ArcSoft Video Impression 2 - by Mark Richards

The new Video Impression 2 from Arcsoft is very easy to use program for creating videos and slide shows. Targeted to beginners, families and hobbyists, the $49 Video Impression 2 program enables almost anyone with a Windows computer to easily captures, edit and create basic video movies complete with effects, music, narration, titles, test and transitions. The finished videos can then be output in a variety of streaming video formats (WindowsMedia and Quicktime) as well as back to tape or MPEG1 formats for burning to video CD.

  Video Impression uses a simple storyboard approach to create your movies and slide shows and provides six basic steps to create your projects. On the left side of each section page are the controls for that specific step plus a PREVIEW window on the right side to let you review your work.

 The first editing section is MEDIA. This is where you collect your clips and audio from a camcorder or other sources as well as lay them down on the storyboard in the correct order.  

 Prior to editing, you can use scene detection to make the editing of long scenes a lot easier. You can set scene detection to break apart a long video clip into much smaller and more manageable video clips by either scene changes or by date and time. Once the long scene has been broken apart, you can access, preview and edit the shorter clips just by clicking on the yellow down arrow at the bottom of the original clip in the library.

 The Media library takes up the left hand side of the MEDIA screen. This is where you store all the video, audio and still image clips. After collecting the media you want for your project, you can start inserting them onto the Storyboard. Video Impression provides a single track for your video and still images.  Between each video and still image clip is an icon for adding a special effect. There are two extra audio tracks running underneath. One audio track is for adding music and special sound effects while the other is for adding narration.

 You begin by laying your video clips down on the storyboard. As this is a true nonlinear editing video editing program, you can experiment and move them around as much as you want. You can also insert your audio tracks now if you want or you can wait until later.

EDIT Window

 The next step is the EDIT window where you get to trim your video, music and still images.  By clicking on each clip in the storyboard, you can adjust its beginning and end by moving the green and red scissors in the lay window. The editing window also allows you to adjust the overall brightness and contrast of that clip, as well as to set the overall audio volume. This same control is used to adjust audio volume of audio clips on the storyboard. The editing window also allows you to adjust the duration of any still image you insert on the video track, as well as its brightness and contrast.

 As you work, you can preview your project in several ways. Beneath the Preview window are a couple of icons. The film reel icon lets you preview your entire project – including music, effects, etc. The other icon is the Active Clip mode that allows you to preview and work on a single video, still image or audio clip. However, I discovered that if you hold the shift key down and click on a few consecutive clips, you can activate all of them and then watch an entire sequence.

After you have inserted the various still images and video clips and have them in the approximate right order, you then can insert effects and text.

 Inserting Effects and Transitions

 Inserting effects is simple. In windows number three, Effects, you simply pick one of the transition effects and then drag it on top of the appropriate icon between clips. That’s it. You don’t have any other choices. For good or bad, you don’t have to worry about direction, intensity or duration of the effect.  What it is, is what you get. If you don’t like the effect, just replace it with another. Also, if you don’t select any clips at all, and just hit play on the preview window, it will play back the last transition you inserted.  

 Text and Titles

 You can also add text and titles over your video or over still images. Video Impression works like most any other Windows application to create your titles – you can pick font types, sizes, centering, colors, etc. Once you have the text picked out, you can place it anywhere on the screen with your mouse. You can also add shadow effects as well as a wide variety of very cool motion effects like fly-in and out, zoom in and out, slits, etc. As with all the other steps, you use the Preview window to adjust the length of the title.

 Narration

 Step Five is narration. By attaching a microphone to your computer via your sound card, you can capture audio in real time. This is great for providing narration for travel and event videos.

 The Final Step

 The final step is saving and then outputting your finished video production. Once you have the movie looking the way you want it, save the file. Then go to Window 6, Produce. Here you have a choice of five basic output modes – save to disk, save for email, save to DV camcorder, save to analog video recorder and save to CD (MPEG-1).

 If you choose to make a streaming video format - either QuickTime or Windows media, you have a nice choice of various formats and quality choices. For Windows Media, the options range from low resolution, small images for 28 Kpbs dial-up up to high quality, high resolution, full frame video streams requiring 2 Mbps broadband. Impressive.

Video Impression 2 is one of the simplest and easiest to use video editing products on the market. It is so simple and well thought out that you don’t need to read the instructions.  I strongly recommend this program as an excellent “first” program for video hobbyists and first-time video editors. It has lots of power and pizzazz at a very affordable price, and even better, is very to easy to use and figure out.

  Get Video Impression from ArcSoft

Click here to get ARCSOFT VideoImpression 2 ( Windows )   from Amazon for just $39.95

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