It wasn’t that long ago that editing video to a professional standard was only for people in the film and TV industry, or those willing to spend a hell of a lot of money to try and achieve their creative goals. That is no longer the case though as top level tools are now far more accessible than ever, and often at affordable prices too. Today, just about anyone can access high-end video editing software easily and approach a project with the same editing capabilities as a professional.
When it’s something that you only do for fun of course, the more cost-effective programs will certainly do just fine. But how about trying to make a career out of video editing? Will these programs still cut it? Are they a viable way to learn compared to the premium programs out there that cost big money?
While many of the free and very low cost tools might have the sort of limitations you’d expect when compared to the industry standard software, there are plenty of reasonably priced programs out there that can deliver the same power and range of features as their premium counterparts. One of the best examples of this is Final Cut Pro X from Apple, which is less expensive than some other video editing tool used by professionals, but by no means less effective. I fact, many people in the industry choose it over the more expensive equivalents both because of it’s features and workflow, and simply because there is a lot of loyalty for Apple products and hardware amongst people working in creative industries. As Final Cut Pro is also arguably the best software for beginners, many professional editors have simply stuck with it since starting out because it’s what they know and love.
Final Cut Pro X is also one of the more popular choices because of the vast collection of third party plugins available that add enhanced visual effects. It is also the only software to have a bespoke music plugin, Final Cut Pro Audio. This plugin allows you to access and edit music as you would any other effect in a way that simply wasn’t possible before.
A completely different time
Some of the very best film makers and editors of all time did not have access to anything even approaching the incredible range of software tools and plugins that we do today. They had to work harder to achieve the results they wanted, and that laid the groundwork for just about everything that video editing software can help you achieve easily today. Hobbyists and professionals alike have far more affordable and accessible tools at their disposal than ever before.
Not that long ago, it took considerable time, patience and effort to achieve things that can now be solved in a few seconds with a simple click or a drag and drop. While some people might think this means just about anyone could become skilled in the art of video editing, no matter how clever the tools become, it still requires both enormous creativity and dedication to become a master.
