With so many people enjoying the technology that's available at their fingertips, video creation is at an all-time high. Whether they are filming their child's first step or have captured that one moment no one will ever forget, users are now looking for ways to go beyond what their smartphones have captured. While not every video will end up hitting YouTube, users still want the opportunity to modify the videos they have filmed so that it captures the moment they are looking for perfectly.
Currently, Final Cut Pro is the most widely used professional program that allows easy editing of movies and other videos, available on Mac platform. However, it is not the only option as far as video-editing software goes. For Mac users, there is a significant number of video editing alternatives that they can choose from. Depending on the purpose of the video and the skill level of the user, certain programs will work better than others for the user's purposes.
The Adobe series of programs is among the top video editing software programs on the market today, and Premiere is no exception. Premiere Pro CC is, like many other of Adobe's suite of programs, available on their Creative Cloud. Adobe has refined this program and with the new feature of having multiple project workflows, Adobe Premiere Pro CC is acknowledging their customers' needs to potentially draw from other projects and import them into other, current projects. Premiere Pro CC also features improved Send to Audition workflow, GPU-enhanced playback and a refined user interface with greater HiDPI support, among other features. In short, Adobe Premiere Pro continues to prove consistently why it still ranks at the top of the heap for video editing software.
This video editing program is a highly trusted media editing program that is also frequently used by professionals. Offering real-time collaboration, high-resolution to HD workflows, and media management, the focus is on creating the stories you want to tell rather than getting caught up in the fine details of any given video you might be trying to edit. The focus continues to be on delivering a beautifully edited video instead of getting the users bogged down in sheer technicalities. It is a program that is quite user friendly and allows users to flow from one workflow to the next without issue.
iMovie for Mac is a versatile video editing program for beginning to intermediate users. iMovie allows users to easily manipulate their projects so that they can add and edit clips, add music and titles, and can do this easily with its drag and drop style of editing. While this might not be the editing program of choice for professionals, beginning and intermediate users can enjoy its easy-to-use method of handling and editing the video projects they are working on.
Final Cut Pro | Adobe Premiere Pro CC | AviD Media Composer | iMovie | |
Price | $299.99 USD (formerly $1,000 – Apple just dropped the price) | $19.99 USD/month (part of Creative Cloud plan) | $49 USD/month (cloud plan) | $14.99 USD |
Compatibility | Mac | Mac & PC | Mac & PC | Mac |
User Level | Beginner-intermediate | Intermediate-professional | Professional | Beginner-intermediate |
Installation | Possible issues in corporate environment – need multiple machines under one Apple ID | Great with Creative Cloud, but you have to download installers to each new machine | Easy – carry Mac and Windows installers with keys on USB | Issues in corporate environment – need multiple machines under one Apple ID |
Timeline | Magnetic timeline | Adaptive streaming timeline | Can adapt streaming timeline | Automated, Magnetic timeline |
Workflow | Able to organize through keyword collections | Multiple workflows | High res to HD workflows | Drag and drop workflow |
Playback | Unrestricted real-time playback | GPU enhanced playback | 3-button playback options | Fullscreen option |
Preferred Codec | ProRes | Not Specified | DNxHD | AIC |
UHD Support | Can handle resolution larger than 4K | Can handle resolution larger than 4K | Can handle resolution larger than 4K | Can handle resolution larger than 4K |
It's important to recognize that while all of the above programs are designed for video editing, some will offer slightly different functions than others, and this is only natural. If the user is looking for software program that will offer them the professional grade functionality they may be looking for, something like Adobe Premiere or AviD Media Composer might offer what they want. However, all are very user friendly; it is simply a matter of determining which program will best meet your needs.