Video editing and post-production is a task that requires knowledge, a great team, and a powerful program. For this reason, we want to recommend a platform to perform video post-production easily, for free, and with the support of the NCH developers. The tool is called Express Animate and allows you to create animations, transitions, add texts, audio, and special effects to your clips, and then export them in various video formats.
If you are an advanced user and are familiar with graphics programs, you can use its vector masks, graphic editor, blend modes, and selective object editing.
Once you run the program, you will find a very polished and simple interface with three large panels. On the left, the objects panel, where you will see the active composition and the hierarchy of objects. In the center, you will see the work area (with playback controls). And the composition timeline is at the bottom, where you will place and insert the animations.
Moving Objects
You can move the objects inserted in the work area in three ways: the first is by using coordinates (X-Y), the second with the mouse cursor, and the third by changing the composition properties (where you can use the keys). You can also select and move objects in batches.
Animating the Object
From the toolbar buttons you can add masks, shapes, text, or spatial effects to an object or to a batch of objects. Using the playback controls (at the bottom), you can change the position or view the animated object on the timeline (real-time playback, frame caching, or loop playback).
Exporting the Animation
When you finish the work, you can export it in several formats, to a DVD, to a USB device, as HTML5 video, and share it. From the “Save video” button, located in the top menu, you can select the destination and video format.
Tools You Will Find in Express Animate
- Import video files, image files, and sound.
- Add text bubbles.
- Animate text and images.
- Move, rotate, and resize objects.
- Apply effects, brightness, contrast, and negative to objects.
- Add or record audio and apply effects to them.
- Mask objects and group them for editing.
- Easily edit the timeline.
Really with Express Animate, you can create very good animations and add them to your videos. All under a simple-to-understand environment and without needing advanced knowledge of video editing and post-production.
