OpenShot Video Editor | Blog

Updates, Artwork, Schedule, Rewards, and More!

2013-06-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

Over the past many weeks, I have made some tremendous progress and have lots of exciting updates to share with you! For those who were wondering, I did finally get my Kickstarter funds transferred to me, even though it took a few more weeks than I initially expected.

Cross-Platform Update

I have setup a complete Mac OS X development system, made numerous improvements to the OpenShot Library build system (which is responsible for cross-platform compiling), and I am happy to report that everything works great on OS X, Windows 7 and 8, and Linux! Not only did I get everything working nicely, I also documented the entire build process (i.e. instructions) for each operating system.

Artwork

For the past 4 weeks I have been working with a professional interface design artist on the next generation timeline interface... which is a big part of this Kickstarter plan. This is just a "rough" draft, showing the progression of our mock-ups so far. Enjoy!

Schedule

I have completed the development schedule for OpenShot 2.0! It was very tricky getting everything scheduled in, but I am happy with the final plan. Here are a few highlights, for those that don't want to read the entire plan:

Sept 2013 - Library Release
Nov 2013 - Preview Release (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Dec 2013 - Alpha & Beta Releases (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Jan 2014 - Final Release

Rewards

I have just placed the order for T-shirts, Flash drives, certificates, and mailing supplies (envelopes, cardboard, paper, etc...). However, compiling the final list of backer information was much more challenging than I anticipated. =) While Kickstarter does a good job of letting me download the backer information as a CSV, it gives me a separate file for each reward level (each with their own column orders... so none of them matched). Then I merged in the opt-out database and additional PayPal backers. My final task was building a report which combined all this data, analyzed it, and helped me determine how many T-shirts of each size, how many flash drives, which name to print in the credits, etc... So, I am glad this phase is coming to an end soon. Once the supplies arrives, my wife and kids have volunteered to help me form an assembly line, and get these in the mail as soon as possible. My kids are very excited to have a part in the process. =)

Operating Systems (some thoughts)

I don't want to start an operating system discussion (i.e. war), but I thought I would share my thoughts on the 3 operating systems I've been using so much. So far, my favorite development environment is Linux, which is delightful to use (especially for programmers). Mac is my second favorite, with a very nice setup for programmers, and continues to improve as I learn to navigate its unique keyboard mappings (for example, the 'home' and 'end' keys). Windows 8 has been the most difficult to work with, especially setting up the build environment and dependencies. Also, since much of OpenShot's build process takes place in a command line / terminal environment, that probably accounts for why Windows frustrates me so much. See, I got through that without starting a war... hopefully.

Next Update

I will be sending out my next update in about 1 week, with more artwork and mock-ups to share, and an update on rewards. I hope you enjoyed the update and thanks again for your support!

Development Update, Schedule, and Funds

2013-04-25T01:37:00.000-05:00

Its been just over a week since we successfully funded, and I have been busy incorporating the many new features into my development schedule. As you can imagine, some of the more complex tasks require careful planning, meetings, and even simple prototypes, to help verify my schedule will be achievable. So, I fully anticipate completing the project by the original target date of Dec, 2013, but I am still working on the exact plan to get me there.

Development Update

One of the biggest decisions we have made so far is to switch the user interface toolkit that OpenShot uses from GTK+ to Qt. We have carefully considered our options, and our team believes it is the only reasonable path forward. A few big contributing factors to choosing Qt was the performance of embedding HTML and JavaScript (for our timeline and curve editing widgets), native-looking widget rendering (on Mac, Windows, and Linux), improved tools for designing interfaces, and the easy ability to use OpenGL to display our video preview widget.

Another contributing factor is the simplification of OpenShot source code that will result from using Qt. Thousands and thousands of lines of GTK+ code will be removed from our source code, and replaced with either JavaScript timeline code, or a much simpler Qt API. So, while this will be a big effort, it will reduce the complexity of OpenShot's source code, and give us much more powerful and easier to use tools for building and debugging.

For those who are interested to learn more about Qt and why an application such as OpenShot could benefit from using it, take a look at this video. It's a fun video, and touches on the basics of what Qt can be used for.

Schedule

I am meeting with members of OpenShot's development team this week and making final adjustments to my development schedule. I plan on sharing it as soon as the final few issues are resolved.

