You also have a handful of Image Objects. You need to replace them with your own clips and if possible match the type of shot requested (long shot, medium shot, etc). Do this and the interface changes with the Timeline getting filed with specific placeholders. If you’d rather your video editing software do most of the work for you, choose a Movie Template.

Of course you also have access to regular colour correction tools and other effects such as blur, distortion, speed, chroma key, and many others. You can apply specific Looks to your clips, or your entire project, which is a quick and easy way to grade your footage. There aren’t many transitions, but those that are present look very nice, and some are even quite original. You can also move them around the screen to place them in a location that better suits your project. There’s a good selection of titles, most of which are fully editable (the 3D effects ones aren’t, aside from imputing new text). You can preview them all easily prior to adding them to your project, which is a definite plus and can save you a lot of time. This is where you import your footage as described above, but also where all the app’s effects, transitions and titles reside. Top right of the interface is known as the Media Pool. There’s a good number of cool-looking transitions (Image credit: MAGIX) Transitions and titles It’s a different way of thinking which is counter intuitive if you’re used to the more traditional way of working, or just used to the way things word in the real world. Not so here: if you want to place one clip over another, you have to place it underneath it. In more professional applications, tracks work like layers, and anything on top of one obscures what’s beneath it. The one thing that is frustrating to a veteran editor though, and which could confuse you should you wish to eventually migrate to another package, is the fact the tracks are placed in reverse order. You also have a series of tools available to you via a row of icons top left of the Timeline section. It’s easy to trim clips and move them around, you can navigate via the keyboard and even the traditional JKL keys which are often used to rewind, pause and forward through the timeline, are implemented here. Everything pretty much works as expected. As far as editing is concerned, if you’re at all used to making videos in other apps, you’ll feel right at home here.

Magix movie edit