Video Editing Tools (Software & Equipment)

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the equipment used by videographers. For an in-depth list of software and videography equipment, visit Videography.com and VideoMaker.com and refer to the resources page for other listings. Both of these websites offer incredibly comprehensive information and reviews on everything from software, to lighting and computer monitors.

Camcorders

• Digital Single Lens Relfex Camera: Not all DLSRs are made alike, but the higher end ones are fully capable of shooting video and pictures with high-quality output. Better-suited for use on very small-scale video productions.
• Hard-Drive Camcorders: These kinds of camcorders come with varying amounts of memory, and their potentially enormous storage capacity is one reason for their increasing popularity. Plus, this kind of memory can be reused thousands of times without degrading.
• Memory Card Camcorders: Memory cards, a type of removable flash memory, are especially handy when you want to add extra memory to your camcorder. When you run out of room, you don’t have to pick which video segments you’ll discard – you can just pop in a new memory card.
• Standard Definition Camcorders: These units have flip-out LCD screens and/or eyepiece viewfinders, optical zoom lenses and better quality microphones, and as few or as many customizable features as you are willing to pay for. Recording can be done to internal/removable flash memory or internal hard drives.
• Basic High-Definition Camcorders: Can be used to create prosumer-quality videos when used with a computer-based editing system. Depending on what you buy, basic HD camcorders can record to tape, optical disks and removable flash memory.
• Premium High Definition Camcorders: Versatile HD camcorders that allow manual control of settings, extra shooting capabilities and use of multiple image sensors. They also allow for more control in selecting light levels and shooting styles.

Video Production Equipment

• C-Stand: A piece of equipment used by the grip department to accomplish various rigging and light modification tasks.
• Camera Dolly: A specialized piece of film equipment designed to create smooth camera movements

Video Editing Software

• Adobe Premiere Elements 9: A tool for “enthusiasts” that adds optimized HD editing, new effects, and more options to share.
• Avid Studio Music Creation Systems with ProTools: For professional film scoring and composition, and sound production for film, TV, video, and broadcast.
• Corel Studio Videostudio Pro X3: Great editing program for beginners that should meet most of their needs.
• Corel Digital Studio: For the home photo/video enthusiast, it comes photo/video editing, burning software and a video player.
• Cyberlink PowerDirector 8: PowerDirector is great for short films and home movies, and an excellent program to grow on. It’s a great intermediate editing program and holds its ground against other intermediate editing software.
• Nero Multimedia Suite 10: Software for the beginner video editor who needs to handle audio, video or data.
• Roxio Creator: The venerable Roxio Creator digital media suite provides extensive support for working with video, photos, music and audio, and disc backup and burning.

Blank Media and Distribution

• Direct Capture Devices (DCD): A laptop hard drive that is available as an attachment via FireWire connection in some camcorders.
• DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs: This media is better-suited as a distribution format (as opposed to acquisition).
• Memory Cards: A mainstream video acquisition format that cheap and widely available for use. Many of the newer professional camcorders use standard memory cards or even Flash memory cards.

Monitors

• Advanced Television System Committee (ASTC) Monitor: Chosen by the FCC to define the parameters of digital television, these monitors are used for digtal editing and graphics composition.
• National Television System Committee (NSTC) Monitor: An analog monitor that is the broadcast standard in the USA.
• Video Graphics Array (VGA) Monitor: For video professionals whose work will be shown on television, this monitor is used in conjunction with the NSTC monitor. They include high-resolution and high-dot VGA for accurate signal reproduction.