,
Academy® and Emmy® award winning video editor Lightworks has recently announced an open-source version. Lightworks is rumored to be available on all platforms, including Linux (although I have yet to see an official statement from EditShare on which platforms will be supported). Many people have contacted me for my reaction, so here I go. By the way, I am making the assumption that Lightworks will be released on Linux for the sake of this article.
The first point I would like to address is the future relevance of Linux open-source video editors, including OpenShot, Kdenlive, PiTiVi, and similar projects. Why would someone choose OpenShot (or insert your favorite video editor) over an Academy® and Emmy® award winning application?
Well, let me first remind everyone that Blender is also a great video editor. Blender can do just about anything with video (even rivaling Hollywood quality effects). So, why doesn't everyone use Blender to edit their videos? I think the answer will be the same for Lightworks. These applications are designed for professionals, not average consumers. (Note: I am not comparing Blender to Lightworks... just the fact that applications that are targeted at professionals are inherently more complicated).
Just to be clear, I think some Linux users will absolutely love Lightworks; those users who are interested in professional video editing. But what about the average users who want to arrange some home videos? What about someone with no aspiration to learn a complex application, who just wants to trim a video before uploading it to YouTube?
As far as OpenShot is concerned, we are trying to become the easiest to use video editor on Linux. We are not trying to become the next Lightworks. So, to directly answer a few emails I've received, "No, OpenShot will not die after Lightworks is released". I think the world needs an easy to use video editor. So, that will continue to be my goal. =)
It just makes me smile when I read articles about how Linux video editing is now "saved", because of Lightworks. I wonder if these writers would change their tune after trying to use Lightworks to edit a quick video without any training.
Lightworks is trying to distribute their core product as open-source, and hopefully grow a marketplace of plug-ins and 3rd party extensions. However, it's yet to be seen if these plug-ins will also be multi-platform.
I am also curious which formats and codecs the open-source version will support. And will the Linux version support the same codecs as the Mac and Windows version? Will they use FFmpeg, Gstreamer, or their own code? Will lightworks regret the move to open-source? Will other projects cannibalize their code and make their libraries available to everyone, including OpenShot? Lot's of interesting questions indeed. =)
Let's turn our attention to Windows for a second. Will the average user stop using Windows Movie Maker and instead start using Lightworks? I'm guessing they will continue to use Movie Maker. Of course, if a user was about to purchase Avid or Adobe Premiere, they will likely be very interested Lightworks.
In summary, I wish the best to EditShare and Lightworks Open Source. If they are successful, maybe we will all be using Lightworks some day. But, in my personal opinion, I think this announcement is mostly irrelevant for the average Windows, Mac, and Linux user.
What do you think about the Lightworks announcement? Will it change the face of Linux video editing? Will average users embrace it? I would love to hear some good analysis on this.
June 19, 2010 10:37 PM
Does anyone remember when Xara was going to be the be-all-and-end-all vector graphics editor for Linux that would make Inkscape redundant? You certainly can't see what the future holds, that's for sure.
June 19, 2010 11:59 PM
Q: What do you think about the Lightworks announcement?
A: If it ends up like the new vlc video editor (VLMC) then OpenShot will still be the best Linux video editor.
June 20, 2010 1:24 AM
now if blender just supported a newer version of python... i might be able to check it out
June 20, 2010 3:04 AM
A good video editor makes complicated effects and works easy to the user.
We should compare video editors with those on the Mac platform. Although I love OpenShot, being easy to use, it's produces one of the most basic features for video editing. OpenShot is as good as Windows Movie Maker, in terms of its delivery.
I'm still hoping that OpenShot have professional features such as superimposing and overlapping videos on top of each other, merging multiple videos on each corner of the resulting video etc. All of such OpenShot still cannot deliver at current moment.
June 20, 2010 3:45 AM
I don't even think Adobe Premier user would be interested in this.
I guess to have a bunch of pro-features you have to pay a lot of money anyway, and why would I switch such a critical program in my workflow with no (yet seeable) benefit?
If you're a pro and buy the whole Suite anyway it doesn't really cost that much.
June 20, 2010 3:50 AM
Openshot will continue to be the best providing you don't over-elaborate the core application, you keep it stable and crash-resistant.
For the people who insist on it doing "just one more thing" a robust plug-ins framework. The ability for it to inter-operate with Blender for instance.
I remember literally decades ago watching an SGI presentation and it relied on Unix pipes to connect *separate* utilities to do all sorts of neat stuff.
People want some kind of uploader? A tie-in to a separate uploader application that you don't have to have to use Openshot as a Video Editor.
June 20, 2010 5:18 PM
Re: Post #4 and superimposing and overlapping video with OpenShot.
OpenShot 1.1.3 already has very extensive "picture in picture" and superimposing videos capabilities. Perhaps you could post what you have in mind on the OpenShot forums and I'm sure someone will come up with a solution.
