by Anthony MacGregor

Created on: February 19, 2009

Video Editing software comes in lots of different flavours, from the professional systems to your garden variety, included-in-your-computer programs. Below is a quick outline of everything that is out there, starting from top to low.

At the professional level, there really are only two top editing platforms. This would be the Avid line of products (Avid Xpress, Avid Media Composer, Avid Symphony Nitris, Avid DS Nitris), and Apple's Final Cut Pro (Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro).

The Avid line (listed above from cheapest to most expensive) is the industry standard. About 90% of the films you see at a movie theatre were edited on an Avid NLE (Non-Linear Editing) System. Their prices can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

What about the other 10% of films? Well, those are being cut on Final Cut Pro. In recent years, the low price and ease of use of Final Cut have made it a worthy contender for the title of top editing system, and Final Cut is the system of choice for most small production companies, indie filmmakers, commercials, and pretty much anyone that doesn't have access to a large amount of money. As a professional editor, I work with both Avid and Final Cut on a daily basis - both have their pros and their cons, but both get the job done with the exact same results. For most editors the choice is just a matter of personal preference, not software capabilites.

A long time favourite for most "hobby" video editors, that has slowly been climbing up the ladder from consumer, to prosumer, and is now tip-toeing across the line into the professional field, is Adobe's Premiere. Particularly with its most recent release (CS4), and it's compatibility with the RED camera systems, Premiere is gaining slowly getting more attention from post production industry and could very well become a third option in the next couple years.

From there on out, there's a long list of programs that most of us own simply because we own a computer - Window's MovieMaker, Apple's iMovie, and Sony Vegas are the main players in this field. These programs are intended for those that shot home movies and want to cut out that dizzying moment when they gave their 5 year-old the camera, as well as add music and some basic effects. No serious editor would ever dream of cutting a project on one of these programs, but for the average user they offer plenty of options, probably more than what most will need.

Hope this guide helps, and remember - good editing can be easily noticed and appreciated, but the best editing isn't noticed, it is felt.

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