I’ve tried Shotcut and I was impressed by the comparative freedom it allowed. On the other hand, it seems at times buggy, and has issues with more ambitious projects. But again, it allows you to control a lot of fundamentals, which can be used to create some interest visual effects. I have just tried PowerDirector today. I am excited by the fact that I can utilize particle effects, etc, but on the other hand, it seems like it is rather mass-market in that the GUI seems set up to only allow me to perform one effect rather than complexly manipulate the fundamentals. Perhaps that is only a day-one impression, though. In the interest of maybe saving myself some time and money, what would people here recommend if you want to make very complex and interesting visual effects? Like of the sort you might see in surreal videos, artistic ones, etc. Is ShotCut good for that, or is there another program that would be particularly recommended?
From time to time I’ve seen posts like this, and there really is no comparing Shotcut to any other software mainly because it’s cross platform (Windows/Linux/Mac).
The software you mention is payware, and unless you pay for the highest package, you don’t get the whole program, and it’s only Available with Windows. The 30 day trial version, you need 10gb of hard drive space. Supports only 8 languages, while Shotcut supports 28 languages.
So yes, you’re basically paying for the special filter/effects which I can’t fault the other software, as people have a right to make money. And when you pay for your version, I’m sure the company will be storing your personal information, while Shotcut requires no information. Huge privacy bonus on Shotcut’s end.
Fully research and watch YouTube videos on how something works before you buy it. See if there is actual support for the product (which might be 1/2 of the cost of the software). Review the terms of service fully to make sure they will not be selling your information, and how long they intend to hold your personal information.
Which is in essence what I’m doing currently. My hope is that a collection of fellow enthusiasts might, through collective experience, be able to shorten some of this time by offering their opinions on the various software products that are available. I don’t mind paying a little for quality, either, but I don’t want a product with a highly restrictive GUI, if I can avoid it.
You might want to look at this list of video editors. Some are free and some you have to pay to get full features. Some are cross platform.