Blog #13 My Favourite (free) Software to use as a Filmmaker
In the life of a filmmaker, you will have to use many different pieces of software to accomplish different tasks. For the creative side, you will need a video editing software, scriptwriting software, photo editing software and even a sound editing software (sometimes called a D.A.W. i.e. digital audio workstation). On the administrative side, you’ll need a word processor, a spreadsheet software and a slideshow presentation program.
I’ve messed around and tested various pieces of software over the years, finding what works best and what doesn’t. Here’s my list of the top pieces of software on a computer.
DaVinci Resolve. This one might seem obvious. I’ve been using Resolve as my video editing program of choice for a few years now and the more I use it, the more rewarding it becomes. It was a slow, painful slog at the start but over time it has become easier and quicker. There are powerful new A.I. features that I’m starting to use more often, such as the A.I. subtitles creator and the Magic Mask node inside the Fusion (effects) tab. These features have saved me a lot of time and opened up new possibilities. The colour tab is also excellent, with as many tools as you could want to manipulate the look of your image. The audio tab (called Fairlight) is also very powerful. You can do a great mix inside the editing software without having to leave to go to Pro Tools or any other DAW. Some people may find they still need to do their mix outside of the software so they can use more tools in a comfortable setting but I’m happy to just use DaVinci Resolve Fairlight for my audio mixes. I use the paid studio version, which has a few extra features but started off with the free version to see if it was worth it.
DaVinci Resolve
2. Trelby. This is a free scriptwriting software. I used it recently on a short smartphone film project and it was really useful. The learning curve is quick and I was able to export my finished script to a PDF, which I could then share with the cast to look over before shooting. It’s quite old-looking, in terms of interface, which was fine for me but if you are looking to write a feature-length project, it may not have enough features to help you get all your ideas down. Other people like Celtx, which limits you to 4 scripts in the free version but is a little fancier in terms of features and layout.
3. GIMP. This is a photo editing software. I’ll admit, I am only starting to get to grips with this, having moved over from an old version of Photoshop but it has all the main features you need in a photo editing software. It’s also completely free. It’s much more sustainable to invest your time in learning software that you can use forever than learning Adobe products such as Photoshop, that you will only use when you have an expensive monthly Adobe subscription. I’m going to spend time learning GIMP this year. The layout isn’t that different from Photoshop, so you will be able to do the same things you did there in GIMP, just in a slightly different way.
GIMP
4. DAW. For specialised sound mixing and mastering, I use Studio One by Presonus. It is similar to Pro Tools in layout but in my opinion, a little nicer and more user-friendly. You can make a wide range of music with the tools built in to the software and create high quality mixes and masters with the simple, yet powerful tools. This one is paid, but there is a free version that limits you to 16 tracks (which isn’t enough for longer and bigger projects). Using the free version will let you see if it’s worth the paid upgrade for you. I love using it whenever I get a chance, it’s not a hugely popular option but those of us that do use it are like cult followers. The user interface is visually pleasing, especially when you’re mixing EQ or arranging your tracks. If you’re looking to try out different DAWs, try this one.
5. Apache OpenOffice. For simple and free word processing, Apache Open Office has been a great help. There is also OpenOffice Calc (for spreadsheet work). Calc is a free alternative to Microsoft Excel and completely open-source. I’ll admit, I still use Word and Excel because sometimes there are compatibility issues with other software but most of the time they function exactly the same as the Microsoft products. Google Sheets is also another free alternative to Microsoft Excel if you want a reliable spreadsheet program with cloud compatability. They are all a good option to have in your arsenal.
6. Microsoft Powerpoint. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Powerpoint has been my presentation software of choice forever. Some commonly-used free alternatives are Canva and Google Slides. I haven’t used Canva before, so I can’t attest to it but Google Slides is a reliable option for free. I’ve used it before and it is very intuitive, you’ll get to grips with it quickly and there are hardly any technical issues with it from my experience. But Powerpoint is the undisputed king for me, I love using the Design feature, which redesigns a slide in an instant, at the press of a button. If you don’t have a Microsoft Office license, I recommend Google Slides.
Apache OpenOffice
Those are all my recommendations, it’s amazing these days what you can achieve for free, with little to no sacrifice in features. Thanks for reading and if you’ve any comments, let me know down below.
Good luck out there.
-D.C.