Funds

I am still waiting for Amazon Payments and Kickstarter to release the funds to me. I'm not sure how long it typically takes for this to happen, but I just wanted to let everyone know I am still waiting for the funds. I will be making equipment and supply purchases once the funds clear, so I will keep everyone updated on this front.

I have many more updates to share as well, but I'll be spreading them out over a week or two. Things such as hardware acceleration plans, distributed editing (i.e. video server) prototype & update, and more improvements to our timeline interface. Stay tuned!

OpenShot Sponsor: Media College!

2013-04-24T15:32:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take a moment and thank our newest sponsor, Media College, who pledged $1,500 on Kickstarter towards improving OpenShot! They provided a huge boost to our fundraising efforts at a critical time in our campaign. Thank You so much for supporting OpenShot!

For those who don't know, mediacollege.com has hundreds of exclusive tutorials covering video & television production, audio work, photography, graphics, web design and more. Check it out, and who knows, you might learn something awesome!

Exclusive OpenShot Tutorials

They have also added a section for OpenShot tutorials, so be sure to check them out!

I have also added a new Sponsors page on the OpenShot website, with some additional information on Media College, and other companies who support our project.

Kickstarter Update | OpenShot 2.0!

I am hard at work on completing the development schedule for OpenShot 2.0! Many features were added towards the end of the Kickstarter campaign, which have made quite a bit more work for me. But they are great features, and will be welcome additions to OpenShot! I also have some big design decisions I will be posting very soon, which will likely be interesting to anyone who follows the development of OpenShot.

Kickstarter: Only 39 hours remaining!

2013-04-15T10:26:00.000-05:00

Only 39 hours remain for OpenShot's Kickstarter (fund raising) campaign and some big changes are being announced today for our stretch goals (i.e. additional features that are unlocked at certain fund raising amounts). But first, we have reached another amazing milestone, Stretch Goal #3: Animation Presets, greatly improving the work-flow for animating video clips and titles. Overall, the past 48 hours have been great, with over $2,800 pledged, pushing us past $35,000. So, thank you to everyone who has supported our project so far!

Slashdot

I have submitted a new Slashdot article, that could really use some "up votes", if you want to help us out. Getting this posted on Slashdot in the final hours of our Kickstarter, could be the "make or break" moment of this campaign.

Stretch Goal #4: FREE!

As a thank you, I have decided to make some BIG CHANGES to the remaining stretch goals, starting with including Stretch Goal #4: Video Render Queue (queue up multiple renders) for FREE! This is a great feature, and will improve the work-flow for rendering multiple versions of your timeline.

Stretch Goal #5: REDUCED!

As a final thank you, I am reducing the price for Stretch Goal #5: Video Editing Server, in hopes to meet everyone halfway. This is a highly complex system, for offloading CPU, Memory, and Disk Cache to a local server (or server farm), dramatically improving the speed of previews and renders. I have already created successful small scale experiments with this technology, but as you can imagine, it will have far reaching implications in the design of OpenShot, which is why I originally set the goal so high. However, I really want to see this feature get implemented, and I'm crossing my fingers that we'll hit this goal before we run out of time.

Statistics Update

Take a look at how far we've come, and how little is remaining to reach our final goal!

Only 39 Hours Remaining!

We are in the final hours of our Kickstarter, and this is our last chance to spread the word, email our friends and co-workers, talk to our bosses about corporate sponsorships, or increase our pledges. Stretch Goal #5 is now more possible than ever before, but we will have to all pitch in to make this happen. Once again, THANK YOU for supporting OpenShot, and let's sprint to the finish line!

An Early Look at OpenShot's New Timeline!

2013-04-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

One of the most important features of a video editor is its timeline interface. The timeline allows users to arrange, trim, and position video clips over time. The next version of OpenShot will feature a new timeline, built from the ground up using modern web development technologies, such as HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.

Keep in mind that this video is an early look, and is still missing many important functions. We will soon reveal improvements to trimming, audio adjustment, snapping, previewing, and placing transitions... so those are missing in this video demo, but coming soon.

If you like what you see in this video, please consider supporting OpenShot on Kickstarter!

OpenShot's New Timeline Demo from Jonathan Thomas on Vimeo.

