# Looking for video compositing software **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134 "2019-06-06T18:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/1 "2019-06-06T18:36:00Z")
I’m making animations in synfig and math animations in python. What I need is Windows software (preferably free) so that I can make a video file where for example the synfig animation is playing in the top half while the python animation plays in the bottom half. It could be done as a split screen (each video in full in each half) or as an overlay/picture in picture (the python video plays over the bottom half of the synfig video). I don’t have a Mac so iMovie is not an option and Windows Movie Maker does not do the trick. Moviepy seems like a great python library for video editing but seems like overkill for simple, “Put this clip here, this clip there, now save.” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/2 "2019-06-06T20:19:21Z")
[Virtualdub can do it](https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/356858-Using-VirtualDub-and-AviSynth-to-make-a-split-PiP-movie). That is what I used to make the four POV split-screen late in [this](https://youtube.com/watch?v=g4CTJWtwQqk) video. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/3 "2019-06-06T20:27:50Z")
A little more on my specific case, I didn’t have a setting to do all four videos at once–I first used the script to make two two-pane videos, then used the script in the oposite direction to make one four-pane video from the two two-pane ones. (Also, [compositing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing) doesn’t mean what you think it means.) ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/4 "2019-06-07T19:49:06Z")
I believe a fairly robust video editing program like [**Shotcut**](https://shotcut.org/) could do it. I’ve fussed around with it some and it works pretty well though I did not try making split-screen images. Do you currently do any video editing? My guess would be “no” because you are asking for advice. Doing what you described is super-easy for any experienced editor but if you’ve never done much editing then any program that can do what you want might seem daunting. If I knew more about it I could maybe give some more detailed advice. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/5 "2019-06-08T17:42:28Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Do you currently do any video editing? My guess would be “no” because you are asking for advice. Doing what you described is super-easy for any experienced editor but if you’ve never done much editing then any program that can do what you want might seem daunting. You would be wrong about my experience. I do do video editing but don’t have the software to dp what I want to do, hence my question. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/6 "2019-06-08T18:43:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > You would be wrong about my experience. I do do video editing but don’t have the software to dp what I want to do, hence my question. Did you try Virtualdub? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-video-compositing-software/835134/7 "2019-06-10T18:41:18Z")
Davinci Resolve is free, multi-layered video editing software and it can do what you’re describing