Research - Choosing Editing Software

When Nicole and I started planning our rom-com brief, I realized I needed to figure out which editing software to use. It isn't something I choose just based off of what other people say to use; the editing software I choose will directly affect the quality of our final product, especially when it comes to color grading and achieving that warm, romantic look I researched before. I had to compare the main professional options and understand which one would work best for me personally.

The Main Contenders: Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and iMovie

The three main editing programs that came up in my research were Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and iMovie. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and understanding these differences helped me make an informed decision for our brief.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is probably the first name that comes to mind when thinking about professional video editing. It's been around since 1991 and has become the industry standard, with 57% of Sundance 2024 films edited using it. When I first opened Premiere Pro for our assigned project from our class, I was honestly overwhelmed by how many panels and options there were. The timeline interface with sequences consisting of audio, video, and media tracks looked complicated, but once I started actually using it, the organizing model made sense. I became so comfortable with it that I decided to create a video for my friend's birthday who had moved away. What I appreciated most after making the viedeo was how customizable the workspace is. I could rearrange panels based on what I was working on and save my setup so I didn't have to reorganize every time.

Advantages & Disadvantages

One of Premiere Pro's biggest advantages is its integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps like After Effects, Photoshop, and Audition. When I was working on my friend's birthday video, I used Photoshop to create some graphics and they imported seamlessly into Premiere Pro. For rom-coms specifically, Premiere Pro offers solid color grading tools through Lumetri Color, giving full control over exposure, curves, Look Up Tables (LUTs), and color grading for achieving the warm, cinematic looks I need. It also has built-in effects like Warp Stabilizer that saved me when I had shaky footage in my birthday video.

However, Premiere Pro isn't perfect. I've experienced it crashing a few times, which was terrifying the first time it happened because I thought I lost all my work. Thankfully, the auto-save feature recovered most of it, but it taught me to save manually every few minutes. The steep learning curve made it difficult at first; I remember watching the same tutorial three times trying to understand how to fade audio. The biggest advantage for me, though, is that our school provides it for free, so I don't have to worry about the $22.99 monthly subscription cost that would otherwise be a huge barrier.

Various ways to set up workspace in Premiere Pro:

DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve started as an advanced color grading application in 2004 and was bought by Blackmagic Design in 2009. It's now become one of the most capable editing applications on the market, and what really caught my attention is that it's free. The free version includes 95% of its functionality, exporting up to Ultra HD resolution and 60FPS, which is more than enough for our brief. If you want the full-featured studio version with more export options and additional effects, it costs a one-time fee of $295 with all future upgrades included.

Advantages & Disadvantages

DaVinci Resolve is known as the best color correction and color grading software on the modern market. Since it started as a color grading tool, it offers advanced tools that professional colorists prefer, which would be perfect for achieving the warm rom-com aesthetic. The interface is split into seven "pages", Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion (for VFX), Color, Fairlight (for audio), and Deliver (for export). This organized approach means everything is in one app rather than spread across multiple programs like Adobe's ecosystem.

The downside is that DaVinci Resolve has a steeper learning curve than Premiere Pro, particularly when first opening it. It uses a node-based system instead of layers for effects and color grading, which looks completely different from what I learned in Premiere Pro. The interface feels more complex initially, especially when working with motion graphics and VFX. However, from what I've read, once you pass that learning curve, you can achieve incredible results. DaVinci Resolve is also more stable than Premiere Pro and has faster export times, which would definitely help avoid crashes.

How DaVinci Resolve's main page looks like:

How color grading is done in DaVinci Resolve

Where nodes are created in DaVinci

iMovie

iMovie is Apple's entry-level video editor, available only on Mac operating systems. It's completely free for Mac users, which I am, and has a very simple, beginner-friendly interface. For basic editing needs like trimming clips, adding transitions, and simple color correction, iMovie works well. However, it lacks the advanced features needed for quality rom-com editing, specifically detailed color grading tools, multi-track audio editing, and advanced effects. While it's perfect for personal projects or quick edits, it can't achieve the warm, cinematic look that defines the rom-com genre.

How the main page of iMovie looks:

My Choice: Adobe Premiere Pro

After comparing all the options, I've decided to use Adobe Premiere Pro for our rom-com brief. This decision is based on both practical experience and the software's capabilities for achieving what we need.