Some of the new features demonstrated in this video include:

Video thumbnails
Audio waveforms
Color indicator on edges of clips
Multiple clip selection and arrangement
Auto trimming tool when you hover over the edge of a clip
Improved snapping
Ability to skin with CSS

If you like what you see, you can help us in any of the following ways: share this page on Facebook, encourage your friends and co-workers to support our project, back us on Kickstarter, and/or contact your favorite tech blogs and encourage them to cover our project. Thank you for your support!

100% Funded on Kickstarter!

2013-03-31T02:10:00.000-05:00

Today we reached 100% of our goal! THANK YOU SO MUCH for backing and supporting OpenShot on Kickstarter! It looks like this project is officially going to happen now! I am so excited to get started, but before I do, we can still make OpenShot even better (i.e. stretch goals). So, I will continue to work hard promoting this campaign, spreading the word, and if I'm lucky, land a few more articles on popular websites.

Happy Easter!

While I was dyeing Easter Eggs with my kids this evening, we decided to make some Kickstarter themed eggs, in honor of OpenShot reaching 100% of its goal. So, with our tools in hand (wax crayons, dye, vinegar, and water), here is what we came up with.

Stats

Look how beautiful this chart is. If you stand back and squint your eyes, it almost looks like a straight line. In reality, things have seemed much more unpredictable. But all that really matters is we are above that green line!

More Stretch Goals

I have received many messages from people with additional suggestions for stretch goals. Some, such as improved support for sub-titles, might be added as additional stretch goals soon. If you have some great ideas for additional stretch goals, please send me a message soon and I will consider them.

Thank You... Again!

We did it! 100% funded in 13 days. And we could not have done it without your help. So, thank you again!

OpenShot Kickstarter Reaches 65% of Goal!

2013-03-27T00:38:00.000-05:00

There are still 21 days left in the OpenShot Kickstarter campaign, and we have already climbed to 448 backers, with pledges reaching 65% of our $20,000 goal. While we have had an amazing start to our campaign, there are still challenges ahead. We still need to raise $7,000 to reach our goal, and we need to find more media coverage, to help spread the word and continue to bring in new backers.

The Linux Action Show!

The latest episode of the LAS (Linux Action Show) gave OpenShot some great coverage. There was music, dancing, and ... well, you will just have to watch the video yourself! A big thanks to Matt & Chris for their continued support of OpenShot! You guys are awesome!

Recent Articles Featuring OpenShot's Kickstarter

While we would certainly like more media coverage, there have been some great articles over the past few days. Here are a few, including an interview I did with Linux-updates.org.

Interview with Jonathan Thomas ~ OpenShot creator

OpenShot Reaches Halfway In Kickstarter Campaign

OpenShot could round out open source media production suite

Video Editor OpenShot Wants To Kickstart Windows, OS X Versions

Openshot Creator Launches Kickstarter

Award-Winning Video Editor Hits Kickstarter, Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux

If you have not watched the official Kickstarter video for OpenShot yet, now is your chance. If you are interested in helping our project make some ambitious and dramatic improvements, please consider backing our Kickstarter campaign!

OpenShot Kickstarter Update (Day 7)

2013-03-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend we had on the OpenShot Kickstarter campaign! We added 130+ new backers and are now 53% funded! Want to know more? Check out the full update posted on Kickstarter! Now, if only we can get featured on Boing Boing!

Take a look at the breakdown of backers we've received from external websites, as compared to backers from Kickstarter.com. We are holding steady at 75% external, 25% Kickstarter.com, which I find very interesting. I really thought that Kickstarter would refer more people... once the project picked up some momentum.

If you are interested in improving OpenShot, making it faster and more stable, and bringing it to more operating systems (such as Windows and Mac), please consider backing our project on Kickstarter!

OpenShot Kickstarter Update (Day 5)

2013-03-23T02:35:00.001-05:00

Great news everyone! Today was the best day so far for the OpenShot Kickstarter campaign! We had 62 new backers join us and we received almost $2,000 in new pledges!

We were also featured on the front page of Slashdot.org this evening, and the front page of developers.slashdot.org! This is a huge deal, and helped us spread the word about our Kickstarter campaign. So, a big thanks to Slashdot for being so cool and supporting our open-source project!

