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Anyone using PowerDirector 14 for semi-professional editing?
- Thread starter MFP
- Start date
Nobody worth their salt would use Cyberlink PowerDirector.
Personally, I use Avid Media Composer but I'd recommend Adobe Premiere Pro CC, it's intuitive and pretty powerful.
I've used it since it was part of CS4 and although I don't use it anymore, it's improvements are putting it up there with the big guys.
Personally, I use Avid Media Composer but I'd recommend Adobe Premiere Pro CC, it's intuitive and pretty powerful.
I've used it since it was part of CS4 and although I don't use it anymore, it's improvements are putting it up there with the big guys.
Care to qualify that statement? Sure, you won't find it in high-end professional edit suites, but keep in mind that there are viable, low-cost alternatives out there now that perform very well considering the price point. For hobbyists and amateurs on a budget, this can be a good option.
Since the OP mentioned looking for something <$150 AUS (about $115 USD), Adobe Premiere Pro is out of the question ($250US/year for subscription). I'd also steer away from Adobe Premiere Elements. It's got a very constrictive, very frustrating interface. It's really just a clumsy piece of software that acts nothing like its professional sibling.
Pinnacle Studio is another one that should be avoided. They hit a sweet spot a few versions ago and I used to use it for teaching hobbyists, but as of Pinnacle Studio 16 it is chock full of issues that make it useless. That's a shame, too, because Pinnacle Studio for iPad is impressive.
To Cody: your signature says you're the president of Mitchell Film Productions. Is this a hobby-level deal, or are you trying to compete with the professional shops? It's possible to do a bit in something like PowerDirector, but once you're vying for business against larger production houses you'll need to be working in software that competes as well. Plus, if you have any hope of collaborating with other creative individuals, you're going to want an NLE that allows for wider compatibility. The restriction of any of these low-cost NLEs is that they are completely self-contained. There's no direct way to roundtrip projects or portions of projects with Motion or After Effects, and there's no proper way to send a project into ProTools for audio post.
You might also look at the free versions of LightWorks and Davince Resolve. They obviously have some limitations as compared to their paid versions, but still very capable programs with a little more collaborative capacity. The paid versions are very powerful.
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I don't use it. But unlike MartyMcLean I believe that a filmmaker "worth
their salt" can use PowerDirector. I've given it a test drive and it seems
quite good. As long as it meets your current needs it can be used for
semi-professional editing.
MFP, is it meeting your needs? What do you want to do that you can't
do with PowerDirector? Maybe I can help with other suggestions.
This is not defining it at all, since it doesn't say anything about what the software should be able to do.
YouTube is not a quality benchmark, since everything can be post on YouTube.
A decently high standard is a very subjective phrase.
Oh, sorry
I'm not fully happy with the quality of stuff like, titles and transitions, in Power Director, they look really dodgy. Basically, Power Director seems to have all these features (like click removal for audio) of which quite a few are...rubbish. All I want is something that has good features (e.g. titles, transitions, ideally a green screen removal function, video colour adjustment, stuff like that).Is that defining enough or do you need more detailed info?
BTW. I am starting to use HitFilm Express which has really good special FX features but takes FOREVER to render anything and you cant event get it direct onto a disk with a menu.
Thanks for your reply, there are 3 main features I don't like about PD:
1. There is no green screen function - I don't know but this seems kind of...basic, I've even heard that iMovie has that.
2. The audio volume adjustment is very, very touchy
3. The titles/transitions seem very recognizable, it seems that someone could just look at a movie made with it and say, "that was made with Power Director"
There are probably other issues. I guess the bottom line is that Power Director is working for me, it just isn't ideal.
BTW. Do you have any comments on HitFilm 4 Express? If not don't worry!
Thanks again.
Actually, it does have a chroma key function. See HERE.
Most NLEs have pretty lackluster audio mixing capabilities. They're built for video editing, not sound. That's why most editors send their edited projects to professional sound designers, who have the tools and the knowledge to make the sound really rock alongside the picture.
If you invest a little more to upgrade to the PowerDirector suite, it comes with Audio Director. That opens up a larger world of audio editing and mixing.
If you're making narratives, 9 out of 10 times you need a cut or a dissolve. Seriously, those two transitions are your best friends. There are plenty of other transitions out there that are pretty standard across most NLEs, and some that are proprietary, but the cut and dissolve will serve you well.
As for titles, are you talking about their templates? Because yes, templates are usually pretty recognizable based on NLE. When you create your own titles from scratch, you avoid that. The same goes for AfterEffects tutorials from Creative Cow or stock AE templates from sites like Pond5. People tend to take those tutorials and recreate them to a tee instead of customizing them to make them unique. Templates are great if you don't know how to build from scratch, but there's a good chance somebody else has used the same thing.
I've used HitFilm Express, and it's pretty impressive and getting better all the time, but I will tell you this: audio mixing is just as miserable in HitFilm as in most other NLEs, and there's no way to send audio out of HitFilm into something like ProTools. Plus, they don't offer a companion app like Audio Director.
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Can add any info to Al's post so I'll just second it.
As you get into higher audio needs you'll need a dedicated audio
program. And stay away for the title templates always. After Final
Cut introduced "Studio Pro" and LiveType everyone was using them
and everything started looking the same. I think you would be better
off adding AudioDirector to what you have now than changing your
software.
As you get into higher audio needs you'll need a dedicated audio
program. And stay away for the title templates always. After Final
Cut introduced "Studio Pro" and LiveType everyone was using them
and everything started looking the same. I think you would be better
off adding AudioDirector to what you have now than changing your
software.
I have been using Premiere Pro since before they added 'pro' to it, so I can't advice you about other software. All I did was asking questions to make it clear for us (and maybe even for yourself) what you are looking for. It looks like directorik and AA have some good advice
Unless Premiere Pro is within budget: in that case I would go for that.
Just like nobody worth their salt would use comic sans to make a point?
Unless Premiere Pro is within budget: in that case I would go for that.
Just like nobody worth their salt would use comic sans to make a point?
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Wow, another tool that really divides people lol.
My next film will be all iPhone/Power Director.
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