How to create a split edit effect with iMovie 11

1. The Precision Editor

Find a clip in your project whose audio you'd like to extend and mouse over its thumbnail. You'll see a button appear lower left of it. Click on it and select the first option: Precision Editor. The lower part of the interface is replaced with a more zoomed-in version of your clips and their edit points.
2. See waveforms

By default, you'll only see the video clip. Just like the project section, you can zoom in or out of it with the slider, bottom-right of the section. If you want to see the clip's audio track, you need to click on the Show Audio Waveform button, top-right of the interface.
3. Create the split edit

Move the cursor to the edit point's blue line and make sure it's over the audio waveform, not the video. Now drag to the right to extend the audio but leave the video exactly where it was. You can do the same for the clip beneath it so you don't hear two audio tracks at the same time.

How to create a cutaway effect with iMovie11

1. Make a cutaway

With iMovie's Advanced Tools turned on in the Preferences window, select a shot from one of your Events and drag it over a clip in your chosen project. A contextual menu will appear. Select Cutaway and the clip will be placed above the original, on a second layer.
2. Move and alter

As you drag the cutaway along, a shadow will appear on the clip beneath it to give you an idea of which part will be obstructed. Move the cursor to either one of the cutaway's edges to turn it into a resize tool. You can drag the edges inward or outward to decrease or increase duration.
3. Fades and opacity

Double-click on the cutaway to open the Inspector window. The middle section offers you a couple of options specifically for that type of clip: you can choose to add a cross-fade transition which will appear both at its start and end; or alter the opacity to see part of the lower clip through it.

How to convert MKV to AVI format and import into Sony Vegas to edit

When you got a MKV video and want to edit it with Sony Vegas, you will find that this professional video editor does not support MKV video. As wen know, Sony Vegas is a professional video editing software package for non-linear editing systems (NLE) originally published by Sonic Foundry, with video file formats supported including AVI/DIVX/XVID/WMV/MPEG. That means if you want to import MKV video files to to Sony Vegas for editing, you need to convert MKV to Sony Vegas video with a MKV to Vegas Converter first. Next I will introduce a reliable method to convert MKV to AVI format easily so that you can edit your video.

At first, you need to download a great Video Converter. I recommend you to use Leawo MKV to AVI Converter. This video converter could not only convert MKV to Sony Vegas AVI/ DIVX/XVID/WMV/MPEG, but also convert other video files to Sony Vegas videos for easy editing.

So, let's get this tutorial start.

Step1: Import MKV video
Launch this MKV to AVI converter to import MKV video for converting. Preview source MKV video files to make sure you import the right MKV files you want to process.

Step 2: Select the output profile and video quality.
Select the output profile as AVI video and click "settings" to set the output video quality.

Step 3: Start Conversion
Click the big button on the left to start convert MKV to Sony Vegas video format.

How to alter a clip progressively over time with iMovie 11

1. Find and cut



Find the clip you want to alter over time and add it to your project. Skim over it with the mouse until you're over the part you'd like the change to occur. Without moving the cursor, press the Shift+Command+S keys to activate the Split Clip tool, which cuts the clip into two at that very point.

2. All change

Double-click on one part of the clip to bring up the Inspector window. Select the Video tab and make your changes. You can also make use of the Video Effect menu in the Inspector's Clip tab to add a single effect to your clip (only one can be used at a time). You can alter your modifications at any time.

03. Transition

Go to Window > Transitions to reveal the Transitions panel, bottom-right of the interface (or use the Command+4 keyboard shortcut). Locate Cross Dissolve and drag it onto the gap between the clips. To change its length, double-click on it in your project and type in a new value in the Duration field.

Most Popular Video Editor: Adobe Premiere Pro

Whether you're editing home movies to show the family over the holidays or you're getting ready to upload your YouTube movie masterpiece for the web to see, you need to edit your video before you let the world watch it. There are more than a few video editing tools on the market, and they run the gamut from entry-level to professional-grade. Last week we asked you which video editing tools you use to get the job done, and then we took a look the top five video editors based on your nominations. Now it's time to highlight the winner. Voting was tight all weekend long. Adobe Premiere Pro took the top spot with just over 36% of the vote. Final Cut Pro was hot on its heels with just over 24% of the votes cast, and Sony Vegas Pro took third place with 20%. In fourth place was Apple's consumer video editing product, iMovie, and bringing up the rear with 7% of the vote was AVID.

Source is
http://lifehacker.com/5865617/most-popular-video-editor-adobe-premiere-pro

Apple axed 'evolutionary' 64-bit Final Cut Pro 8 for 'revolutionary' FCPX

Apple may have canceled production of an "evolutionary" 64-bit Final Cut Pro 8 update in favor of what it viewed as a "revolutionary" update with what eventually became the controversial Final Cut Pro X [updated].

Richard Harrington, founder of RHED Pixel, said in a recent talk that Apple killed production of a 64-bit Final Cut Pro 8 after officials with the company were not satisfied with what they saw. Harrington's comments, discovered by fcp.co and highlighted by Cult of Mac, were made in reference to American University's decision to train its students in Final Cut Pro X.

"There was a Final Cut Pro 8, and it was 64-bit and it was done," Harrington said. "And they looked at it and said, 'This is not what we want to do. This is evolutionary, this is not revolutionary.' And they killed it."

Update: Harrington later provided clarification via Twitter, saying he did not hear the information first-hand, but rather that it was simply a rumor passed along with an off-hand comment.

"Comment was misunderstood," he wrote. "I just heard efforts were well underway then killed."

The video has since been pulled from the Web. But if the rumor is accurate, it's an indication that Apple originally considered following along the same path as Final Cut Pro 7, before it decided to take its professional video editing software in an entirely new direction.

Those considerable changes made in Final Cut Pro X rubbed many video professionals the wrong way when the new $299 software was released this June. Apple also worked quickly to release an update for Final Cut Pro X to add some of the most requested features, like Xsan and Rich XML support.

Apple has also promised that it will add multicam editing and broadcast-quality video monitoring to Final Cut Pro X in early 2012. The software has also been made available for a 30-day free trial to let professionals try before they buy.

The changes in Final Cut Pro X caused a significant controversy in the video editing and production business. The attention became so great that even comedian Conan O'Brien had a bit on his show poking fun at the new software.

Apple also responded to customer dissatisfaction by offering refunds, and the company even offered some customers the ability to buy the previous generation Final Cut Pro Studio with Final Cut Pro 7 for $999. Sales of Final Cut Pro Studio were made available only over the phone, and were said to be in "limited quantity" for customers who needed the older software for ongoing projects.

AppleInsider first reported in May of 2010 that Apple was scaling Final Cut Studio applications with a significant makeover that would better target Apple's mainstream "prosumer" customer base, rather than high-end professionals. After the public release of Final Cut Pro X, some in video editing circles began to deride the software with the name "iMovie Pro," referring to Apple's consumer-oriented video editing software, iMovie.

Source is
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/11/30/rumor_apple_axed_evolutionary_64_bit_final_cut_pro_8_for_revolutionary_fcpx.html

Five Best Video Editors in 2011

Whether you're editing home movies to send to family and friends, or you're planning your web video takeover of YouTube, it's important to have the right tools to edit your videos before you put them where the world can see. This week we're going to take a look at five of the best video editing tools, based on your nominations.

Earlier in the week we asked you which tools you used to edit video, regardless of what that video was intended for. Whether you're a semi-pro looking to show off your skills, or you just want to throw together a video for your YouTube subscribers, there are tons of great options. We couldn't possibly highlight the over two dozen nominees you offered, but here's a look at the top five.

iMovie (Mac OS)

Apple's consumer-end video editing package is so ubiquitous that you can tell if a video has been edited with iMovie just by looking at the opening and closing screens and the type of cuts and swipes used over the course of the video. That said, a skilled video editor can make great looking videos with it, it's incredibly easy to use, and the drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to apply effects, titles, soundtracks, and other tweaks to your video and then sit back, preview it, and export it to burn to DVD, upload to YouTube, or save in HD for big-screen watching. iMovie is part of iLife, and ships on every Mac.

Sony Vegas Pro (Windows)

Sony Vegas Pro is pricy, starting at $599.95, but that price gets you serious power and professional-level features for the video editor that's looking to take their videos out of Windows Movie Maker and up to the next level. Vegas Pro offers Blu-ray disc authoring, editing tools for standard def, high definition, or even 3D video, support for multi-camera video editing, and support for more audio and video formats than you could possibly need. In addition to its video editing tools, Sony Vegas Pro also offers professional audio editing tools to match, and a drag-and-drop interface that makes getting started with the tool deceptively easy considering the power that's under the hood.

Final Cut Pro (Mac OS)

Whether you prefer the newest version, Final Cut Pro X, or the previous "classic" version before Apple's many changes to the product, Final Cut Pro has been a staple in video editing for years. The tool is considered by many to be the perfect bridge between consumer-level and professional-level video editing products, thanks to its easy-to-understand interface and powerful editing tools. Final Cut Pro has broad file format support for audio and video, multi-track editing that allows you to see all of your audio and video tracks in the same view, an media organization window that shows you all of your available video and audio clips in one view, a preview mode that lets you try your edits on for size before you commit them, a comprehensive clip manager, and more, in all resolutions, from standard def to HD and up to 4K. Power doesn't come cheap though, Final Cut Pro will set you back $299.99.

AVID (Windows/Mac OS)

AVID Media Composer is a professional-level video editing tool, and has been used to produce more than a few big box office films, as well as music videos, TV shows, commercials, and everything in between. AVID Studio on the other hand is the home and pro-sumer version of the award-winning professional product. AVID Studio will set you back $169.99, where AVID Media Composer is a much priceier $2,499.00. Both products have more than enough power to get the job done, but the one you want will depend on what you're editing video for. AVID Studio is best suited to users looking to make home videos, produce home films or independent films (while getting some exposure to the professional toolset in AVID Media Composer), and need comprehensive media management and editing tools to help make their independent movies look as professional as possible. AVID Media Composer on the other hand is a video and audio editing powerhouse used for professional video production, with a feature set to match—one that includes all of the features of the other suites in the roundup.

Adobe Premiere Pro (Windows/Mac OS )

Adobe Premiere Pro is part of the Adobe Creative Suite of design and media applications, but can be purchased stand-alone as Adobe Premiere Elements for $99, and Adobe Premiere Pro for $799.99. Despite its price tag, Premiere Pro is a video editing standard for many, and offers integration with other Adobe products, more video effects than you could possibly want, native file format editing (and, it's worth noting, supports a wealth of video, image, and audio formats without forcing you to convert first), 3D video editing, automatic color and image corrections, multi-camera editing, and more. Premiere Pro is a favorite among people making original mashups and creations from a collection of other video, but the tool is just as effective when it comes to edit your own creations.

Source is
http://lifehacker.com/5864841/five-best-video-editors