Slashdot is really the first major website to feature a story on our Kickstarter campaign, but I hope its not the last. I have submitted tips and sent emails to about 20 different tech websites, and distributed a press release to over 4,500+ newsrooms. I am no expert at marketing, but I'm trying my best! =)

For the full update, and a sneak peak at a new feature in the OpenShot Library, read our newest update on Kickstarter.

OpenShot Kickstarter Update (Day 3)

2013-03-21T01:41:00.000-05:00

The OpenShot Kickstarter campaign is going strong, and we have now completed 3 full days of fundraising! We have already raised over $3,500, which is over 17% of the goal. The average pledge is around $26, and 71% of our pledges are coming in from external websites (29% are coming from the Kickstarter website).

In order to keep our momentum going, we need to widen our base, and have more backers learn about our project. So, even if you can not pledge money, you can still help us spread the word by clicking the "share" button in Facebook or Google+, and posting our Kickstarter campaign on your wall (or stream). That is highly effective at finding new backers!

Free T-Shirt: If you can find a video editing website (news, forums, community, etc...) with respectable web traffic, that is interested in interviewing me about OpenShot and our Kickstarter campaign, or promoting our campaign in some way, I will send you a free T-Shirt (as featured on our Kickstarter page). You can contact me at jonathan@openshot.org if you find one.

OpenShot Launches Kickstarter Campaign!

2013-03-18T01:47:00.001-05:00

Following in the footsteps of other successfully funded open-source projects, such as VLC, Kdenlive, and Novacut, OpenShot Video Editor has just launched it's first ever Kickstarter campaign, focused on raising funds to develop a cross-platform version (Windows, Linux, and Mac), integrate our new & powerful video editing engine, and improve our user interface & video editing work-flow. In other words, we want to make dramatic improvements to OpenShot, and then release it to millions of new users from around the world!

However, we need your help to make this happen!

If you are one of the hundreds of people that has been asking for a Windows and Mac version of OpenShot, now is your chance to make it happen! Simply click the "Back This Project" button on Kickstarter and then tell your friends to do the same. We have some very unique and fun reward levels, including designing and naming your own vector titles and 3D animations. Or perhaps there is one feature you have always wanted in OpenShot... no problem, we have a reward level for that as well.

How You Can Help

We really do need your help to make this happen. We need you to spread word of this campaign far and wide. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your co-workers. In order to reach our goal, we need coverage on as many websites, forums, and social networks as possible.

URL: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/421164014/openshot-video-editor-for-windows-mac-and-linux

Here are some ad banners I designed for this campaign. Please feel free to link to these images, copy them, and distribute them as you see fit. Here are the links:

http://www.openshot.org/images/ads/OpenShot_Ad_250_200.png

http://www.openshot.org/images/ads/OpenShot_Ad_468_60.png

http://www.openshot.org/images/ads/OpenShot_Ad_728_90.png

http://www.openshot.org/images/ads/OpenShot_Ad_930_80.png

Learn More

To learn more about this project, watch demo videos of new features, and check out all the rewards levels, please take a look at our Kickstarter campaign today!

OpenShot LIVE @ SCALE 11x

2013-02-21T02:13:00.000-06:00

Don't miss the LIVE STREAM when OpenShot takes center stage at this year's Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE 11x) in Los Angeles, California! Just keep this page open for a real-time countdown. Once the event is LIVE, watch the LIVE STREAM of the La Jolla room, at the Hilton Los Angeles International Airport.

SCALE 11x Interview with Jonathan Thomas!

2013-02-17T22:03:00.000-06:00

The SCALE 11x team caught up with me before the event, to ask me a few questions about the OpenShot presentation, exhibitor booth, and more. If you live in the California area, you should seriously consider attending SCALE 11x. If you use the promo code "OSHOT", you will save 50% on a full access pass. Two days full of presentations, exhibits, and training. I learn a ton each year, and look forward to meeting you at the OpenShot presentation and booth!

I will be posting photos of the booth once the event starts, and there will be a LIVE stream of my presentation, posted on the SCALE 11x website (Saturday, Feb 23rd at 11:30 AM, California time).

Are You Ready for SCALE 11x?

2013-02-08T21:49:00.000-06:00

The eleventh annual Southern California Linux Expo is only 2 weeks away, and I hope you have already made plans to attend the show! It is a great event, with many interesting booths, presentations, demonstrations, and of course, fascinating people.

Register Now for SCALE 11x, and save 50% on full access passes using our exclusive promotional code: OSHOT

The OpenShot booth is very ambitious this year, with a super cool, interactive demonstration. I would tell you more, but I want to keep it a surprise for now. I will be personally running the booth again, and look forward to meeting each of you! Bring your questions, wishlists, and any other topics you want to discuss with me. I'll be there all day, Saturday and Sunday (February 23rd and 24th)!

Also, on Saturday morning @11:30 AM, in the La Jolla room, I will be making a presentation on the new OpenShot Library. I will be discussing many of it's new features, and how they will be used in the next version of OpenShot. The presentation will also contain many video and audio demonstrations, and should be entertaining and informative. =)

If all that is not enough to convince you to attend SCALE 11x, there is also a fun game during the event, where Open Source meets Jeopardy: SCALE Poker Quiz, an epic mix of scavenger hunt, trivia quiz, and trading game. One of the clues might even be solved at the OpenShot booth!

I look forward to seeing you at SCALE 11x!
-Jonathan Thomas

Music Videos + OpenShot!

2013-01-16T01:25:00.002-06:00

Have you noticed how more and more people are using open-source software to produce music videos? It's always encouraging to see videos on YouTube tagged with various Linux and open-source applications, especially youth produced videos. Recently, Phil Shapiro gave me a tip about another great Emily Fox music video, produced with OpenShot. If you have never heard her music, you are missing out. Check out her latest video, The Power of Love!

As the features continue to mature for OpenShot and other open-source applications, I can't wait to see what the youth of tomorrow will build! I hope everyone is adequately inspired. =)

OpenShot Library: Introducing Time Curves!

2012-12-06T01:48:00.002-06:00

Have you ever wanted to slow down or speed up a video including the audio? How about change the speed or direction of a video over time, for example, start at normal speed, and then slowly speed up or slow down the video? What about reverse the direction of a video over time (forwards, backwards, forwards, backwards, etc...)?

With the new OpenShot library, time is in your control, and can easily be mapped to a curve. The curve can be linear, more gradual (i.e. bézier), or even just a random sequence of frame numbers.

Are you getting excited yet? Remember, if you are interested in hearing more updates and news about OpenShot, please follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Enjoy the short demo video!

Sneak Peek: The New OpenShot Library!

2012-12-04T17:07:00.000-06:00

Twas the night before Christmas, four years ago, I released the first screenshots of OpenShot Video Editor on this very blog. Over the years, many improvements have been made to OpenShot since those first screenshots were taken, however, none quite so dramatic or important as the new video editing library I am currently developing.

Waveform visualizations can be composited over video, with animated colors.

As many of you know, I've been working for the past year on a new cross-platform video editing library to power future versions of OpenShot. This library is built from the ground up to excel where OpenShot has struggled the most:

Stability (Crashes)
Performance (Multiple processors & cores)
Animation & Keyframe Limitations
Glitchy Transition Alignment & Compositing Artifacts
Audio Crackles & Pops (and lack of speed and direction of audio)

My work on the OpenShot Library is nearing completion, and I will soon release it under GPLv3 license, and begin the journey of integrating it into OpenShot Video Editor. Here are some of features and highlights of the library so far:

Multi-threaded, Cross-Platform (Linux, Windows, Mac)
Curve-Based Animation and Time Shifting
Powerful Image Editing & Compositing
Sub-pixel Positioning & Animation
Audio Waveform Visualization
Powered by FFmpeg (Formats & Codecs)
Written in C++ (with Python Bindings)

While the main purpose of this library is to power a Desktop video editor, it can be so much more than that. For example, it can easily integrate into website back-ends and provide video conversion, watermarking, transcoding, thumbnailing, video meta-data (such as height, width, aspect ratio, sample rate), and even web-based video editors. I am happy to provide consulting, programming, or advice, if you are interested in integrating this library into your business.

Okay, so enough with the words and boring technical details! Here is a quick sneak peek of the new OpenShot library, showcasing a few of the it's features: compositing, curve-based animation, color animation, sub-pixel positioning & rendering, and waveform visualization (with animated color).

OpenShot Library Preview from Jonathan Thomas on Vimeo.

If you want to show your support of OpenShot and our new cross-platform library, be sure to share this video with your friends, make a donation, join our Facebook page, post an inspirational comment, or just spread the word. =) Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Version 1.4.3 Released! Download it Now!

2012-10-01T04:54:00.000-05:00

After many months of hard work and dedication from many great people, I am proud to announce the official release of OpenShot 1.4.3! This release has more bug fixes, enhancements, and new features than any other release of OpenShot to date! Please watch our release video and check out the new features:

OpenShot 1.4.3 Released! from Jonathan Thomas on Vimeo.

Before I get into the details of this release, I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have contributed to this release: Andy Finch, Olivier Girard, Yann Morere (for the amazing 3D animations), and everyone who contributed ideas, artwork, code, testing, and translations! I am always humbled to work with so many talented volunteers from around the world, so thank you!

While there are many open-source video editors to choose from on Linux, none offer the simplicity, powerful & beautiful 3D animations, and community support of OpenShot. Download Now!

New Features for OpenShot 1.4.3

Improved Timeline Snapping for Transitions (no more manual adjustment of every transition)
Improved Drag & Drop features (Vertical Constraints, Improved Gap Removal, New Keyboard Shortcuts, and more)
New 3D Animations (Realistic Earth, Exploding Text, Dissolving Text, and more)
10+ New Effects (Sharpness, Vignette, Lens Correction, and more)
Apply Effects to Tracks (and Multiple Clips at the same time)
Adjust Speed of Animated Titles (utilizing time remapping, for interpolated smooth animations)
New Transitions (6 bars, boxes)
New Dark Theme
Improved Translations
Updated Documentation
Updated Dependencies (Now requires Blender 2.62+)
Tons of Bug Fixes (Full List of Bugs & Features)

Help Spread the Word

Please help us spread the word about OpenShot to every corner of the world! Linux has an easy to use, and powerful video editor, and believe it or not, there are still many people who have never heard of OpenShot before. So, please post on Facebook, write blog entries, share the video above with your friends or embed it on your website, and lets see how many new OpenShot fans we can get! Thanks for your help and support, and I hope you enjoy using OpenShot 1.4.3!

Do you want to follow every single development decision, every new feature, and/or help share your opinions and shape the future of OpenShot? If so, please consider following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. We post updates more often on these networks, and look forward to hearing from you.

What's Next

So, you are already bored with 1.4.3, and want to know what's next? Well, here are a few tidbits to keep you well informed on the future of OpenShot. We will likely have 1 additional (possibly 2) releases in the 1.X series, based on the MLT framework, with many big changes coming to our timeline canvas, to make it compatible with GTK3, and also improve it's usability. Then, if all goes according to plan, we will have our first release of the OpenShot library, our new video editing back-end, and move OpenShot into the 2.X series. Stay tuned!

Dark and Beautiful: New OpenShot Theme!

2012-09-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

Take a look at the new OpenShot dark theme called "holo", clearly influenced and named after the Android 4.0 default theme. Many users prefer dark themes, and previous versions of OpenShot were not specifically designed for dark themes... which resulted in a less than ideal appearance.

But, with OpenShot 1.4.3 (coming very soon), this all changes, and now users can enjoy a beautiful, and integrated dark theme for their favorite video editor! To use this new theme, go to Edit->Preferences, and choose it from the "Default Theme" dropdown.

New dark theme called "holo", available in OpenShot 1.4.3.

Main window in OpenShot 1.4.3, using new theme: holo.

We are almost done with our testing, and expect to release 1.4.3 on Monday, October 1, 2012, if everything stays on schedule. So, be sure to check back on Monday for the latest information, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to be alerted the exact moment we release it.

Translations Needed for OpenShot 1.4.3

2012-09-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

If you speak a non-English native language, and want to get your name included in the next version of OpenShot, today is your lucky day! All you need is a web browser, a free LaunchPad account, and to visit the following link:

Translate OpenShot (and get your name included in the credits):
https://translations.launchpad.net/openshot/trunk

Many schools and businesses can only use software that has well written, and completed translations. For example, imagine a school teacher in India trying to teach a video editing class with OpenShot, but only half the menu items are in Hindi. So, let's get OpenShot translated into as many languages as possible, and help spread it around the world as the best, free, open-source video editor available!

