I’ve been continuing to figure out how to get the most out of my new iPad. Ever since I realized how much faster it is than my MacBook Air, I decided to look into what kinds of tasks I could use it for. One of the most intensive things I do on my computer is video editing. I actually have a really long history with this going all the way back to Media 100 on a Power Mac G4. That was around 2003-2004. Eventually the TV PEG station where I was working at the time got new hardware including a Power Mac G5 and one of the last G5 iMacs. With the more powerful computers, and newer versions of OS X, we started using Final Cut Pro.
Personally, I’ve never had any Mac powerful enough to run something like Final Cut Pro, nor do I really need it for the projects I work on. However, having used Final Cut for so many years, and knowing how to do non-linear editing, I tend to have high expectations of video editing software. On the Mac, I was aways impressed with iMovie. Sure, it’s fairly simple, but it is capable of quite a bit for a free, included piece of software. I remember the first time I used it on iOS. I was impressed that they could get something that even resembled the desktop version running on my iPad.
However, the iOS version of iMovie leaves a lot to be desired, at least by me. I wish it had any kind of key framing, better title support and more tracks. I started looking online for solutions, but I didn’t really expect to find any. For as much as Tim Cook likes to spout that iOS devices can be desktop replacements, the software just never seems to be there to back up the capable hardware. It might be getting closer though. I found a piece of software called LumaFusion.
At first glance, the app doesn’t look as slick as some really nice looking apps like Procreate or even iMovie, but it’s incredibly capable. It has a robust key framing system and enough video filters and options to make your head spin. You can make text titles look exactly like you want and editing all different kinds of tracks including audio tracks is pretty easy once you know how to do it. My first task was creating a video intro for some other videos I plan on making. Check it out here. I made the same intro with iMovie on iOS and it came out like this. It’s short and it may not look like much, but it has a lot of pieces I don’t know how I’d do with iMovie on iOS. Most of the effects are keyframed and I was even able to control the frame rate of the exported product. (Hint: if you want to make your videos appear more cinematic, try a 24FPS frame rate.) There are even little things that go such a long way like being able to precisely control the drop shadow angle on title text. I personally prefer to interact with the interface using the Pencil, but they’ve designed it so that it can be used with touch alone easily.
However, all of this power comes at a price. It’s the most expensive app I’ve ever purchased for iOS. At $20USD you get this app as well as the LumaFX app which has additional video filter tools. I definitely prefer to purchase apps when I can because I feel you get a better product when you pay for it. Plus, as a developer myself, I know we need to eat too! That said, 20 dollars was a lot for a single app, but I do feel like it’s completely justified. I record a good number of videos and this app is going to help me make them look better.
A replacement for a desktop computer? It’s getting much closer, that’s for sure.