10 Free Video Editing Software for Filmmakers

Money is, by definition, 

always a difficult issue for the low budget filmmaker.  The challenge is in getting as much of your meagre budget up on the screen as possible. Luckily, by the wonders of open source development, just about every $800 software package has its freebie equivalent.

1. Lightworks

PC ( LINUX public beta released early 2013, MAC TBA)
An incredibly powerful editing package that is head and shoulders above all other freebie editing packages.  Just take a look at their website to see some of the high profile projects that have used Lightworks.  Lightworks has features that even some of the big packages don’t have without the addition of expensive plugins.  With a strong community supporting it, this is only going to get better.
Get Lightworks here

2. HyperEngine-AV – Equivalent to Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro

MAC/PC
A decent editing package.  A step up from the likes of imovie though still not up to the professional standards of the pricey packages.  For simple edits though, you could do a lot worse.
Get HyperEngine-AV here

3. Avidemux

MAC/PC/LINUX
One of the best free editing packages out there.  Avidemux allows you to do basic cutting, apply filters and work with a wide variety of different file types.  It gets better with each release.
Get Avidemux here

4. Windows movie maker, pinnacle videospin

PC
These lightweight freebie editors should not be overlooked entirely.  For quick edits and changes there’s no need for the big guns.
Get Windows Movie Maker
Get Pinnacle Videospin

5. Avid Free DV

MAC
This was a great idea but has sadly been discontinued by Avid.  Avid Free DV is a free version of their high end editing software, preserving the interface but removing many of the advanced features.  Great for simple editing whilst also learning your way around Avid.  Copies are still floating around online, though now it’s unsupported it is just going to get more out of date with time.  Get it while it’s still useful.
Get Avid Free DV here

6. MPEG Streamclip

MAC/PC
Another powerful, professional encoding and conversion tool.  It accepts even the most obscure video formats and can even download YouTube videos. It is widely used as a simple tool for transcoding unwieldly DSLR footage.
Get MPEG Streamclip here

7. ffmpeg

MAC/PC/LINUX
A powerful encoding tool that can read and convert just about any video file format.
Get ffmpeg here

8. DCP Builder – Equivalent to taking your project to an expensive post house

MAC/PC/LINUX
Want to screen your film at the utmost quality?  Modern digital projectors require something called a DCP (Digital Cinema Package).  Most post houses will charge you several thousands for the privilege, even for a short.  DCP Builder is free.
Get DCP Builder here

9. Open DCP

MAC/PC/LINUX
Another DCP package.  Personally I’ve had better results with this one than with DCP Builder.  But hey, they’re both free so give them both a shot and see what works best for you.
Get Open DCP here

10. Black Magic DaVinci Resolve Lite

MAC/PC/LINUX
A good colour correcting job can make your budget movie look a million dollars.  Black Magic now offer a lite version of their powerful colour correcting tool absolutely free!

Get Black Magic DaVinci Resolve Lite here

Please feel free to add your own favourite free software that give an edge to the filmmaker.

Shot Lister - An iOS App for Filmmakers

Vancouver filmmaker Zach Lipovsky, who is known for his work on Steven Spielberg's reality TV series On the Lot, has launched Shot Lister - an exciting new app that can help streamline the work on a film set.

Shot Lister has recently released on the App Store and for the first week it's at half price: $9.99. (only a day or two left)

Available for both the iPhone and the iPad (check out some cool ipad cases here), Shot Lister allows a filmmaker to build, organize, schedule and share shot lists digitally. Traditionally, AD’s carry a schedule document as a hard copy or as a PDF on their device with the inability to change or modify it. If changes need to be made, a laptop with the EP software would be needed – a time consuming process when other pressing things to be dealt with on set. (If you've worked on a film set you know how high stress levels usually are).

The scheduling app allows you to create a one-liner that has all the necessary information plus the ability to manage and adjust the schedule on the fly right from your iOS device. After putting in the shoot information into the app (either on the device or by importing from free template), you can then schedule out each day.

Not only do you schedule the order in which scenes are shot, but also the specific shots in each scene. You can then add the estimated time it would take for each shot and Shot Lister will let you know if you have enough time for what is scheduled.

Shot Lister’s Unique Features:

UNIVERSAL – share Shot Lister files on any iOS device, as well as full Retina Display Support.

INDUSTRY GRADE - Easily organize and store hundreds of scenes and thousands of shots with the flick of a finger

SCHEDULING - The only software available to easily create a shooting schedule on a shot by shot and minute by minute basis.

LIVE MODE - Experience the ground breaking “Live” production mode to see exactly how you are doing to the minute, and re-organize the day in a matter of seconds.

FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE - customize and order every category to your taste and needs. Also features a 24HR time preference.

DESKTOP IMPORT - Build shot lists in Excel or Numbers using our website templates then import them directly into Shot Lister

SHARING - Export PDFs of your shot list with or without estimated times, or share the entire Shot Lister project file via email with other crew members.

MULTI-CAM SUPPORT - Assign shots to different cameras and group them together to shoot simultaneously. Supports up to 11 cameras

CALENDAR VIEW - On iPad, display your entire shooting schedule as a calendar, just like the production board in the office.

COMPATIBILITY: Universal iOS 5.0+

About Reel Apps & Zach:

Reel Apps is about filmmakers creating apps for the industry – apps that save time, decrease paperwork, increase efficiency and look good doing it.

Zach Lipovsky, the designer of Shot Lister 1.0, is an indie filmmaker who shot to fame as the youngest filmmaker and only Canadian on Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg’s search for the best new director on the TV series, On The Lot.  Then, while directing his first movie, a horror flick for SyFy, he created a temp version of the app to use on set and with rave reviews from crew, decided to create the full iOS version.