My main reason is that I've already learned how to use Premiere Pro, and honestly, I don't want to start from scratch with new software right now. Our teacher assigned a project where we had to learn the basics, like importing footage, cutting clips, adding transitions, and at first, I was so frustrated because nothing made sense. I kept accidentally deleting clips or moving things to the wrong track. But after spending hours on that first assignment and watching the given tutorials many times, something clicked. When I decided to make a birthday video for my friend who moved to Texas, I already knew where everything was and how to navigate the timeline. I could focus on being creative instead of fighting with the software.

What really sealed the deal for me was that our school provides Premiere Pro for free. I don't have to worry about monthly subscription fees or asking my parents to pay $22.99 every month. The school license gives me full access to all the features, which means I can work on this brief without financial stress. If I had to pay out of pocket, I might have considered the free DaVinci Resolve option, but since cost isn't a factor, I can stick with what I already know.

My adobe membership with various apps

Beyond my personal familiarity, Premiere Pro offers everything we need to execute our rom-com vision. The Lumetri Color panel will allow me to create the warm, romantic color grading I researched, adjusting color temperature, adding warm tones, and achieving that soft, inviting look that defines rom-coms. When I was editing my friend's birthday video, I experimented with Lumetri Color to make the clips look warmer and more nostalgic, and I was surprised by how much control I had. I think those same skills will translate perfectly to our rom-com brief.

Lumetri Color Panel

Additionally, since it's the industry standard, there are countless tutorials available online for any problem I might encounter. When I was stuck trying to figure out how to stabilize shaky footage, I found ten different tutorials explaining Warp Stabilizer. If I switched to DaVinci Resolve, I'd have to learn a completely different interface, different terminology, and find new tutorials for everything. I would rather use that energy to perfect my rom-com's color grading and pacing instead.

The tutorials I learned with

I'm also aware of Premiere Pro's limitations because I've experienced them firsthand. The crashing issue has caused me to lose work before, even with auto-save. My solution is to manually save after every major change and create backup versions of my project files. I also learned to close other applications while editing to reduce the strain on my computer, which has helped with speed and stability. The learning curve was challenging initially, but since I've already passed that hurdle with my teacher's project and my friend's video, it's no longer a barrier for this brief.

Self-Reflection

Researching editing software made me realize how much my previous experience influences my current choices. If I hadn't already learned Premiere Pro through my teacher's project and then practiced with my friend's birthday video, I might have chosen DaVinci Resolve for its better color grading and free access. But because I've already built familiarity with Premiere Pro's interface and workflow, sticking with it is the most practical decision.

What stood out most was understanding that there's no single "best" editing software. It depends on your needs, budget, experience level, and what you're trying to create. For professional colorists, DaVinci Resolve is probably the better option. For complete beginners making simple videos, iMovie works fine. For me, working on a rom-com brief with limited time and already knowing Premiere Pro, sticking with Adobe makes sense.

Moving forward, I plan to watch more tutorials specifically focused on color grading romantic films in Premiere Pro. I want to learn how to use LUTs effectively and how to create that warm, dreamy aesthetic that defines rom-coms. I also want to explore more advanced audio mixing techniques so our sound design matches the professional quality of our visuals. Understanding the software's capabilities is one thing, but using the specific techniques needed for our genre properly will make all the difference. 

Links used:
https://borisfx.com/blog/davinci-resolve-vs-premiere-pro-head-to-head/
https://www.simonsaysai.com/blog/davinci-resolve-vs-adobe-premiere-pro
https://www.evercast.us/blog/davinci-resolve-vs-premiere-pro
https://moviemaker.minitool.com/moviemaker/filmora-vs-premiere.html
https://www.makeuseof.com/adobe-premiere-pro-vs-davinci-resolve/
https://www.creativebloq.com/design/wallpaper/adobe-premiere-pro-vs-davinci-resolve-the-800-pound-gorilla-vs-the-underdog
https://bridengroom.video/davinci-resolve-premiere-pro-final-cut/
https://sproutvideo.com/blog/premiere-pro-vs-davinci-resolve-should-you-switch-software.html
https://creativecow.net/forums/thread/premiere-pro-or-davinci/
https://producer.musicradiocreative.com/premiere-pro-vs-davinci-resolve-choose-your-perfect-editing-suite/
https://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/customize-premiere-pro-with-workspaces/
https://librarynews.northeastern.edu/?p=275748