All translators are listed in the credits of each release (in the About dialog)

Boom Goes the Dynamite! Exploding Logos!

2012-09-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

Do you like explosions? How about logos? Both!?! If so, today is your lucky day, because OpenShot 1.4.3 comes packed with dynamite! Take a look at these exciting screenshots, and be sure to leave us a comment below.

A big thanks to Yann Morere (ian57) for the amazing 3D animated titles. Also, don't forget to join our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter, which is a great way to follow OpenShot news as it happens. Thanks again for supporting our project, and stay tuned for more news on 1.4.3 very soon!

Tutorial: Composite Multiple Videos on Linux!

2012-09-12T00:34:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted to layer or mix different videos together? Or perhaps layer multiple videos, one on top of the other, or add a watermark image? If so, this is called "compositing", and is a super cool, and very useful technique when editing videos. I thought it would be fun, to offer a quick and simple tutorial for new users, and show the basics of multi-track video editing using OpenShot.

Here is the main screen in OpenShot. It contains three different layers (also called "tracks") at the bottom of the screen (labeled 1, 2, and 3). These tracks behave much like layers of paper on your desk: the bottom track is covered up by the track directly above it, and that track is covered up by the one above it, and so on, for as many tracks as you choose to add.

	Name	Description
1	Top Track	Clips on this track will be on top. Logos and watermarks should be on this layer. The OpenShot logo is on this track in the illustration.
2	Middle Track	These clips are under the top track, but above the bottom track. The image with circles is on this track in the illustration.
3	Bottom Track	These clips are under all other tracks. The sunset is on this track in the illustration.

So, now that you understand the basics of multiple tracks, notice how the 3 layers (in the illustration above) are composited together in the preview window. Just like layers of paper on a desk. Of course, if your video or image contains transparency, it will show through what is below, which is why layers 1 and 2 don't completely cover up the bottom layer.

Editing videos on Linux can be easy and fun, once you know the basics. So, now that you've learned a new technique, it's time to practice using OpenShot to edit your own videos! Have fun!

Are You Ready for OpenShot 1.4.3?

2012-09-10T01:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings! With version 1.4.3 nearing release (in the next 10 days... give or take a few), I thought it would be a great time to share some of the details, and also fill everyone in on the past many months of development.

The Highlights

The OpenShot team has been very busy over the past 6 months, and version 1.4.3 sports many exciting new features, and of course, lots of bug fixes and updated translations. Here are a few of the highlights to get you excited:

Improved Timeline Snapping for Transitions (no more manual adjustment of every transition)!
More than 10 New Effects!
New Transitions!
New 3D Animations!
Improved Drag & Drop features (such as Vertical Constraints, Improved Gap Removal, New Keyboard Shortcuts, etc...)!
Tons of Bug Fixes!

Development Update

Over the past many months, the OpenShot team has actually been working on 2 different projects : OpenShot (the video editor) version 1.4.3, and a new & improved video editing back-end (i.e. library). While also investing some time in GTK3 compatibility... although that's another topic altogether.

The library is coming along great, with some incredible multi-threaded performance results, and a great set of animation and compositing features, which should really raise the bar for open-source video editing platforms. Currently, I am the only developer that is working on the library, which will soon change once I open-source the code, and release an alpha version (which should happen towards the end of the year). However, just because I am the sole developer on the library, that does not mean others have not helped and guided me: A special thanks to Cody Parker, Noah Figg, Mark Hatch, Justin Thomas (my brother), Andy Finch, Olivier Girard, and the wonderful Internet (I'm talking about you Stack Overflow)!

On a side note, and to add some credibility to the library, it's already been successfully deployed and tested on a website for a client (and supporter of OpenShot), as a real-time video editing back-end, which streams the edited video back through Python + Django (and Apache) to an HTML5 video element (cross browser support). Did I mention it all works in real-time?

I've also got the library's Debian packaging working great, and Lintian clean, which simplified the installation of the library for my client considerably. Now, I just need a few more hours in the day... =)

We Need Your Help!

I feel bad that it took 6 months for this update to be written and posted, so get ready for lots, and lots of updates over the next few weeks. We need testers, translators, and supporters to help us complete version 1.4.3. Thanks for your support, and stay tuned for more information very soon!

