Video Editing

[HB280ZT]

Hi All,


Was just wondering what tools people use to edit there race videos?


I am using an Aim SmartyCam 3 Sport which gives me MP4 file for the race. However the issue is what tool to use to edit the mp4. I have searched the web but just so much out there.


So what tools do you all use to add title pages and trim the videos down to a proper size?


Thanks for the help.
R/--
Harry
FV#77 CFR SCCA

[toolo4sno]

Hi All,


Was just wondering what tools people use to edit there race videos?


I am using an Aim SmartyCam 3 Sport which gives me MP4 file for the race. However the issue is what tool to use to edit the mp4. I have searched the web but just so much out there.


So what tools do you all use to add title pages and trim the videos down to a proper size?


Thanks for the help.
R/--
Harry
FV#77 CFR SCCA

I believe Windows came with a Movie Maker app, but I have used Vegas Movie Studio. The current version is called Magix Movie Studio. I haven't gotten used to the Magix version, but the old Vegas was great.

I use three cameras, two external mics, telematic data overlay video, a radio track and commentary tracks that are all spliced together.

Most Non-Linear Editors will have features to add titles and allow trimming with multiple tracks.

[RSS]

Adobe Premiere Pro

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Camtasia.

[CheckeredFlag]

I use RaceRender 3 Advanced for our GoPro 360 videos. For the Aim SmartyCam GP, I use CyberLink PowerDirector Pro.

[JoshuaJustice]

The free version of DaVinci Resolv works really well. Takes a bit of practice to get used to it but it's got a ton of power and you can slowly work your way up to using it all. Definitely the "best" option as you can go all the way up to full blown professional video editing if you spend enough time in it, while still being simple enough to do the basics after spending an hour or two in it.

[cory mcleod]

The free version of DaVinci Resolv works really well. Takes a bit of practice to get used to it but it's got a ton of power and you can slowly work your way up to using it all. Definitely the "best" option as you can go all the way up to full blown professional video editing if you spend enough time in it, while still being simple enough to do the basics after spending an hour or two in it.

I would also recommend DaVinci Resolve. I've only used it once and am not super-technical. In addition to being free, it wasn't too hard to learn the basics from YouTube videos.

[HB280ZT]

Well I tried DaVinci Resolv 18 and it looks pretty good. The only issue is that the MP4 files from the AIM SmartyCam 3 Sport do not show audio in DaVinci Resolv 18. I have tried a few fixes that I found on the web but they do not work. Any ideas?


Thanks for the help.
R/--
Harry
FV#77 CFR SCCA

[JoshuaJustice]

If you've got audio when you play the video directly, but it's not importing, use VLC (or whatever) and convert/save the video to MP3, then import the MP3 into DaVinci when you import the video, and line up the video and audio tracks.

Instructions for VLC follow, you can get VLC at https://www.videolan.org/ and it's free open-source software.



https://i.imgur.com/go4RI12.png




That brings up the following dialogue:


https://i.imgur.com/GwuJ9D4.png



First, select the file you want in the upper bit with "+Add...", then click the "Convert / Save" button at the bottom. That takes you to the following window:


https://i.imgur.com/XGayPZH.png



Make sure you change the "Profile" to an Audio format. I know DaVinci handles MP3. It doesn't handle OGG, which is weird and annoying since that's an open standard format, but whatever. Maybe it handles FLAC fine, I dunno, I haven't tested.
Then select the folder you want the "Destination file" to go to and the filename you want it to have, and click "Start". If it doesn't start running automatically, click the VLC play button.

Open your file explorer and navigate to the destination, you should see the MP3 (or whatever) show up there. Once the conversion is done, just import the audio file into DaVinci and sync it with the video file (line it up).



You can use this same process (with video "Profiles") for converting from one type of video format to another, incidentally, which can help if you get video in a weird format.

[JoshuaJustice]

By the way, if you want to see the extent of what's possible with the free version of DaVinci Resolv, I'm not joking when I say it is literally just the pathway to full blown professional video editing. I did all of the editing of this weekend's video in DaVinci, and the graphics in GIMP, video/audio format issues resolved in VLC (as described in the previous post). 100% free stuff across the board, aside from the SmartyCam that did the video recording in the first place. This took me maybe an hour each to do, including the position marker in the top left, the before/after points graphics (though I'd templated out the format beforehand), and adding commentary text as the race went along.

With more time/effort I could have done more things to the graphics as well, and it's just occurred to me that I could have added a transition on the position every time it changed rather trivially had I thought of it last night, since the image overlay I was using is just another "video track". So you'll see that particular trick pop up next time I put a video together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ayg5yKV7v8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoKgwGoPkfE

For comparison, here's the first video I put together using DaVinci Resolv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGBV4y2CJM8 , and it probably took me two or three hours because I simply hadn't wrapped my head around the program at the time. If you scan my channel's races since then, you'll see the quality improve - and what you don't see behind the scenes is that it also took less and less time for me to put each video together.

[Elessar]

I've been involved in video editing for some time, and selecting the appropriate software for specific tasks like trimming and adding titles can be overwhelming with so many options.


From my experience, Movavi has proven to be a practical choice for editing MP4 files, notably from cameras like the Aim SmartyCam 3 Sport. It's user-friendly and great for quickly getting to grips with its features. The software's ability to trim, resize, and merge clips has been invaluable for my projects, allowing me to streamline lengthy footage into more engaging, concise videos. Also, adding titles and intros is straightforward, which could be especially useful for your race videos to add that professional touch.

[romoman]

Race Studio 3 has a video clip feature in it. If you click the scissors in the video screen, it will create a video clip for the amount of data being shown i.e. if you are looking at a lap, it clips out the lap plus a second or so before and after. It's a very nice feature and super easy to get videos of best laps, segments, etc.