https://hitfilm.com/express/free

If anyone has ever thought about using HitFilm but was worried about the price, here's a chance to get the light version for free.
The offer expires on Feb. 4 so grab it while you can.
They ask you to share it on Twitter or Facebook.
If you don't have either of those, do what one user on another forum did.

I was able to download the free software without signing up for Twitter or Facebook. I clicked on the Twitter link, then I closed the Twitter window without signing up for Twitter. Hitfilms then prompted me to create an account (with Hitfilms). After that it gave me a serial number and sent me a email with an installer download. Installed and entered serial number.

Since it's the light version, there are limitations as outlined here.
HitFilm 2 Ultimate Comparison - HitFilm.com (http://hitfilm.com/ultimate/compare)

I forgot to mention that there are a number of tutorials on the HitFilm site with some dedicated to this specific version.

This one does not have an upgrade option but my suspicion is that when the offer expires next month, they will have an offer for anyone who did download it. Once again, this is an uneducated guess :)

I am experiencing extreme irony, as Hitfilm started out as the shareware AlamDV (remember shareware?)

That won't stop me from downloading and enjoying it - thanks Mike!

(Note: 64-bit Vista, 7, 8 or Mac, no 32-bit OS)

Seth, please give me just one link to a Video tutorial showing HF in Vp12 doing something - anything. It doesn't need to be jaw-dropping, but at present I'm needing help to make a decision, a decision to perceiver in learning yet another working paradigm to Vegas and SCS's third party workflows that would require me to do something more than what I have already with VP12.

Cheers

Grazie

Thanks for the link. I looked at HitFilm this summer, as it popular in the independent arena especially for those doing compositing and animation. I can't wait to give a whirl.

Seth, please give me just one link to a Video tutorial showing HF in Vp12 doing something...
Back in the olde tymes I used AlamDV on something, I forget just what. It was known then as an easy path to explosions, light sabers, and muzzle flashes for those of us who didn't want to learn AE and some particle emitter.

Didn't touch Hitfilm until yesterday, because my work doesn't run to vfx for scifi.

Near as I can figure, the Express version still has those easy to manage particle emitters, a basic editing timeline, a sophisticated comp timeline, a suite of corrections, distortions & grunges, keyers, masking, a 3D gen of text and simple objects, 2.5D transforms, etc.

Most importantly for those of us who aren't using AE, it can auto motion track just about everything.

The Vegas -> HF round trip is a little stunted, it's one timeline event at a time. Save in HF, auto-updates in Vegas as a new take on top of your original media. But it does work pretty well, and you're actually in HF, and once there you can go to town in comping up other shots & efx.

Here's a full tutorial on motion-tracking a composite layer. If you want to skip through the pinning and some manual keyframe corrections, go ahead to about 16:00 to see some picture connected up.
2D motion tracking basics - YouTube

If you need magic or sci fi anything, this is quick and easy, and will yield very good vfx with some time investment. Did I mention easy? Gotta' say, the program authors have kept everything very accessible.

Thanks Seth . . . Now THAT I can use! - Motion Tracking . .. oh yes . . Is that part of EXPRESS? If so I'm going back to SKOOL!

G

HitFilm 2 Express Comparison - HitFilm.com (http://hitfilm.com/express/compare)

Useful comparison of HitFilm versions.

It's very very good, especially as it's free. It intergrates so easily with Vegas 12 and has just enough features for what I need. Motion Tracking is a breeze, as are the generated effects...

Having had a good play around with HF Express, I've just bought HF Ultimate.
There's a whole new world waiting for me to explore, as well as being just the challenge I've been waiting for!
There are some very very good tutorials available as well...