iMovie, Plugins?

[buttongerald]

Good Day Folks,

I was just wondering if there any decent plugins for iMovie? If so, are they worth using, or should I explore other options if I wish to get a more robust video editing experience? Right now I don't really have the cash to spend on a $300+ video editor such as Final Cut. If the single application subscription for the Adobe Cloud was cheaper, I would opt for Premiere Pro, but I don't really want to pay $20+ a month on top of the amount I already pay Adobe for Photoshop and Lightroom.

I know Photoshop HAS the capability to edit video, but even so with that said I find it's very buggy and slow to react, and my iMac is not sluggish by any means.

I like staying within an all application environment, as in, I like to keep with the default, Apple software as much as I can if I can. I'd like to hear from my fellow Mac video editors if there is any way to improve iMovie.

I think I am crazy, but this current version seems like it lacks features from older versions.. but that could be just the UI being different and the fact I hadn't really sat down and put a full project through just yet.

Any tips, suggestions, or input would be great.

Regards,

Gerald B.

 

[Dave Braine]

this current version seems like it lacks features from older versions

Such as? Perhaps you just haven't found them yet.

 

[buttongerald]

Such as? Perhaps you just haven't found them yet.

See the rest of that paragraph:

but that could be just the UI being different and the fact I hadn't really sat down and put a full project through just yet.

 

[kohlson]

There are several answers to your question. The first, is what specific features are you looking for? Apple seems to bury more advanced capabilities beneath a hgih-level just-get-it-done UX. iMovie is very capable for most consumers, and you can't beat the price. Next, you could consider Premiere Elements, which has a traditional licensing model (buy, not subscribe). Also, very capable for most consumers. Next up is DaVinci Resolve, which is free, but not Apple. Then there is FCP X - very powerful, and a pretty good price for such a product.

 

[dandeco]

Ever since 'iMovie 08 came out in August 2007, Apple dropped plug-in support for iMovie. I believe they thought, "Why allow third-party plug-in support, when we can do it ourselves?" And then with subsequent versions of the new iMovie, they added stuff like picture-in-picture, chroma-key and a few other effects and such that required plug-ins on the classic iMovie.
I will admit, iMovie '11 is one of my favorite versions of the program. It's got the most features of this "new" version. I feel with the newer version (iMovie 10), that dropping support for 4:3 video (only supporting widescreen or 16:9) and creating DVD chapter markers, and kind of limiting the import and export options wasn't a great idea, but at least it's still got good features like the cool trailer-maker thing, decent audio editing, basic picture-in-picture and chromakey effects, etc.
iMovie HD 6 is also probably the best version of the "classic" iMovie; it's also a great video editor for G4 machines (with at least a 1 GHz or higher processor.) I managed to get it working on my Mac Mini with OS X 10.11 El Capitan. (Google it up, there's a way you can patch one of the files in TextEdit.)

 

[buttongerald]

Next up is DaVinci Resolve, which is free, but not Apple.

I have installed this application and wow what a robust editing system. Runs very well on my iMac and has a wonderful UI to boot. Why is something like this free? I was shocked to see it cost nothing for what it is we are getting.

Is there some sort of catch I wonder? I only intend to edit in 720p currently, and maybe 1080p a little ways down the road, and I feel this application may work well for me.

 

[kohlson]

>>>Is there some sort of catch I wonder?
So far as I can tell, the only catch is that someday they will change their mind and you will be "stuck" with their UX. But that's true for any app.

 

[Medcons]

I've got the Picture in Picture pack PiP.... attached I hope.
You can download the full iMovie HD 6.5.1 app see here Tutorial Video. Works all the way up to OSX 10.11

 

[tywebb13]

Your iMovie HD 6.5.1 works in macOS Sierra too. Thanks.