I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the proprietary way in which iMovie stores project files in its Library. That Library file can grow exponentially, and weeding through it is a tedious process of deleting the project in iMovie and then the files in the Library. I much prefer how GarageBand handles Project files, etc., in Finder folders.
I am looking for software alternatives that store project files in a more practical way. I don’t want something insanely expensive or with lots of features I won’t use. Should I get Final Cut or something else? Recommendations welcome. Thanks!
Following this thread. Final Cut Pro is certainly a contender, alongside Adobe Premiere I guess. On the iPad, I’m having limited experience with LumaFusion and it is probably way more capable than what I have learnt this far (also way cheaper).
Also, DaVinci Resolve seems to be free? Got a bit of a headache just looking at those controls in their screenshots 
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Also, DaVinci Resolve seems to be free? Got a bit of a headache just looking at those controls in their screenshots
Yep, the free version of Resolve covers probably 95% of non-professional users. It’s amazing they just give it away.
It definitely doesn’t fulfill the requirement of avoiding tons of extra features. But I’d still argue it’s worth a look, the Casey Faris tutorial videos on YouTube explain it in an accessible way. And it looks like he’s got a refreshed beginner’s guide for the new version that would give you a feel for whether you’d like it in 20 minutes. You can basically just ignore the pro-level Fusion, Color, and Fairlight tabs, and then it starts to resemble the same kind of interface you’ll get in any other editor.
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+1 for DaVinci Resolve
I started editing with it about six months back and got the hang of the basics in 2 weeks. You don’t need to focus on color grading and fusion tabs. You can even hide them from the interface.
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UPDATE: I have just completed a 10 minute video in DaVinci Resolve, and DANG what a great piece of software! It works the way my brain does, to the extent I was able to do almost everything I wanted to.
(and what little I did not manage is limited by my lack of skills in the product, for sure.)
There is a lot to learn in there, but definitely going to be a fun journey to embark on.
EDIT UPDATE: After posting this, an Internet search solved my issue mentioned above.
Achievement unlocked!
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I felt the same the first time I used Da Vinci Resolve. After a lot of frustration with Final Cut Pro --granted, I’m not a video editing pro so I’ve been self taught-- everything “ticked” with DVR. Even though the editing metaphores are basically the same, there’s something different to it that I can’t explain.
The value that DVR delivers for free is incredible.
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