The program also renders transitions as you place them, which alleviates the problem of thinking you did something wrong when your un-rendered video plays choppy. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: DiVX, editing, Movie Maker, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Pinncale, Studio 11, VideoSpin | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | 1 Comment »

National Holiday Video Editing Weekend - 7 Tips to Do it Now!

In the midst of taking down tinsel and filing away the numerous gift cards you received, we want to remind you of all the wonderful footage you shot while in the throes of holiday cheer. While it’s tempting to put off editing ’til later, you are almost certainly dooming the tapes to a life of collecting top-shelf closet dust. Why not do it this weekend?! In mere hours, you’ll have a delightful piece of family heritage in the can. Here’s some advice for editing your masterpiece.

7 Tips for Editing your Holiday Video

1. Just Do It, Now! - The best advice we can give you is the old Carpe Diem mentality. Commit to finishing your video this weekend. It’s a quick and relatively painless procedure and you’ll thank us afterwards. Otherwise, human nature dictates that it will never get done (or worse, you’ll be sending it out as a gift for the 4th of July).

2. Fire Up Your Editing Program - Don’t worry if you haven’t done any editing before. For your purposes, any basic editing program on your computer or that came with your camera should do fine. If you’ve been aching to learn that high-end editing system you copied from your cousin, hold off until the task at hand is complete. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Digital video, editing, holidays, production, tips | Posted in Life and Learning, Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »