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is adobe creative cloud the way to go?
- Thread starter First Son
- Start date
Depends on your editing style and what area you want to work in. If you're primarily using Adobe over other software such as Avid or Final Cut, then CC is the way to go.
I haven't had many problems with CC.
I use it and love it. Especially if you do more than basic edits, it gives you all the preproduction through post production tools to do just about whatever you want with.
Learning to edit?
Until you've mastered the basics (and a lot of it has little to do with software), stick to the free editing tools that are on your computer - iMovie or Movie Maker, depending on Mac or PC. While more expensive editing suites offer more bells & whistles, you're probably not going to be getting your money's worth by renting or buying outright.
Fwiw, Sony Vegas & Adobe Elements offer affordable alternatives to the free software you already have access to, starting at about $100 each. Both have extra addons, if you need them - but that's not a bad way to move up, before committing to a monthly subscription for a full suite of production tools.
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Yes, definitely start with the free (or better, low-cost, entry-level NLEs) before you take the professional plunge.
Just as an additional opinion, I researched $100-range NLEs recently in setting up a basic leaner system on PC and found that Sony Vegas was frustrating and counterintuitive. Maybe that's because I'm so used to FCP (not X), but I didn't like Vegas at all. Also, while Photoshop Elements is a wonderful, little program, Premiere Elements makes me want to gouge out my eyeballs.
I finally settled on Pinnacle Studio. Corel has made a few changes since acquiring it, but it sprang out of AVID as their consumer-level offering AVID Studio and it still has much of the same functionality.
Really? I tried all three, and found the Vegas Movie Studio the only one I could actually done what I wanted to get done. Elements also just about cost me my eyeballs. The Pinnacle was pretty easy to use also, but I found the add-ons for VMS (and wrote some of my own) what swayed me.
There is also HitFilm which is sort of a mini-editor and very power VFX/3D compositor package combined at a pretty decent price. It lacks some fancier editing features, but it also can be bundled with VMS and the integration between the two (edit in VMS, double click a clip and you're in HitFilm) is seamless.
CraigL
Thanks zensteve and everyone else. I have been using windows movie maker for a few years although ive never done more than use a few stills and put them to music as I work with musicians in my day job. Im gonna check these suggestions out especially adobe elements. Missed that one before. I appreciate this. Love this forum. Always helpful
Where do you want to be editing five years from now? Go to the human reaources area of the web sites of those companies and see what is the required software and certifications. You may have to be Avid certified as well as know Avid Media Creator and Protools to get work with a TV network, as an example. Knowing this ahead of time will help you plan your agenda.
You might consider trying out Premiere Elements, if you're just starting out. It's $100, and has an interface similar enough to Premiere Pro that you won't have to relearn a bunch of stuff when you're ready to move up to something more professional.
If you want to learn on a professional tool, CC is one hell of a deal: the $20 monthly subscription gets you 15 for the price of a one-time FCPX license, which is probably the lowest you can get in the pro-zone (okay, add the price of a Mac). If you can pick it up in a couple of months, and start getting jobs, 20 a month should be well covered. In case you lose interest, you haven't made a large upfront investment.
what are some of the effects that adobe creative cloud can do?
ZenSteve's advice, as normal, is very solid!
If you haven't yet begun the process of learning to edit, dropping money on the CC Suite is just going to overwhelm you. The Sony Vegas series is top notch, and the 'Platinum' version is a fantastic stepping stone to something like CC. I used Platinum for well over two years and learned a whole lot from it. It's not expensive either, usually less than $80.
Now, I do use CC though - and I love it. As mentioned above, it gives you tools for film making from beginning to end. I'm even a huge fan of Audition for recording my albums, though it's not designed to be a music-making DAW, rather a music-editing one.
If you haven't yet begun the process of learning to edit, dropping money on the CC Suite is just going to overwhelm you. The Sony Vegas series is top notch, and the 'Platinum' version is a fantastic stepping stone to something like CC. I used Platinum for well over two years and learned a whole lot from it. It's not expensive either, usually less than $80.
Now, I do use CC though - and I love it. As mentioned above, it gives you tools for film making from beginning to end. I'm even a huge fan of Audition for recording my albums, though it's not designed to be a music-making DAW, rather a music-editing one.
Oh man, the sky is kind of the limit. But there is a learning curve. Check out videocopilot.net for a taste, they have lots of free tutorials for After Effects.
Recently subscribed - I've been a stand-alone photoshop/illustrator user for long, long before I had a need for a video editing tool on my own machine. Honestly, it's worth the subscription if you can afford it.
I have not had a chance to sit down and dig into speed grade yet, but I am looking forward to it. I don't see myself becoming a big after effects user, but way they price CC it doesn't make sense to just get one or another application. Acrobat pro is a nice bonus, though things like CutePDF meet most of my needs for that already.
All in all worth the ticket price, imo, but only if it is realistically within a given person's budget.
I have not had a chance to sit down and dig into speed grade yet, but I am looking forward to it. I don't see myself becoming a big after effects user, but way they price CC it doesn't make sense to just get one or another application. Acrobat pro is a nice bonus, though things like CutePDF meet most of my needs for that already.
All in all worth the ticket price, imo, but only if it is realistically within a given person's budget.
Well if my only skill is a little bit with movie maker should I invest in a better software?