What is the best free editing software?

[Dave Smith]

I have looked around trying to find an editing software that is free to use. I will primarily use it to edit video but would also like to color grade both videos and pictures. I currently have OpenShot Video Editor and it works for video pretty well. I have looked at Da Vinci Resolve and was wondering if it was good. If you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to share.

 

[Randy Jennings]

I haven't used Da Vinci Resolve, but I have used other Blackmagic Design products and have generally been impressed (especially for the money). The paid version is used for post-production on many movies and TV shows. The free version isn't doesn't have all the features the paid version has (see What's the Difference Between DaVinci Resolve Free and Studio? | Artgrid ). The biggest issue is likely the learning curve. If you aren't familiar with professional editing tools, the user interface may be intimidating. If you want something simple and easy, then it may not be the right tool for you.

 

[Austin Honeycutt]

I haven't used Da Vinci Resolve, but I have used other Blackmagic Design products and have generally been impressed (especially for the money). The paid version is used for post-production on many movies and TV shows. The free version isn't doesn't have all the features the paid version has (see What's the Difference Between DaVinci Resolve Free and Studio? | Artgrid ). The biggest issue is likely the learning curve. If you aren't familiar with professional editing tools, the user interface may be intimidating. If you want something simple and easy, then it may not be the right tool for you.

Thank you for the suggestion, I am always open to learning and trying new things. I will have to check it out.

 

[Shaun Trock]

I'm late to the party, but a free and open source software you could use is Shotcut. It has documentation and tutorials on the home page. That's what I use. If you're particularly savvy, you can write your own plugins as well.

 

[Nathan Parker]

On a Mac, I generally use iMovie.

I have a license to FCPX I picked up as a student. Still need to learn it though. I won't be doing FCP on iOS since the last thing I want is another subscription.

On Linux, I used OpenShot.

 

[gdlewen]

On a Mac, I generally use iMovie.

I have a license to FCPX I picked up as a student. Still need to learn it though. I won't be doing FCP on iOS since the last thing I want is another subscription.

On Linux, I used OpenShot.

FCPX --> Oh my:

I think I need to get a bit better at chasing to justify this! Until then, it's iMovie for Geoff.

 

[Drew Terril]

I learned editing two decades ago on FCP. iMovie is functional for those on Mac who don't need anything crazy, but for Windows, the free version of DaVinci Resolve is pretty solid for a free software. I think DaVinci is available on Mac as well, but having learned years ago on FCP, I have a comfort level there that I don't have with other programs. And as a bonus, for anyone who has some of the early HD MiniDV camcorder (or even if you have an old standard def MiniDV that you'd like to play with), FCP can still import those directly from the camcorder with an adapter going from FireWire to Thunderbolt. As a bonus, you can still hit control the camcorder playback directly from the FCP software without having to touch the camcorder when you import (which is how we imported everything back in the day). FCP is pricey, but worth it once you get to the limits of the various free options out there.

 

[gdlewen]

I learned editing two decades ago on FCP. iMovie is functional for those on Mac who don't need anything crazy, but for Windows, the free version of DaVinci Resolve is pretty solid for a free software. I think DaVinci is available on Mac as well, but having learned years ago on FCP, I have a comfort level there that I don't have with other programs.
....

FCP and GR2 Analyst are both on my "Big $$ Wish List" (FCP because of this discussion). But you do remind me of DaVinci Resolve. They do have it for the Mac, so that's probably my next stop. It's a good tip, and discussions like this are a big reason I like ST.

 

[Ryan Schwartz]

If you like to color grade video footage, DaVinci is the gold standard. Some will import their footage into DaVinci just for the color grading and then export to their editing program of choice.

 

[Jeff Wright]

This article may be of use in traffic cameras if they can be keyed to rotation automatically

A quantum algorithm for the segmentation of a moving target in grayscale videos

Computer vision algorithms have become increasingly advanced over the past decades, enabling the development of sophisticated technologies to monitor specific environments, detect objects of interest in video footage and uncover suspicious activities in CCTV recordings. Some of these algorithms...

techxplore.com

 

[Michael Thompson]

Davinci Resolve is probably the best free one, but it comes with a steep learning curve..well for me it does..lol.

I was using Premiere Elements but always found it lagged features and was geared around 'family' videos.

People will spew...but I now use CapCut for PC. It is intuitive, has color grading, key framing and loads of drag and drop effects and text