Video+Editing+Software+Evaluation

Wax 2.0 vs. Windows Live Movie Maker

This part of the weeks assignments introduced me to new and exciting opportunities for video. I knew you could take a video and edit, add effects, add music, and in general spice it up. However, I had never actually done this before. All of this weeks learning is completely new to me and honestly I cannot wait for the time when I can use it with my students. I chose to evaluate Wax 2.0 and Windows Live Movie Maker video editing software packages. I have a pc with Windows 7, so Movie Maker was already on my computer. Which I did not know, until this week. I downloaded Wax 2.0 from the link in the Desktop-Video-Guide.com article in our readings. Downloading and installing Wax was an easy process and I was up and running in just minutes. After having made my choice, I looked for help. I found an extensive amount of tutorials on each, located on You Tube, showing different features of each one. Wax 2.0, "is a high performance and flexible free video editing software program" (Desktop-Video-Guide). That statement defines Wax 2.0 exactly. At first glance, it looks like it would be very complicated to use. After watching the tutorials, I was able import a personal video, change the length, add multiple effects and play it back. Most all tasks you want to complete are drag and drop, and navigating the timeline was relatively easy. It took a while for me to get the video exactly like I wanted it, but I did eventually figure it out. The program contains an immense amount of effects and transitions that boggled my mind. For me, I feel this software is more than what I would ever use in my video editing experience. However, I am glad to know that it is there for use and I can recommend it to others looking for a good high end free program. Windows Live Movie Maker is a program better suited for my editing abilities. For me, the GUI was much easier to use than Wax. The buttons and icons in Movie Maker were much more familiar to me and easier to locate. The menus easier to navigate, and I could quickly achieve the look I wanted in a shorter amount of time than with Wax. Also with Movie Maker, you have the option to publish your video directly to You Tube when you are finished. I feel that this would also be better integrated into the classroom due to the smaller learning curve. As the educator, I could focus on the task at hand and not teaching the technology (New, 2005). I will be using WLMM for any video productions I need to create. Whatever software you choose, I feel it is important to find some sort of tutorial to help you with the getting started process.

References: Desktop-Video-Guide. (n.d.). Top 5 free video editing software programs. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from [] New, J. (2005). How to use digital storytelling in your classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from []