| With top of the line video camcorders
and sound equipment making a rather large dent in the wallet,
heres some great free and low cost shareware video production
tools to help balance the bank.
These shareware and freeware programs for:
- Screenwriting
- Storyboarding
- Film editing
- Sound editing
Pre Production
ScreenPro [66KB
| Shareware $10 |Win All] ScreenPro is a formatting template
for Microsoft Word to help you organize your thoughts for
your screenplay. The actual program is free to download; but
registering will stop payment reminders for only $10. ScreenPro
includes some good script analysis tools.
ScreenForge
[174KB |Shareware $45 |Win All/Mac] ScreenForge is another
screenplay template for Word. It includes templates for the
main screenplay, the cover page and the title/fly page. Screenforge
formatting rules help you layout your ideas for a professional
result.
Video
Storyboard Pro [21MB | Freeware | Win All/Mac] Storyboards
help you to plan out your film, shot by shot. You add shot
types, import photos and sounds, add notes to your cameraman,
how you'd like scenes edited. The website provides great step-by-step
tutorial videos on how to use the program.
Directors Boards
[3.2MB | Freeware | Win XP/Mac] Directors Boards is a free
part of the larger Directors Notebook software. A very simple
storyboarding application for creating storyboards from existing
digital scans, illustrations, and photos. Once you have it
all together, the program can print the boards or form them
a digital slideshow to be viewed frame by frame.
Celtx [19.57MB
| Freeware | Win All/ Mac/ Linux] Celtx is a slightly higher
level program, complete with screenplay editor, and web-based
collaboration tools. It also manages pre-production tasks
such as budgets, schedules, storyboards, prop and wardrobe
needs, and a personal calendar.
Production
MonkeyJam
[4MB | Freeware | Win All] Designed for those creating animated
or stop motion films. MonkeyJam takes simple a pencil-test
program for 2D drawn animation, to the next level with features
to assist stop motion animation as well as frame flipping.
This allows you to compare previously shot frames with your
current shot. You can also import images and sound files to
add more animation. Export films as AVI files, post them on
the net, or email them.
Blender
[11 MB | Freeware | All platforms] The best of the many free
3D animation software tools. Blender offers features similar
to high end, high price software. Great for creating animations,
rendering textures, digital sculpting, and many other cool
features.
MoviePlanner
[4MB | Freeware | Win XP] Planning a movie gets a whole lot
easier using a program like MoviePlanner. This software helps
you break your movie project into manageable pieces and keep
track of all the resources you need to get your movie complerted.
Movie
Magic Budgeting [140MB | Free Trial | Win XP/ Mac] Movie
Magic Budgeting is only free for 15 uses but is industry standard
software that can help you estimate the cost of movies, commercials,
documentaries and anything else you're thinking of filming.
Post Production
Audacity [2.1MB
| Freeware | Win All/Mac/Linux] Audio editing equipment can
be pricey, but Audacity comes to the rescue, complete with
tutorials. Record and edit audio, cut, copy, splice, mix,
and add effects. There are no limits on the number of tracks
or the length of any track.
Sound Engine
Free [456KB | Freeware | Win XP] For simple tweaks to
your audio, SoundEngine Free is a simple two-channel editing
application that allows track editing and remastering. Simple
software, useful for basic sound editing.
Avid
Free DV [22.9MB| Freeware |Win XP/Mac] Avid Free DV gives
you a taste of Avid's pricier software. The features are much
more limited than those of other Avid programs; but the software
isn't limited by watermarks or time limits, so you are free
to use it at your leisure. Compared to other free programs,
the Avid program contains powerful video processing tools
with various editing and effects. A bit complicated for the
beginner, but the site provides tutorials.
VirtualDub
[13MB | Freeware | Win XP] Before you move your project from
your camera to your computer for editing, VirtualDub helps
you clean it up or make simple modifications. It is a video
capture and processing tool rather than an editing tool, but
does have a few editing features like filters. Its quick processing
speed makes it a useful intermediary tool.
Jahshaka [11.8MB| Freeware
| Win All/ Mac/Linux] An all-in-one solution, Jahshaka software
is a video and film compositing, editing and special fx system
that operates in real-time. It also includes CG, paint and
image processing comparable to many expensive programs.
CinePaint [4.2MB |
Freeware | Win All/ Mac/Linux] CinePaint helps you digitally
retouch your work, remove dirt, add 3D model textures and
much more. Used by professionals, and it's free!
Hope these help you budding film makers get these one step
sooner.
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