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This page could be named How I learned to Love Cinelerra... :o)

Video Editing was my main problem while I decided to migration from Windows to Linux, ie to find equivalent software.

I searched for a long time but I've always found the same result : Cinelerra is the best video editor on Linux. So why I did not want to use it ? Because Cinelerra is as much as powerful than complex and has mainly an interface which is far to be intuitive...

Please note that there is 2 branches of Cinelerra : the Official one and the Community Version (CV) branch. Personaly I use the CV which seems more active, up-to-date and to be able to deliver what I expect. 

Here is a short comparative between advantages and drawbacks of Cinelerra :

So I tried several times to start to work on it and finally abandoned. After a while I was able to get some results but after lot of configuration work and tests. So here are some hints to start with it :

1. RTFM : Read The [Censured] Manual ! :o)

It is/was called "Secrets of Cinelerra", simply search it on the web. It is more or less available in several languages. His read is quite mandatory if you want be able to produce something. Some chapters are purely Martian language for me but some others like Editing or Rendering are unmissible... Note that CV Team has enhanced it for 2.1 version.

2. Forget Drag & Drop as (main) editing method !

When you see the interface it is attractive to use Drag & Drop like in other editing software. Bad idea :o) The behaviour in Cinelerra is quite disconcerting and will not often lead to expected behaviour. You should prefer cut/copy/paste method (see manual).

3. Use multiple A/V tracks.

As editing is not easy you should prefer to add some tracks to be able to do what you want.

4. Find and Fix an export method and format that work and suit your needs and use it (only ?) !

Rendering may reserve some surprises (output file size, quality...) and there is a lot of export options and formats. Personaly I use the MPEG2 method (DVD compliant) explained in manual which works very well. formats.

5. Backup & Save your Work !

Cinelerra is probably one of the software in which I've the most used Undo feature and restored project files. This is mainly due to timeline in which is it difficult to work. Before major change(s) I always backup my project file. It is often faster to restore it than fix the problem into the soft !

6. Arm your tracks !

Another deconcerting point : do not forget that only armed tracks will be affected by the changes you do. So be careful...