Make sure you understand what you’re working with before purchasing your first NLE program. Find out what you need to know in this roundup.
One of the most daunting aspects of starting your career as a video editor is choosing which program you want to work with. While there are dozens of programs to consider, a few undoubtedly run the industry, especially for beginners and low-budget filmmakers. Some of these programs require a monthly subscription, while others are free.
One thing to note, here on Shutterstock, we’ve been producing editing tips for several years now, and with new features constantly added and new software being developed, it’s likely that we won’t run out of topics to cover for the foreseeable future.
As such, this guide seeks to serve as an informal breakdown of the top three softwares that new editors are likely to browse. For more in-depth coverage with specific features and tips, be sure to check out the articles and videos linked throughout.
Let’s look at a few of the best NLEs and what you can expect from them.
Premiere Pro
Arguably the industry leader for working editors, Premiere Pro is a simultaneously complex and straightforward program that takes some getting used to. Premiere should be your first choice if you’re putting together simple, straightforward storytelling with minimal effects and technical trickery.
But even when you inevitably progress beyond this point, and you take this step—you’ve got After Effects to assist you as part of the Adobe Suite. The best part about the Adobe suite is that you keep every aspect of the creative process in the family.
Before we talk a bit about the features within Premiere Pro, check out some of the system requirements for the program below.
- Adobe Premiere Pro’s System Requirement and Specs
- Top Alternatives to Premiere Pro in 2022
As part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, this program offers regular, user-friendly updates that make content creators’ lives easier. You can also streamline your workflow with the Shutterstock plugin for Adobe CC.
Side note: Premiere now has the option to try a free trial of the software! Quickly browse through millions of video clips without ever leaving Premiere Pro.
- Price: $19.99/month
So, now that we’ve talked about the basic layout for the program, let’s dive a little into learning how to edit within Premiere.
First up is a tutorial from Charles Yeager on the general rules and tips for editing in Premiere Pro (for beginners).
Charles made this video into a series, including dozens of editing know-hows for someone looking to become a master at Premiere. Check out the next episode below!
- Premiere Pro Playbook Part Two
- An In-Depth Look at the Adobe Premiere Pro Editing Tools
Let’s move on to Apple’s offering, shall we?
Final Cut Pro X
FCPX has made vast improvements in the past few years. As Apple’s answer to Adobe, FCPX is perfect for anybody who wants to play around with cutting video in its simplest form and remain within Apple’s ecosystem.
The timeline and windows for effects and titles are straightforward to maneuver. And, as long as you’re not working with too much footage (e.g., feature-length), the program should run just fine.
- Price: $299.99
Before we talk a bit about the features within Final Cut Pro X, check out some of the system requirements for the program below.
- FCPX’s System Requirements – Specs Included
Just like our series on Premiere Pro, we’ve released specific guides catered to editors that might be new to the layout of Final Cut Pro X.
We always make a point to try and provide some context for these articles rather than: “Go out there and completely unlearn everything you know about editing.” It’s the equivalent of showing problems without providing solutions.
Below is the first of a two-part series in which Tanner Shinnick gives us tips and tricks for easing into editing in FCPX.
- FCPX Essentials Part Two: Editing a Video
I’ve also released a tutorial in the past in which I talk about nine editing techniques in Final Cut Pro X that you might not know how to do upon immediately opening the program. You can find the tutorial below!
- 9 Beginner Tips for Editing in Final Cut Pro X
Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve
Here’s the real MVP. At no cost, the accessible version of DaVinci Resolve is a straightforward and, frankly, excellent program. Since I originally made the video above and published this article, I’ve successfully switched entirely from Premiere to Resolve. I wrote about this switch extensively, and you can read my thoughts here.
For what I need it to be, Resolve is everything and then some. The layout is super-intuitive. The capabilities are similar to Premiere, so you’re not missing out on anything if you’re familiar with the Adobe suite.
Before we talk a bit about the features within Resolve, check out some of the system requirements for the program below.
- DaVinci Resolve 17’s System Requirements
It’s easy to navigate, and it offers an extensive amount of effects. The audio editing features are substantial, and they fill a real need for working editors. The color grading is top-tier, so if you try out the Lumetri Color Panel in Premiere Pro, experiment with Resolve and see which one you like better. It’s important to note that Resolve works in Nodes.
These nodes act as little adjustment clips that you can apply individual effects to, creating a roadmap so you can see what you’ve done and then alter individual effects along the way. It’s just a better way to control what you’re doing to your image.
- Price: FREE
There’s a Studio version of Resolve that has more features and capabilities. This will cost a one-time fee of $295. But, if you buy any of Blackmagic Design’s products, you automatically get Resolve Studio. That’s what I did when I purchased the BMPCC6K, which was a big reason I made the switch to Resolve.
One of the better videos we’ve published on our Shutterstock Tutorials channel is this walk-through from our own Lewis McGregor on what to expect when starting fresh in Resolve. Check it out below.
Other Programs
Now, obviously, the programs listed above inevitably cost money. So, what if you don’t have the budget or you’re testing the waters for video editing in general? What do you do?
Lucky for us, there are a few free NLEs that, again, are perfectly viable options for someone looking to do basic video editing. We’ve written about several of them in the past, and you can check out our coverage below. I’ve included a brief breakdown of the programs with links to them.
- Top Mobile Editing Tools for Filmmakers on the Go
- The Best FREE Editing Programs
- Best Free Video Editing Software for Mac, Windows, and Linux
In Conclusion
We can’t tell you what to do. Each of these programs offers more than enough features and effects to help you edit a film from start to finish.
Seeing as it’s 2022, there’s nothing they can’t do, and they’re constantly being updated and upgraded to match each other in capabilities.
Now, figure out which one fits your workflow and style of editing best, and go make that magic!
Cover image via Frame Stock Footage.