FastCut

Fastcut allows you to create your own movies. Luckily, there are various presets you can start to save some time and effort.

The tool’s interface is composed of various windows you can resize and move the way you feel most convenient for the specific tasks. Yet, I do not think this is one of those tools you can start to use right after installation. For most users, it would require at least a quick consultation with the accompanying user guide.

As said before, Fastcut has various independent windows: Monitor, Timeline and Inspector. You should begin by importing the files to the Monitor, where you can preview their contents. In this respect, it supports various types of audio, video and picture files, such as MOV, MP3, M4A, AAC, AIFF, MP4, M4V, AVI, DV and TIFF. Unluckily, though, it only allows those formats compatible with QuickTime. It is also a problem that it cannot import footage directly from a camera, so you need a third-party to record it.

After importing the source files, you can drag and drop them onto the timeline, which, fortunately, allows you to create as many tracks as necessary. Then, you can use the Inspector window to change the clips properties, set animations and apply effects. In this regard, the program lets you use transitions between clips. Likewise, there are many effects, such as Motion Blur, Chroma Key and Posterize. Moreover, you can add titles and captions.

One of the best features of the tool is that it lets you animate elements using keyframes. So, you can change an item’s position, size, rotation degree, opacity level and other properties over time to achieve interesting effects.

When you are done editing your movie, you can proceed to export it. The good news is that you can create standard files as well as upload them to a video-sharing site. Again, it is a pity that only Quicktime-supported formats are allowed as a target.

All in all, Fastcut is an option to consider when you are creating your own movies. Yet, it is possibly more difficult to use than other video editors. The limitation in terms of output formats is also something to take into consideration. However, I would highlight its support of keyframe animations as an outstanding feature you may want to use in your videos.