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Post by mackem1 on Mar 29, 2006 14:07:56 GMT
I know nothing about computer software so excuse this simple question:
If I bought a digital camcorder, what sort of software would I need to edit the footage?
If this question doesn't make sense then I apologise. I'm considering buying a cheap camera off ebay for me and my mates to muck about with but I honestly have zero knowledge of the basics.
If anyone could recommend a starter camera/software for total beginners please let me know. There selling a movie camera for kids on ebay but i reckon i can be a bit more ambitous than that.
Cheers.
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Post by Dazza on Mar 29, 2006 14:41:00 GMT
Hi There Right Ok many people have there own different cameras that they like using, I currently use a Sony Handycam TRV265E as its quite heavy and sits nicely on a tripod and it does the job for what I want at the moment. I got mine off ebay brand new at £160 and it retails at about £260-£300. MAKE SURE U BUY A DIGITAL TAPE or DV CAMERA and not a HI8, as HI8 isnt really designed to go on the computer with digital u get the USB lead to upload. Ok I shouldnt say this but.....you can get your hands on decent software if a) you know the right people or b) use ebay For software I currently use Sonic Vegas 4.0 its real good and easy to use and is considered a decent bit of software and retails at about £500, however my friend obtained me a copy and a sony keygen so now it works perfectly and cost me nothing, do u have any mates into I.T? As a beginer u can use windows moviemaker on most P.C's its what I started with. If you want to see the kind of work the above camera and software does then have a look at the film on my page below, click on the one called the gas man i made it last week with my new camera, livedigital.com/ANWNoQDDOg/content/user/30629Adios Amigo |
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Post by mackem1 on Mar 29, 2006 14:48:55 GMT
Cheers mate, apprieciate it.
I'm gonna check ur films out at when i'm not on the works computer.
Thanks again.
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Post by mackem1 on Mar 29, 2006 15:04:00 GMT
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Post by Dazza on Mar 29, 2006 15:13:11 GMT
That's ok mate if u have any more questions email me on badboybarber@msn.com, people on here give out pretty good advice I learned myself.
Depending on your budget u can get a decent camera off eBay, me and my mates had a cracking time last summer with the camcorder. I think your best bet once you have ur camera is to just have a play on windows moviemaker once you have filmed something as its like beginner level and easy to use and then move on to some better software sonic/Sony Vegas 4.0 is much better but makes bigger files on your computer and we are talking about GB instead of MB.
Like I said before just be 100% sure that the camera u are buying is Digital. If u do get something like a Sony handy cam, the reason I like them is there quite heavy and my mate told me the heavier the better for sitting on a tripod, we're not talking a huge camera mind.
Also if u have a look in the forum at a post I put out called "advice for aspiring film makers" a few of the other guys have also recommended the Canon XM2 but I think its around £1600. Maybe start out with something cheaper and see how u get on and then if u enjoy making films upgrade later.
MY one key bit of advice which i already said make sure if u go down the Sony Handycam route u get digital tape and not Hi8 Tape.
Good luck
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Post by Dazza on Mar 29, 2006 15:16:07 GMT
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Post by Dazza on Mar 29, 2006 15:19:28 GMT
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Post by Dazza on Mar 29, 2006 15:25:38 GMT
P.s
Buy a known brand not a cheap thing from China mate buy a Sony, Canon, etc.....
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Post by RydCook on Mar 29, 2006 22:15:46 GMT
hey i wrote this in another post about camera's and software, probably relavent to you too  well.. first of all i wouldnt use a PC i guess its your choise. i've used a canon MV600i and it always did the trick for me lasted me 2 years and it's just broken which sucks cos i had a new film planned anyway. before that i had a panasonic camera and that was simply bollocks.. wont get into that. i suggest you get a canon, DV camcorder probably retail about 300 squid for an MV800 they are not superb, but they certainly do the trick, my small town film was shot on an MV600i and even if you dont like the look then you can change things in the edit. anyway i recomend canon, even though mine just broke lol lasted 2 years though thats good! also where i work they have dtonnes of cameras used by students all the time, and the only ones that havn't broke are the canons so yeha you see where i'm going with this one. get a cannon and a tripod! ooh.. and a firewire, and for a pc i think they need to have the firewire port put in or somthing? need a firewire port too then. you could even pick up an old canon camera on ebay which would be cheaper |
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Post by RydCook on Mar 29, 2006 22:18:25 GMT
this may help too:
okay well, when i started out i brought my self a rather cheap panasonic mini-DV cammcorder, i didnt maike any films on this though, it was more shooting skateboarding and random stuff. When i got into making films i brought a canon MV600 i have made all of my films to date with this camera and it is very realiable and its definately rather cheap nower days it'll be the MV800 now though any of these sort of cameras will do the trick fine, just make sure they have DV IN/OUT without it you can't edit. I think its good to start out with this sort of camera, only downsides are the following: the picture quality is adaquate, but noticebly different to broadcast, or pro DV quality (In films such as 28 days later.. which was filmed with canon XL1's). The sound is okay, but there is always that annoying motor noise from the camera which you cant get rid off in the edit, and will make films with dialogue sound amataurish.
I myself have now upgraded to a new semi-pro camera the canon XM2 which i brought on saturday for £1420 including warranty, tapes and a UV filter (thats a dam good price.) The camera is superb and is near broadcast quality. Also the sound is superb, with three different modes, for voice, widescreen or normal. everything can be manual and you can get exactly the kind of shot you want, also the manual focus ring is very good making depth of feild easy, unlike the annoying manual focus on the MV cameras. But it all comes at a cost.
So with cameras, it depends how much money you wanna spend, and it also depends what quality you want to acheive. Very good films can be made on either of the cameras, your choise.
for computers, i highly recomend Mac based editing, simply because its cheap and easy. a mac mini will cost you from 599 quid, and that will come with iLife 06 which includes iMovie which is perfect for starting out for editing, because its easy to use and you can get results easy. i've used iMovie for 2 of my films so far, one of which is my favourite, even having done another two using final cut pro. i suggest you edit some films on iMovie first, and if you still dont feel creatively free, give final cut pro a go, its expencive yeah, but i have heard it can be downloaded off bit torrent. i dont know much about PC editing, but i doubt its as simple as mac, having to install firewire etc, and it seems more expencive, but again its your choise.
My mac, my firewire cable and i XM2 is all i need and its perfect for me. i would recomend to anyone. I think if your starting out, go cheap MV canon (i recomend canon, other cameras seem to have major tape problems, my panasonic was pants for tapes, and everything ive ever had that was sony, broke) a cheap mac and a firewire and your away. If you want quality results go for a semi-pro cam, but expect to pay around the £2000 range. one last thing, stick with DV, HD looks lovely, but the editing programs arnt really up to the task yet so wait until its standard.
hope this all helps, enjoy making your film!
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Post by mackem1 on Mar 30, 2006 8:49:32 GMT
cheers mate, very interesting.
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Post by Dazza on Mar 30, 2006 15:18:59 GMT
Makem have some fun making your films and when u think they are ready to go online try putting them on video.google.com or www.youtube.com or the one i find best www.livedigital.com, I reckon though once u have made ur first u will be gagging to make more, one more tip get ur friends and family involved and before u know it i'm sure u will have a cast. |
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