Video editing is no longer a practice reserved for the Hollywood pros or the affluent few among us. Basically, if you have a PC, you can edit video. Just how into it you get is all up to you. The good news is that no matter what level of editing prowess you wish to aspire to, you will be able to find software that fits your needs. “And just what can I edit”, you ask? Well, the answer is simple, anything and everything. It will, however, depend on your willingness to learn, your patience for trial and error, and just a little natural ability.

Before you get started, you need to ask yourself this question. “What exactly am I looking to do?” Do you want to make movie-quality video for professional use? Are you looking to edit for online video sharing? Maybe you just want to work on some home movies to play at the next family gathering? Questions like these are important to ask yourself as they will guide you toward the software and equipment best suiting your needs. In other words, if you are looking to make DVD slideshows of family pictures, you’re not going to need a $500 software suite just because it can do X, Y, and Z when all you really need is X.

Once you have gained an understanding of what you are looking to accomplish, it’s time to examine the many software options available. Choosing the right one is a lot easier than it looks. There are, in fact, plenty of options available that provide an enormous bang for the buck.

The first title we should talk about is one that you probably already have, but don’t even know it. If you are a Windows XP user, you have a little program called Windows Movie Maker. You can find it via the “Start/All Programs” menu. Calling this a “little” program is really a mistake on my part.

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The reality is that it’s a fairly powerful video editing tool, and most likely all the editing software the majority of you will ever need. It features a large assortment of video and title effects, and the workspace is very user-friendly. Movie Maker will allow you to work with a large selection of video formats including the popular MPEG, AVI, and WMA. From importing your video, sounds and music, and pictures, to the editing storyboard, it makes movie-making an almost effortless process. This is especially true for the novice editor.

You won’t find any advanced editing controls like working with multiple layers and such, but if you want to do basic operations like adding music to a video clip or home movie, the Windows Movie Maker is really all you may need. At any rate, it is a great way to gain experience at editing. Even if you have your sights set on editing at a higher level, it’s always best to learn to crawl before you walk.

As we move down the line from the Windows Movie Maker, the forest starts to get a bit thicker, so to speak, as the number of software options available gets larger. Selecting the appropriate software is almost a skill in itself. My personal preference is Sony’s Vegas line. They seem to have narrowed the field to three distinct tracks; the casual user, the hardcore user, and the professional. The line consists of Vegas Movie Studio, Vegas Movie Studio Platinum, and the big enchilada itself, Vegas. Priced low to high, the Vegas series runs $89.95, $119.95, and $524.96, respectively.

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