It slices, it dices?

February 23, 2011 12:31 PM

I am looking for video editing software very similar to programs used by college sports teams to make 'cutups' of game footage.

What the software needs to do:

• Let me import video clips.
• Let me easily chop that clip into pieces and save them as their own files.
• Let me tag each of those video clips with at least 6 items of metadata + comments.
• That metadata should be exportable to csv/excel/something and include the name of the clip as one of those metadata fields.
• I'd also like to be able to 'mark up' the video ala Madden/ other NFL sportscasters - but this isn't a dealbreaker.

I have found several software packages meant for sports coaches that do a lot of these things, but honestly, they don't seem like very professional software companies. The quality of the software I have been able to get my hands on to try has been buggy and poorly documented. Also, very few have a trial, they all want to 'give me a demo' but since I am not going to use it for a sports-specific purpose, I never even hear back from them. I'm also unwilling to buy software I can't have a trial of. I need to use it in my environment to check performance and if it fits our workflow.

Ideas anyone?

posted by jopreacher to Technology (6 answers total)

The video editing suites are probably Final Cut Pro (Mac only) or Adobe Premier Pro. Both will set you back a bundle.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 12:41 PM on February 23, 2011

1. take video editing class at cheapest school , adult ed program, whatever that you can find.
2. use student discount price to purchase above mentioned softwares.
posted by WeekendJen at 2:35 PM on February 23, 2011

Response by poster: Using one of those programs to do this work just feels like taking a nuke to a knife fight.
posted by jopreacher at 3:01 PM on February 23, 2011

Have you tried iMovie? It's not got all the bells and whistles as the pro versions do, but I think you can save the clips as files, etc. I'm not sure about exporting them as an EDL, but you could save the clips in a Numbers sheet as QTs.
posted by Ideefixe at 3:46 PM on February 23, 2011

Using one of those programs to do this work just feels like taking a nuke to a knife fight.

You have to ask yourself which is worth more, your time or your money. Because if you can't afford either of these software suites, you're going to have to immerse yourself in some admittedly kludgey OSS solutions. I say this because, from your description you require:

1. Non-linear editing software
2. Telestrator software
3. Digital Asset Management software

FC Pro & Premiere are ideal in that they are known quantities with robust features. Obviously thats what you would be paying for. Even if they do fall short of some of your needs.

Or you could use Kino to import footage and export clips. Catalog and tag your clips in ResourceSpace. Play your clips in Totem while using Gromit to telestrate over them (all the while using glc to record the "telestrated clip").

Thats a lot to learn, for a workflow I'm not even sure works. But its free.
posted by lilnemo at 5:15 PM on February 23, 2011

Response by poster: Fair enough. Thanks for the feedback.
posted by jopreacher at 5:42 PM on February 23, 2011