I'm just starting out and I was wondering, what are some good programs for the Mac that are either inexpensive or free that could make the film that much better. For example, what is a good (hopefully free) program that can add realistic gunshots or make the movie look more like a professional film. Any thoughts?
Software?
- Thread starter LOV1
- Start date
Blender is free and it's my favorite editor. There are a bazillion tutorials and a wonderful community to help you get started. I use it for Windows, but it's available for Mac as well. Creating gunshots from scratch is hard, but Detonation Films has some decent free images that you can easily composite into your movie in Blender.
HitFilm Express isn't too expensive and has a lot of nice effects, including muzzle flash presets. It's very easy to use and there is a free trial. I've also heard good things about DaVinci Resolve Lite (it's free), but I've never used it myself.
If you need gunshot sounds, Audacity is a good, free audio editor. NCH WavePad is another free one that I recently downloaded, but haven't used on any projects yet.
HitFilm Express isn't too expensive and has a lot of nice effects, including muzzle flash presets. It's very easy to use and there is a free trial. I've also heard good things about DaVinci Resolve Lite (it's free), but I've never used it myself.
If you need gunshot sounds, Audacity is a good, free audio editor. NCH WavePad is another free one that I recently downloaded, but haven't used on any projects yet.
GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out
You need to do everything in a professional manner for a more professional look/sound.
It starts with a complete, thorough, comprehensive preproduction. On the set it continues with set selection, design, dressing and decoration, then lighting & blocking; and don't forget an experienced boom-op/PSM. In post it means careful attention to every detail.
Audio post is not just about adding gunshots and other sound effects. It's also about editing clear, intelligible, emotional dialog, creating seamless Foley and creating/selecting the appropriate sound effects that have the proper emotional/motivational context for the film. And lets not forget about the mix, which takes all the pieces of the sonic puzzle and creates an unnoticed, highly impactful soundtrack.
There are dozens of libraries for weapons sound effects out there, and some decent freebee download sites (like freesound.org) that have a few nice offerings amongst all the dreck.
