While HitFilm Express is a standard video editor, there is definitely a lean towards special effects, and the package includes 2D and 3D compositing capabilities, automatic motion-tracking, plus green screen removal tools. The interface is clean and makes sense without too much explanation, but if you do find yourself getting lost then the raft of tutorial videos on the HitFilm site will get you going once more. HitFilm Pro, albeit without the £265/$299 price tag. HitFilm Express is the free version currently on offer, and includes a surprising amount of the features you’ll find in its big brother HitFilm has been around since 2011 and in that time the software has gone from strength to strength.

But it’s worth investing the time as you really can create that masterpiece when you’ve learned how to harness all that power. There’s a bit of a learning curve if you’re a total newbie as this is not something you can pick up in an afternoon and end up with a masterpiece. If you’re already familiar with Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro, you’ll adapt quickly to Resolve. Ok, so it can’t do HDR grading, multi-user collaboration, and doesn’t feature the new Neural Engine which enables auto-colour correction and facial recognition among other things, but other than that, this is the same stuff the big boys use and, for the most most part, home users won’t need any of those missing features. Yet, the free version has hardly any features missing compared to its illustrious brethren. The full studio version costs around £300/$300 and is widely used for colour correction in Hollywood movies, with recent credits including A Star is Born, Avengers: Infinity War, Solo, and Bohemian Rhapsody.

It’s hard to believe that BlackMagic has made DaVinci Resolve 16 completely free.

Free video editor for beginners