Video creation can seem like an overwhelming task at first thought, but good news! If you have a smartphone (who doesn’t these days?) and the right video editing software, you can create pretty great video content. Sure, your videos may not be super bowl ad worthy, but you’ll be surprised at the quality of content you can produce with the right tools.
Two of our favorite editing tools are iMovie and Final Cut Pro, which are both Apple products. While they are a bit of an apples-and-oranges comparison – one is a more basic, budget friendly option and the other is more full-featured and an investment – they are both great tools to get the job done, depending on your needs.
Here’s a little background on each editor, and the advantages of each:
iMovie
This is a great program for beginner video editors to use to learn the ropes. We love it for it’s ease of use and basic editing features – it has enough tools to get the job done, but none of the more complex editing options that often intimidate beginners. Since it’s an Apple product, you can seamlessly bring in different Apple programs to the application such as iTunes, Garageband, Photos, etc.
We also love that it:
- Makes it easy to jump back and forth between scenes
- Is very simple to change the audio over a video clip
- Gives you the ability to fix shaky/unsteady video
- Is available on all Apple devices, so you can make edits on your video from anywhere
The biggest advantage of iMovie is that it’s free! A great way to get some exposure to video editing, without an initial investment.
Final Cut Pro
This is a signature video editing software, and includes more advanced features and capabilities. With a modern and sleek design, Final Cut also makes the experience for the editor more exciting while remaining pretty easy to use.
Some of our favorite features include:
- The magnetic timeline, which makes it easier to produce your project. It automatically snaps multiple clips into place and gives you the ability to move the clips around the timeline quickly and easily.
- Multi-Channel Audio that allows use different audio channels to make the sound of the video high-quality.
- Compound clips option, that keeps you from worrying about gaps when you add videos together, and it transitions the video smoothly.
There is a cost associated with Final Cut Pro – right now it’s priced at $299 – but we believe it’s one of the best video editors on the market and worth every penny.
For most of our video editing needs here at Matrix Group, such as the Matrix Minute video series, we use Final Cut Pro. But we also love using iMovie to quickly edit and post videos to social media that are more timely.
There are many other video editing programs out there, but these are by far our favorites. And remember, if you ever need any video help, we’re here for you!
Have to dabbled in video editing? What’s your platform of choice?
