Lightworks editing software is used for years by many TV channels, companies and film studios whhich are producing documentaries and movies. Editors who use Light work is most often appreciate it and they entering into a most passionate relationship with it. Some refuse to work with other softwares of Non Linear Editing unlike many editors who work on other editing software and go without a second thought from one to the other depending on the project or customers. Lightworks is renowned for the speed of assembly it provides and the freedom it gives. Lightworks publisher also present as "NLE designed by editors for editors," emphasizing that the development strategy particularly based on listening and collaboration established with an active community of editors.
Among these include Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese's film editor, awarded two Oscars for The Aviator and The Departed, Tariq Anwar with The King's Speech as well as many talented editors have assembled with the software success in Hollywood for example Pulp Fiction, Mission Impossible, Batman, Braveheart. Lightworks has had a checkered career, changing hands several times between its inception in 1989, while its main competitor was Avid, which was acquired in 2009 by its current owner Editshare. EditShare has developed modern versions of Lightworks. First of all,It was proposed in May 2012 after 18 months of beta Windows version with 4000 beta testers. Version 11.1 is scheduled for this late April.
EditShare also offers a Linux version, which came in alpha stage in October with more than 6 months of delay on its original schedule release, which should go into beta on April 30. Linux users, especially in academic and research activities are welcomed with joy the arrival of Lightworks on their OS, seeing it as an alternative to professional level based on OS X or Windows often more costly solutions. In 2010, EditShare has also announced its intention to propose open source code software, but it has not been done because the various developments and developers who have worked on previous versions make complicated it with its legal part. Last week, during the NAB, the "High Mass" of video professionals who stood in Las Vegas, EditShare has given more details about the Mac version of Lightworks, which was announced a bit early (in 2010, EditShare spoke of the end of 2011). In a few weeks, a small group of editors will put in place, using a pre-alpha version (or "closed alpha"), for a few months will help the publisher to develop the true alpha. This alpha "open" will be available to the public around the IBC 2013 to be held in Amsterdam in September. And development will continue with a beta of Lightworks for Mac later.
To facilitate the transition to Lightworks assemblers from other apps mounting Lightworks has a series of shortcuts similar to those of the major NLE and allowing a smoother transition keyboard. The publisher has announced that it will take time because the platform is the most competitive for mounting solutions-all major publishers (Avid, Adobe, Apple) offering a Mac version of their NLE-, EditShare will not miss entering the Mac market with this new version of Lightworks. The Mac version of Lightworks, Does it up to its promises? Until we have a Mac OS X a little advanced, we can only watch that offer Linux and especially Windows, currently the most successful versions. The software has many strengths: it is fast, and allows real-time for special effects, to compositing, performing primary color corrections of the entire image or secondary on a selection of the image, to make masks ... The software offers a large number of "containers" (AVI, QT, MXF etc) and codecs (including Avid DNxHD, AVC-Intra, DVCPRO HD, DPX, H. 264, XDCAM EX / HD and ProRes 422 and RED R3D read only etc). This allows you to mount videos shot with different formats without having to transcode clips. Some of these codecs are still reserved for the Pro version. Indeed, Lightworks exists in two versions: one free but with limited functions and codecs. And other professional, is sold € 50 per year and includes additional features (titration, 3D stereoscopic editing, several collaborative real-time editing, options for multiple licenses and compatibility with hardwares and card manufacturers like Blackmagic / AJA etc and a series of professional codecs.
TimeLine is independent of the resolution, codec or framerate clips that we place. It automatically handles video formats and speeds of standard images. In addition, Lightworks has an advanced Trim function, which allows for a single operation, which demand more in another NLE. An Autosave function keeps not only backs-up incremental project, but all the keys pressed, the actions taken and changes made in the project. EditShare developers have designed a data sharing solution for mounting several projects in Media Composer or Final Cut Pro some time ago. This experience has helped to develop a collaborative solution for sharing media and get real-time multiple editors, each with read access and write access to the project. Lightworks offers advanced Multicam function: it allows you to mount images from multiple cameras with a synchronization and choice of angles in real time. The number of cameras is unlimited and video formats and resolutions can be different. EditShare also offers a "console" hardware, which emulates a table mounting rotating prism KEM (Keller-Elektro-Mechanik) or Steenbeck type and allows you to save time editors limiting their use keyboard. Always at the strengths, it should be noted that a project can be taken on different versions of Lightworks instantly, allowing editors on Windows, Linux and Mac soon, to exchange files freely. However Lightworks stalled over the competition in specific plug-ins. They are now few and online store offers only EditShare Boris Red and Boris Graffiti. Lightworks is however expected to benefit from a certain compatibility with Red Giant Looks and plug-ins for After Effects and Eyeon Digital Fusion.