If you want to get the latest OpenShot news, and get it before everyone else does, be sure to join our Facebook Fan Page or Follow us on Twitter.

Version 1.4.2 Released!

2012-02-05T01:51:00.000-06:00

I know, it's been an entire week, and you are probably ready for another version of OpenShot! Well, you win, because today I am proud to announce version 1.4.2 has been released! This version addresses many locale and translation-related bugs, and contains the following highlights:

Fixed many critical locale-related bugs
Fixed reversed clips, for accurate IN and OUT points
Updated translations & fixed missing translations
Improved help manual (now supports Yelp version 3)
Fixed h.264 exporting for non-English languages
Full details available on LaunchPad

I do not expect to make a release of OpenShot every single week, but this version solves many critical locale-related bugs, and I felt it was very important we address them quickly. I hope everyone enjoys the new version!

It's Here! Version 1.4.1 Released!

2012-01-29T02:16:00.000-06:00

I am proud to announce that OpenShot 1.4.1 has been released! This was originally going to be a quick and simple bug fix release, but instead, has grown into a more full-featured release. This has been a very busy month for OpenShot, with a trip to SCALE 10x, a couple presentations, and now a new release! My head is still spinning, but enough about that... lets get down to business.

Our goal for OpenShot has always been to create the most complete, simple, and flexible video editor available on Linux. This release takes another step towards that lofty goal, and is the best version of OpenShot created yet! Also, I want to say "Thank You" to all the people who make this project possible: Olivier Girard, Andy Finch, Maël Lavault, all the bug reporters, translators, packagers, users, and fans!

Highlights of 1.4.1:

New 3D animation (wireframe text)
New Titles (gold)
New Effects (fish eye)
New Animation Presets
Support for Blender 2.6.X
Localization fixes (seg faults, audio volume, rotation effect)
UI bugs (disappearing icons using some GTK themes)
Improved Help Manual
Improved Title UI (interactive font list)
Improved Precision (clip length, default image length)
Tons of bug fixes! (view all bug reports)

Please help us spread the word about OpenShot: Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Articles, or however you can. With your help, we can hopefully reach more users, more schools, more kids, more businesses, and grow OpenShot into the biggest and best video editing community on Linux! Thanks for your support.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, if you want the latest OpenShot news & developments!

OpenShot Video Editor | Blog

Updates, Artwork, Schedule, Rewards, and More!

Cross-Platform Update

Artwork

Schedule

Rewards

Operating Systems (some thoughts)

Next Update

Development Update, Schedule, and Funds

Development Update

Schedule

Funds

OpenShot Sponsor: Media College!

Exclusive OpenShot Tutorials

Kickstarter Update | OpenShot 2.0!

Kickstarter: Only 39 hours remaining!

Slashdot

Stretch Goal #4: FREE!

Stretch Goal #5: REDUCED!

Statistics Update

Only 39 Hours Remaining!

An Early Look at OpenShot's New Timeline!

100% Funded on Kickstarter!

Happy Easter!

Stats

More Stretch Goals

Thank You... Again!

OpenShot Kickstarter Reaches 65% of Goal!

The Linux Action Show!

Recent Articles Featuring OpenShot's Kickstarter

OpenShot Kickstarter Update (Day 7)

OpenShot Kickstarter Update (Day 5)

OpenShot Kickstarter Update (Day 3)

OpenShot Launches Kickstarter Campaign!

However, we need your help to make this happen!

How You Can Help

Learn More

OpenShot LIVE @ SCALE 11x

SCALE 11x Interview with Jonathan Thomas!

Are You Ready for SCALE 11x?

Register Now for SCALE 11x, and save 50% on full access passes using our exclusive promotional code: OSHOT

Music Videos + OpenShot!

OpenShot Library: Introducing Time Curves!

Sneak Peek: The New OpenShot Library!

Version 1.4.3 Released! Download it Now!

New Features for OpenShot 1.4.3

Help Spread the Word

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What's Next

Dark and Beautiful: New OpenShot Theme!

Translations Needed for OpenShot 1.4.3

Boom Goes the Dynamite! Exploding Logos!

Tutorial: Composite Multiple Videos on Linux!

Are You Ready for OpenShot 1.4.3?

The Highlights

Development Update

We Need Your Help!

Version 1.4.2 Released!

It's Here! Version 1.4.1 Released!