I wanted to evaluate Ulead Video Studio and Pinnacle Studio Plus but I was not able to locate a trial version of the software on either website. I did not want to review Microsoft Movie Maker, Adobe Premiere Elements, or Adobe Premiere Pro because I have experience with all three software programs. My goal was to experience new video editing software. From the Top 5 Free Video Editing Software Programs listed on Desktop-Video-Guide.com I chose Wax. I chose muvee Reveal which has more features than muvee AutoProducer from the Top 7 Editing Software Programs for Beginners listed on Desktop-Video-Guide.com.
First I downloaded and installed Wax, which is a freeware. Freeware is software that can be downloaded and utilized for free but cannot be redistributed or altered to produce a derivative work without the author’s permission. When working with wax one of the first things I noticed that it offered a lot of features. However, when I went to add my media I noticed that there was no option to capture the video from a digital recording device into the computer. Wax only allows you to import avi video files, wav audio files, and a variety of image types. So I used a freeware converter called Format Factory to convert my video from mp4 to avi. I was surprised to see that a Photoshop psd file could be imported but not a GIF file. While wax has the ability to support an unlimited number of audio and video tracks I did not test the stability of the software with more than three tracks. Getting my media on the tracks was easy but editing the tracks required more trial and error. While trying to add and set the properties of Shatter Out and In Transition Preset the program crashed. Some of the time line features such as how the preset properties are changed and the key frames remind me of Adobe Premiere Pro. I had to find a tutorial on YouTube because I could not figure out how to add text to my video. One good thing about Wax is that it allows you to use third party plugins and presets. Wax can output video or audio. The only output option I saw when I was exporting my video was AVI, however the website says it can also output MPEG, WAV, and Flash files.
The second video editing software program I tried was muvee Reveal. After I installed muvee the first thing that caught my attention was the simplicity of the interface. I was turned off at first when I saw I could not edit my video. After experimenting with the options, styles and personalization I was able to produce an impressive little video. After you add your photos and video you can use the drag and drop feature to change the order. There are 10 styles or templates that come with the software program but you can buy more styles or make your own styles. You can easily add text captions to clips, exclude or highlight parts of a clip, and split video into smaller clips. You cannot add overlapping tracks of video or audio. You can add one audio track and also record narration. Muvee also provides multiple ways to share your video on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. You can also burn DVD’s, or export your movie to your computer, PSP, iPhone, cell phone, or iPod. To test the share feature, I created a short video of my son completing a puzzle and had muvee upload the video to my Facebook wall. I was impressed by the quality of the final video and the easy to sharing.
I cannot recommend Wax as video editing software because the learning curve is extremely steep. However, muvee is easy to learn and covers three of the stages of video production – capturing the video, editing the video, and sharing the video.
Sources:
Debug Mode.(n.d). Wax. Retrieved September 5, 2010, from http://www.debugmode.com/wax/
Desktop-Video-Guide.(n.d). Top 5 Free Video Editing Software Programs. Retrieved September 2, 2010, from http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/top-5-free-video-editing-software-review.html
Desktop-Video-Guide.(n.d). Top 7 video editing software programs for beginners. Retrieved September 2, 2010, from http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/top-7-video-editing-software-review.html
muvee Reveal.(n.d). Latest video editing software for instant home movies. Retrieved September 5, 2010, from http://www.mindofateacher.com/muveeen/products/reveal
Awesome article.