ScreenFlow began its existence as a extremely proficient display seize instrument for the Mac. And though that is nonetheless its major focus, it has morphed into a flexible video enhancing instrument. So let’s have a look and see the way it squares as much as the extraordinary competitors.
You possibly can simply import clips and pictures into ScreenFlow, both by utilizing its import function, which helps you to flick thru the drives linked to your Mac and select the information you want, or, extra merely, by dragging a file straight from the Finder into ScreenFlow’s Timeline or Media Library. You can not nonetheless seize media from a digital camera: it is advisable to discover one other strategy to get clips off that system first earlier than including them to your mission.Modifying feels similar to most different non-linear video enhancing apps.
Editing
Editing is fairly easy: drag the file you need onto the Timeline, trim its edges or cut up the clip, transfer it round, insert pictures or audio information, place them on a number of layers, cut up the sound from the video file – just about every little thing you’d anticipate from a non-linear video editor, you get with ScreenFlow.
The best way to create transitions could be very novel in ScreenFlow and extremely intuitive.There may be nonetheless one a part of the enhancing course of which this app does in a shocking approach, however is so intuitive when you consider it, it’s shocking we haven’t encountered that concept elsewhere. Look within the menus and it doesn’t appear that ScreenFlow helps transitions, however that’s as a result of its implementation is so intelligent: transfer a clip within the timeline over one other, and so they appear to merge the place they overlap. This overlap creates the transition.
By default, it’s a fundamental cross dissolve, however click on on its cogwheel menu to select from thirty seven others. To extend or lower the transition, merely drag one of many clips additional in or out respectively.Animating properties over time is normally performed with the usage of keyframes. Not so in ScreenFlow. This app makes use of Motion buttons. Click on on one and a colored field seems over the chosen clip, on the playhead’s location.
What’s nice about this technique is the impact you create is well customisable: you possibly can transfer the beginning or finish of the impact just by dragging its edges, or transfer it to a different location on the clip by dragging it from the center of that field. This motion function will be added to any clip, be they video, pictures and even textual content. It makes animating a lot simpler and intuitive than most different video editors. You could discover working with keyframes a cumbersome concept after animating the ScreenFlow approach.All of the video filters will be accessed by way of the Video tab’s Video Filters menu.
Results and filters
Other instruments you’d anticipate from a video editor nowadays, results and filters, are current in ScreenFlow, however once more, they’re not in an apparent menu. Nevertheless when you’ve positioned them, you possibly can alter a clip’s saturation, brightness and distinction, add distortion results, blurs, chroma keying and a lot extra.There’s a new function launched with ScreenFlow eight which might significantly pace up the addition of such results, do you have to want to apply the identical ones to a number of clips: you possibly can copy and paste these results from one clip to others. A improbable timesaver.
Retiming clips (dashing them up, slowing them down, and even making the clip go backwards) is feasible by way of the clip’s Inspector window.You possibly can create and animate numerous objects on display, together with free type drawings.Ought to it is advisable to add circles, squares, traces or freehand drawings, you are able to do that from the Annotation part. These are good instruments to create objects, which you’ll be able to animate as described above, if you wish to spotlight particular elements of a video, or simply create fascinating visuals.The Inventory Media Library filters and metadata permits you to discover what you want with ease.
Templates and inventory media
Another helpful addition are Templates. In the event you work on similar-styled movies recurrently, you possibly can create a template crammed with placeholder clips, in order that if you create a brand new recording, every little thing is the way you want it, and the place you want it, like an intro video, decrease thirds, and so on. it’s all there for you so that you don’t should reinvent the wheel each time. Unbelievable.
ScreenFlow 8 offers you entry to a Inventory Media Library. This part comprises 1000’s upon 1000’s of clips, pictures and music, which you’ll be able to search by way of utilizing key phrases and filters. It’s a tremendous useful resource however it comes at. value. Though you possibly can preview every file free of charge, should you want to use them in your mission it’s going to set you again $60 per yr for limitless entry. Store round nonetheless, and also you’ll discover this worth is definitely unbelievably cheap for the content material that’s on provide.Capturing and animating your Mac’s or iOS system’s display is easy.
Display grabbing
A aspect of ScreenFlow that hardly another video enhancing app touches on, is its display grabbing function. Ever since its inception, this has been a core perform of the software program and it does a fully outstanding job with it. The method is extremely easy: if you begin a brand new recording, you possibly can choose any and all the following: your pc’s display, the pc’s audio, video from the FaceTime digital camera, and exterior audio. In the event you’ve obtained an iOS system bodily linked to your Mac, you even have the choice of capturing its display.This implies you possibly can create a tutorial, narrate it and movie your self all on the identical time, and ScreenFlow doesn’t miss a beat. So long as there’s house within the drive it makes use of to cache all that information, every little thing works seamlessly.In the event you’d reasonably narrate after the actual fact, you are able to do this as you edit. You even have the choice to mute the video already current in your timeline as you report your voice-over, all from inside the ScreenFlow.
When you’re completed recording, every little thing is added into your timeline, prepared so that you can edit it. You possibly can spotlight particular sections of your display with what ScreenFlow calls Callouts. You’ve two separate sections accessible to you: one devoted to a Mac’s display, the place you possibly can present or conceal the mouse cursor, enlarge it to make it simpler to see, make circles seem across the cursor if you’ve clicked on the mouse, or spotlight the foreground window, amongst others. The opposite is concentrated on the iOS display the place you possibly can simulate contact controls by animating little circles over the display to present a visible illustration of fingers touching the interface.
Verdict
ScreenFlow presents every little thing you’d anticipate from a non-linear video enhancing software, and even comes up with very novel and efficient methods of utilizing sure conventional instruments, however the spotlight of this software program is its superb display recording options, and its new Inventory Media Library.