June 21, 2010 12:57 AM
I agree there is market for other video editors besides Lightworks.
Otoh, at the moment I use Cinelerra and do not use all of its features, i.e. I'm more in the category of 'advanced home ussage' which cannot be filled by OpenShot.
I've tried OS, but it is not precise enough, i.e. I was not able to precisely remove garbage from my footage, while I can delete single frame with Cinelerra.
Of course, I believe it is due to MLT which is used by OS.
However, OS has huge advantage over Cinelerra and that is its stability.
With Cinelerra, I always have to dance very carefully in order not to offend Her Majesty which is not forgiving. :-)
Otoh, Cinelerra's successor Lumiera is far from being even usable, so my question is whether there is some initative to enhance MLT (e.g. adding keyframes curves etc.) so that OpenShot can become more usable for advanced/pro users?
Let me take comparison with Emacs: although the editor has huge number of features and it is almost impossible to 'master' it, still it can be used by newbies using limited number of features.
So, the point is that 'Pro' application could be useful for non-pro users by designing it properly.
OS is definitely very usable, but its progression towards 'pro' area is limited by the MLT which makes Cinelerra-CV the only editor for advanced users.
Cinelerra-4.x is even not buildable without resorting to some heavy patching, while the community version is practically stalled without much progress today.
Sincerely,
Gour
June 21, 2010 11:13 AM
@gour,
Thanks for the comment! OpenShot already has many "pro" features built in, such as compositing, key-framing, chroma-key, image sequence support, etc...
While I'm not focusing on turning OpenShot into a "pro" application, I still want to have many "pro" features... just with a very simple implementation. If that makes any sense. =)
The issue of accuracy is less about MLT and more about OpenShot. It is possible for us to allow frame by frame trimming and more frame accuracy in general. So, I think this is a very solvable issue, with the right approach in OpenShot.
June 21, 2010 12:19 PM
@Jonathan
Thanks for the comment! OpenShot already has many "pro" features built in, such as compositing, key-framing, chroma-key, image sequence support, etc...
Indeed...it is very nice application.
One feature which is missing and I've asked about it on MLT list is 'curve keyframes'.
Unfortunately, due to going back to Cinelerra, I did not do research which I promise... :-(
While I'm not focusing on turning OpenShot into a "pro" application, I still want to have many "pro" features... just with a very simple implementation. If that makes any sense. =)
It does and we like it. ;)
The issue of accuracy is less about MLT and more about OpenShot. It is possible for us to allow frame by frame trimming and more frame accuracy in general. So, I think this is a very solvable issue, with the right approach in OpenShot.
This is good news!!! Even better than I though since I believed it is limitation in MLT.
Please, go for it. ;)
Sincerely,
Gour
June 21, 2010 12:19 PM This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
June 21, 2010 2:59 PM
Re: Post #8 and removing single frames
OpenShot 1.1.3 can precisely remove single frames. Use the left/right arrow keys to step through the clip one frame at a time, cut the clip (keyboard = c) at the frame. Adjust the In/Out Length Properties of the film clip with the frame to be removed, In/Out will depend on if the frame is at the end or start of clip.
Removing a single frame might be noticeable with any editor, so a fade transition might be required.
June 21, 2010 4:56 PM
@Len,
Thanks for posting that tip! While it is true OpenShot can remove a single frame, by cutting and trimming... I am just imagining that we can improve that to be an even easier work-flow.
And of course, curve-based key-frames would be a great feature for MLT, and is certainly on their TODO list for the future. =)
-Jonathan
June 21, 2010 5:20 PM
You come a long way. Congratulations. In the world of Open Source Software there are many good intentions, but most of them result in stalled devellopments and abandoned projects. This is where you make a difference! OpenShot is working. And on top of that you managed to build an enthusiastic community in at very short periode of time.
These are the two most important things - and you succeded in both. Not a small task. So as long you feel up for it there will be a future for OpenShot.
I really hope that MLT & OpenShot one day will be ported to Windows. Then the community really would explode in numbers.
So far Blender is the only crossplatform software with a NLE feeling - but OpenShot could be the first true crossplatform dedicated NLE. :)
June 21, 2010 5:34 PM
@tin2tin,
Thanks for the nice comment! It is very possible for someone to build MLT on Windows, if they have the "know how".
I really wish someone with some serious C knowledge would jump in and help patch MLT so it will build on Windows correctly.
If anyone is interested in working on a Windows version of OpenShot, please read this FAQ: https://answers.launchpad.net/openshot/+faq/993.
June 22, 2010 2:01 AM
@Len
OpenShot 1.1.3 can precisely remove single frames. Use the left/right arrow keys to step through the clip one frame at a time, cut the clip (keyboard = c) at the frame.
Hmm...I believe I was doing it...
Adjust the In/Out Length Properties of the film clip with the frame to be removed, In/Out will depend on if the frame is at the end or start of clip.
