Posted by Arturo Bandini at 66-168-209-20.charterga.net on January 20, 2003 at 21:40:55:
In Reply to: Quicktime Movies.. posted by Virgo on January 20, 2003 at 19:07:18:
I'm guessing that you've got a mid-range digital camera using Memory Stick/Flash memory/etc that allows you to record short lengths of video, but at a very low resolution. The video is not broadcast qulity for certain, and is best for viewing on a computer, preferably in a small window.
If this is the case -- and depending what version of Windows you are using -- try to use the free Windows Movie Maker. If you don't have it, check out the micro$oft website and see if you can find a download for your system. (There are some other options I mention at the end of this long-winded post)
I use Adobe Premiere and After Effects for motion graphics and animation work, but getting Premiere (or the even more wallet-destroying Avid) for what you have in mind is like buying your grandmother a Jaguar so she can drive to the corner market (no offense).
Of course, that being said, I do own a digital camera much like the one I'm assuming you have, and have been using it with Premiere/After Effects/Photoshop to experiment with some simple rotoscoping (overcoming the low-res of the video while I save the $$ to buy a digi-camcorder).
The Adobe Digital Video Collection, or Avid, or Final Cut Pro (for Mac users) are all incredible tools that really open up your options and creativity, but for where you are right now (again, I assume), there are any number of free or low-cost video editing programs which will suit your needs. If you don't want Windows Movie Maker, and are really pumped up about Quicktime (based on the thread title), you can download Quicktime Pro for $30.00. Right now, I'm also looking at issue 78 of the British magazine "Computer Arts," which comes with a free, full-version copy of EditStudio 2 (this issue just hits the stands here in the US, I think, and it will cost you about $14.00 -- and includes some other cool software too, such as trueSpace 3). There's even more out there to find...
If you are dead-serious about producing your own movies and plan on purchasing a full-fledged digital camcorder in the future and really digging in your heels and sticking with it (and have the $$), then look into Premiere or Avid (Avid is more of an industry-standard if you plan to go into broadcast) and start learning sooner rather than later. But if you are just looking to get your feet wet and have some fun, then go econo. Also, remember that if you are a student, you may be able to find incredible academic pricing deals on high-end apps like Premiere and Avid.
I hope this helps
AB
"This learning not to demonstrate your asinine and callous traits, it could take some practice, I know" (I'm still learning...)