Pinnacle Studio for iPhone Review

Once complicated and restricted to the knowledgeable few, video editing is now as simple or as complex as one wants to make it. Even better, it's now available on the iPhone, courtesy of Corel's Pinnacle Studio.

Previously an iPad app, Pinnacle Studio has been designed with the iPhone in mind. It's quick to learn and just as quick in producing results. For those on the move and wanting to edit videos or upload them elsewhere, it's the ideal solution.

Pinnacle Studio offers plenty of video tutorials for those who really need the helping hand, but admittedly it's not essential. Besides the fact that many icons are clearly laid out, everything requires a couple of taps so there's plenty of time to fully understand the layout of this app. Essentially, all users have to do is pick out a photo or video from their camera roll before tapping a downwards arrow to send it to the storyboard side of the app. Adding transitions or text is just as easy with everything laid out in a clear and concise fashion. Similarly, audio can be added too, before everything is shared via YouTube, Facebook, or Box.

It's the kind of interface that one really doesn't need to be particularly knowledgeable to understand. Far from a video editing expert, I found it simple enough to piece together some clips of my beloved guinea pigs before creating a montage of them growing up. Just as conveniently, it's possible to send projects over to Pinnacle Studio for the iPad, which is great when one needs some extra screen space.

Pinnacle Studio doesn't keep the results solely simple either. Besides the 16 transitions that are possible, as well as a series of themes that can be applied, it's also possible to add Picture-in-Picture effects and change around the speed of the clips, transforming the entire experience. Editing can be conducted right down to taking out individual frames or splitting up fragments, with it easy to mix and match.

It's impressive stuff, with Pinnacle Studio conveniently treading the path between simple yet powerful. Perhaps most importantly though, Pinnacle Studio is fun to use, proving an easy tool to recommend to anyone looking to do more with their videos.