This may be something new...I'll try with some test clip...when I tried last time, OS left too many 'garbage' and I went back to Cinelerra...
Removing a single frame might be noticeable with any editor, so a fade transition might be required.
That's another problem which is more easily solvable if OS is precise enough.
Thanks for the tip. I'll report if it works here. ;)
Sincerely,
Gour
June 22, 2010 3:30 PM
I read about that earlier, and I must say I'm going to try out Lightworks, when and if comes out. However, if it's too complicated to use, I'll probably continue with OpenShot.
Cinelerra was mentioned here. I tried it. I tried LIVE. And both were too complex. I like to know where things are and how to use them and for the moment, OpenShot is the best I found.
June 23, 2010 9:14 PM
Dont think OpenShot is in danger as long as it keeps true to its original mission of making creative editing easy & fun.
BTW demoing Open Shot is fun: When you just open it people go like "Bah...its a MovieMaker clone", then you start showing hidden advanced features such as compositing, key-framing, chroma-key, image sequence support, and by the time you get to the massive exporting options with almost any format/codec under the sun (including HQ codecs that iMovie/MovieMaker dont support) people are already lining-up asking about how to install Linux !
I only wish the project folder could be moved between computers (I use LinuxMint USB stick installs to lure MS conditioned people out of the dark side)...
My dream OpenShot feature? Connect it with Audacity so all the multichannel-filtering-editing can be done with a proper audio editor interface, yet it is easily exported and especially SYNCED inside OpenShot...
June 24, 2010 4:53 AM
Not sure if Audacity can use Jack, however heres an example of an Blender and Ardour integration via Jack:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=114454
A video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvysT6Ak4y4
A blog:
http://www.jpbouza.com.ar/ESP2/tutoriales/gnulinux/blenderardour/id/en
June 24, 2010 2:32 PM
@Jorge,
Thank you for spreading the word about OpenShot, and I'm glad it demoed well!
My vision is for OpenShot to have much improved audio editing, including waveforms, locking audio tracks to video tracks, interactive key-frameable levels, and jack support.
Connecting to Audacity would be very cool, but that is probably a "for the future" kind of request.
As far as project folders that can be moved between computers, that is on the "short list". No promises as to when you will see this feature, but I would like have to have all "relative" paths in our project files, so moving a folder would be easy.
June 26, 2010 11:04 AM
Johnathan, talking of Pro features. I'd really rather see a decent scope tools like a luma waveform, RGB Parade and zebras before audio tools (Linux has many decent audio tools and jack transport would surfice)and a way to use openshot as a live video monitor like Adobe OnLocation to enable monitoring of luma and RGB histogram levels whilst shooting. Not live capture just live monitoring.
Best wishes
June 28, 2010 4:41 PM
For me the sweet spot is Sony Vegas HD. Easy to use basic editing. Openshot is very promising but lacking in some basic features e.g. in the control of sound.
June 30, 2010 7:11 AM
Overall I'm happy with openshot but I still have some basic usability issues that bug me.
1) the cutting tool is odd. You should just be able to move to where you want in a clip then click cut. Instead it seems you have to select the cut tool then guess where you're cutting because it's not necessarily the same point in the preview window.
2) inserting a new clip in between several other clips is complicated. One way to make it easier would be to allow clips to be grouped together and moved as a group. Or perhaps inserting a clip would shunt all the others after it along.
3) crossfading between two clips could be easier. I understand that you need to use to two tracks to do this, right? Instead it would be easier if it were possible with just one track: clip1|clip2 then apply crossfade effect between them.
Idea: If usability is openshot's priority over advanced features perhaps there should be a papercuts initiative like ubuntu has.
That's all for now :-)
Best wishes for this great project.
August 4, 2010 12:14 PM
As a professional editor this is the best news I've heard in a long long time. At the moment there's either Final Cut or Avid (a few other pro apps do exist, although with dedicated hardware). Premiere is a joke, not a piece of software. It wouldn't exist if it wasn't for After Effects.
The idea of a truly professional open source application, something that won't make me loose time nor money, that edits as fast as Avid does, that just gets the work done whatever I ask it to do, and that runs on Linux is a dream come true.
It cannot in any way compete with OpenShot. Avid, Final Cut and Lightworks are professional applications. I mean, a swiss knife is not the same thing as a workshop, and it's not meant to be! It takes years to master any of these applications...
November 11, 2010 4:27 PM
Lightworks will initially be released to only Windows machines late this month, and will probably be ported to OSX and Linux in 2011.
May 19, 2011 3:13 PM
While I enjoyed learning a little bit about the OpenShot video editor (had not been aware of it), I will assure the person who posted "Premiere is a joke" that Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 is very much not a joke, and that many video editors have returned to using it, because it can do a lot of things in real time, unlike its predecessor (and many other editors).