Best Beginner Programs

ukogss0715 · Post by **ukogss0715** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 9:41 pm

For a beginner at the whole AMV making process which would be the best system to use. Looking for quality beginner stuff that isn't TOO limited. Maybe a low price tag would be good as well.....

mexicanjunior · Post by **mexicanjunior** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 9:52 pm

Windows Movie Maker...It comes free with Windows XP and I hear Version 2 is actually pretty good eventhough I haven't tried it.

mexicanjunior · Post by **mexicanjunior** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 9:53 pm

Doh! You said system!

I have no idea about that one.

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 10:07 pm

You want one of these hooked up to a regular computer with a bigass set of hard drives. After all, you may as well get started on the right foot.

Org Profile · Post by **VicBond007** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 10:12 pm

Screw that, my DV500 does all that, and makes coffee! OK, it doesn't make coffee...

ukogss0715 · Post by **ukogss0715** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 10:12 pm

system program ANYTHING! AMV creation blood runs through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants! The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!

Ok sorry bout that a little flash of Invader ZIMness went through me. So anything that will work with an AMV will be fine for request. Anything...

NicholasDWolfwood · Post by **NicholasDWolfwood** » Tue Jun 10, 2003 10:17 pm

Why the hell would anybody pay (if I'm reading it right) $3,200 if you can get a DV500 for $500 or less (student discount, ebay, etc) and the DV500 does nearly the exact same things?

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 6:25 pm

You want the real answer?

A DV500 is worth jack shit on your resume when you go looking for pro work. They want you to walk in at the interview and ready to sit down at an Avid or (less likely) Final Cut system. If you plan on going anywhere after AMVs, Premiere, a DV500, and what most people on this board talk about won't get you there.

Of course, if all you want to do is goof around make AMVs, get an eMachine and a TV Wonder. It's cheap hardware and using consumer hardware/software offers you the freedom to work with whatever codec/wrapper/frameserver that you want. For software, get a copy of Magix. Avoid Pinnacle cards IMHO, you don't get the functionality that you think you will - a better option is to buy a DV camera and $12 firewire board. At least that way you've got a fully functional video and still camera afterwards...

Jebadia · Post by **Jebadia** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 6:45 pm

Looking for quality beginner stuff that isn't TOO limited. Maybe a low price tag would be good as well.....

Keep in mind that we don't want people asking about beginner programs and hardware to blow their money on something they don't absolutely need. It's not very economical to spend thousands of dollars on something you really don't need, especially if there are cheaper alternatives that work just as well.
Perhaps later he'll want to invest in some beastly hardware, but I certainly would rather be directed twards more affordable items that wouldn't burn an enormous hole in my pocket.

Ashyukun · Post by **Ashyukun** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 7:30 pm

Basically any modern-day system with a DVD-ROM drive should be sufficient to make AMVs. Hell, there are people here who edit on sub-400Mhz PCs just fine. If you prefer Macs- yours likely has or you should be able to get for free iMovie. For PCs, if you have XP you should have Windows Movie Maker 2, if not you should be able to DL it from Microsoft. Of, if you want to try jumping in a bit further from the get-go, you can DL a demo copy of Premiere from Adobe and try it out for 30 days and see whether you want to plunk down the several hundred dollars for it. Those coupled with the AMVApp and the software outlined in the guides (DVD ripper, VDub, etc., all free downloads) should be everything you need....

Iserlohn is ultimately right- for anything professional you really should know Avid or FCP. From what I can tell, After Effects is actually something useful to know as far as professional work. But for beginning- the odds are your computer has all the hardware you really need to get started already...