Video Editing Software Query

[Lancashire Lad]

Hi Videophiles

I know absolutely nothing about todays video technology, and am asking a question or three, on behalf of a friend (who doesn't know much more than me ).

He has some video footage taken with an 8mm (digital) video tape camera shot in Africa of typical safari animal type subjects.

However, due to a mixture of inexperience and bad technique, the footage is somewhat shaky (due to excessive zooming) and the horizons are often tilted (due to not holding the camera level).

He is looking for a general editing software program which, besides doing all the usual stuff, will hopefully be able to correct both of these problems.
On the face of things, it sounds feasible as levelling the horizon should only require a similar level & crop technique as would apply to still photography - yes there will be a loss of anything near the frame edges - but it sounds like a reasonable thing to be able to achieve.

Likewise, the shaky footage - surely these days there must be software which can "lock on " to a given user defined detail within the frames, and keep that detail static. (Again - there would inevitably be loss of things from the frame edges - but it sounds like it should be within the arsenal of today's consumer oriented video editing software).

Does anyone here use any specific video editing software (price limit would be about £100.00) that would be able to do both of the above?

Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Mike.

[Firefox]

well it depends.. £100 is a good budget... if he uses a mac then go for Final cut express... all you need in one neat package. it will probalbly have some sort of tool for what you need it for.. i have never used it myself. i use adobe premiere pro, but im getting Final cut studio next year. anyway, good lucky

Yusuf

[Firefox]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

Hi Videophiles

.

LOL thats funny!

[Kayleigh]

I don't know anything about correcting things like your friend has, but I have downloaded windows movie maker its free and you can edit, cut and take stills I have not worked out how to rotate the images yet but I am sure there is a way.

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by Firefox

... if he uses a mac then go for Final cut express... all you need in one neat package. it will probalbly have some sort of tool for what you need it for....

Hi Yusuf, thanks for the reply, but he is using a PC.
You mention that Final Cut would probably have what he needs, but that is the problem he is facing - several people have suggested different software to him, saying that "such and such" is very good, and it will probably do what he needs.

But spending up to £100.00 on something that will probably do the job, and then finding out that it doesn't, isn't an option he is prepared to risk. He wants to be certain that it will do the job before spending his cash (And for that, I can't say I really blame him) .

On his behalf, I've looked at several different brands of software myself, and although they all have the fact that they can do hundreds of different cuts and fades emblazoned all over the boxes, and many other things which I personally consider to be no more than gimmicks, not one of them mentioned being able to do anything remotely similar to what is being requested.
And time spent speaking to the shop assistants would have been more usefully occupied by banging one's head against the wall.

Just to clarify, it is the actual video footage that he wants to remove the shakiness and non-level horizons from, an not individual still frame shots grabbed from the video.

Regards,
Mike.

[Kayleigh]

Tell him to try this he can deleted if its no good at no cost..

Windows Live Movie Maker 2011

[Words]

Elements 9 has something called 'stabilizer' which "removes unwanted camera shaking by analyzing the video image and tracking objects in the picture" according to the help files. You can also use the crop tool to rotate the frame free-hand, which would allow you to level horizons. I've not really used either of these features but generally I've found Elements pretty good and it comes in well under £100. You do need a reasonably powerful PC for video editing, a good deal of patience and be prepared for periods of frustration as you get to know the software. Video editing is not for the faint-hearted!

[loripo]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I don't know anything about correcting things like your friend has, but I have downloaded windows movie maker its free and you can edit, cut and take stills I have not worked out how to rotate the images yet but I am sure there is a way.

I have Windows Movie Maker , (but not the Live version) and you can rotate using the Effects menu, but the rotation is fixed at 90, 180 or 270 degrees - handy if you've video'd in portait rather than landscape

I don't think there is a lot of difference in the versions...

[Stephen de Vere]

I don't know it but I just found that Roxio 2012 Pro (under £100) seems to have a tool 'destabilize'. They have a demo video showing it but I couldn't see anything in my browser for some reason.

Bear in mind that stabilizing footage generally reduces quality quite a bit because of the zoom-in factor needed. Not true of the latest HD progressive footage, but more the older and particularly any interlaced footage, which 8mm will likely be.