I've been looking for a long time for an easy to use video editing software that I want to use to perform some simple tasks. I couldn't find a free one so far, so I had to look in the poorly represented commercial sector. Well, here is where I found just what I was looking for.
This software is called MainActor and it comes from a company called Main Concept. It allows importing, editing and producing videos fairly easy without requiring a skilled professional to push its buttons. It is fairly easy to use and with a little determination, anyone can use it.
The first thing I liked about MainActor is that it installed very easy without giving me any concerns that a user might encounter problems at this stage. Secondly, I liked that it is able to work with the DV and the MPEG format but since it is a commercial software, I was a bit disappointed that it doesn't support more formats. Anyway, those two should be enough for most of the people since most of the modern camcorders use DV and the Video CDs and DVDs use MPEG.
The interface of MainActor doesn't have an exquisite eye-candy but it doesn't classify as ugly. I would have liked a nicer interface but I like this one too because it's practical.
The interface is composed of five windows which can be arranged anyway you like. There is the browser window, the media player, the effects window, the timeline and the preview window. You can arrange these windows as you like and when you've found the layout that works best for you, it can be saved for further use.
The first window you'll be using is
the browser. From
here, you'll be importing your media files, and you'll be selecting the various effects. The browser window facilitates the management of all the components that are present in your project.
I really like the effects because the variety is pretty interesting. The effects are grouped in four categories like audio effects, filters, sources and transitions. Another thing that I like is that you have animated thumbnails that give you a better idea about what they do. For some reason, the thumbnails don't animate all the time. Some of the most interesting effects that can be used to produce very interesting films are the color keyer and the slow-motion / time warp. There are dozens of transitions available which can only make the end user creative and happy when doing it.
The timeline window does exactly what is says. It offers you an overview of your project. Here, you import all your movie clips, sound files, edit them and add the various effects and transitions. It is fairly easy to use and if you get stuck at some point, there is a comprehensive manual in PDF that will teach you to get the work done and will even teach you some things you couldn't learn otherwise.
The effects window is very important when working with various effects. It offers a broad palette of settings for them and only adjusting various parameters, you can get what you want from an effect. Reaching the settings concerning an effect is done by double-clicking the desired effect track. If you get comfortable with this component, you will realize how much you can accomplish with this software.
The GoodThis is the most user friendly software we have today for video editing. It has many various effects that allow the user to create interesting clips and allow us to easily import the material from different sources.
The BadThe software costs money. It's around 200$ and I think that most people from the Linux world will not pay this price. Unfortunately, it is not as user friendly as I would have liked.
The TruthMainActor is a good software and gets the job done. I don't consider it a tool for the professional, but for the home user, it has everything we need. If you have the money and you don't want to stress yourself with other complicated solutions, you should buy this software. Maybe the best thing is to try the demo first and see for yourself what it's all about. I strongly advise consulting the manual.
Here are some screenshots:
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