Veryon, since this was my first official project, and I needed to do it really really simple and quick, I used Microsoft Movie Maker 2. The effects are mainly crossfades and overlay text, so I didn’t need a real powerhouse to work with. But, Moo Money and many others suggested I check Sony Vegas, which I did. I really quickly got used to it. It’s as simple as MMM2, much more powerful and versatile, and got real post-processing capabilities. Before doing machinima, I was quite used to Premiere and After Effects, but having to often switch between the two was a real time hog. Vegas got all of it in the same piece of software.

So my advice would be, if your needs are very very small, use MMM2. As you saw, it’s not the special effects that makes a movie look sweet. The cutting itself, smooth transitions, good base material, and good soundtrack, it’s all it takes to create some ambience. So MMM2 can be used to make good looking movies.

If you found, like me, that MMM2 lacks some of the most basic post-treatment effects (simply like colorizing a film), then Sony Vegas is the way to go.

Muah!

Codie

-Veyron