While I was studing film at polytech I remember seeing someone drop some video fotage into a Paint Shop Pro type program, which would expand the footage out and show you each frame separately. You could then manipulate each frame of the video footage one frame at a time (all 24 frames of each second) with the tools you'd find in any typical generic paint program. We were using Macs, but I don't need to know which program it was that we were specifically using, as I'm sure there's many programs that have this function anyway. I can't find any way to use Paint Shop Pro in this manner... could anybody recommend a program to use?

EDIT: After a little more researching, I think the question I'm trying to ask is, how can I convert an mpeg or avi file to "Filmstrip", to be opened in Photoshop or the like? Do I HAVE to use Premiere in order to do this?

It's called Rotoscoping.

You can export video frame-by-frame in many editing programmes... whether the "paint" programme recognises that is a different story. Some of the export options are propietary (sp?) and make for a tricky time.

The first thing you'll be wanting to do is to see exactly what formats your editing software is actually capable of exporting in, for rotoscoping... from there, you can decide which "paint" programme to use.

you can try tmpeg, http://www.tmpgenc.net/ it's free but it's only on windows. no mac yet.
edit: and virtualdub, http://www.virtualdub.com/ another free program.

Paint Shop Pro won't do this. The program you're thinking about is called Animation Shop. It comes with PSP, but I think you can also buy it or download it from the Jasc website.

What are you using for editing? Premiere can export a filmstrip which can be edited directly in photoshop.

with a "filmstrip" though, it's not seperated out into individual frames each with their own window.. they're all stacked together in one large image file.. or at least that was how it showed up for me. :)

ULEAD makes a video editing package that offers non-destructive rotoscoping. Check out:

http://www.ulead.com/msp/runme.htm

I believe you can download a free trial from the site, but I am not sure how the trial is limited (sometimes trial programs won't let you save your work). I have not used this version, so I can't offer any feedback as to how good or not good it is. I only know it is out there...