I use after effects and I'm very happy with it and the whole adobe premiere suite for that matter. Before you plunk down money for a camera though, think the *whole* process through. I don't want to discourage you from making videos, because they can be a real lark, but from a business perspective, you have justify spending on the camera plus editing, plus all the time to learn the craft of camera work and lighting rather than taking the same money and getting bids on work done by local pros or even students. I'm sure there's a video maker somewhere who wants to take this problem off your hands...

But assuming you go the DIY route, do some reading on camera work, lighting, and the different types of shots. Having wasted more than a few hours on videos, I have the perspective that it's as hard to make a great video as it is to make a great song. If you are going to be in the shot, can you act (not every musician can), and who's the joker taking the videos anyway? That person may have no talent for making quality work, and believe me the person making the shots needs to have some talent.

You know, great video shots need very little editing other than fades and color correction, but what makes them? There are long shots, medium shots, close shots, and extreme closeups, but anyone can do those. But there are harder shots, the ones that move using a track or a jib (do you know what that is?) that take a video from being ho hum to being sexy and polished. Having spent way too much money on photography recently, I have new respect for using DEPTH OF FIELD, which makes the actor the most noticed part of the shot. A camera with interchangeable lenses can do this; my camera (Sony FX1) can't do it quite to that level, but you can also do it with AE with a little work. Think about the shots you want to make before you plunk down cash.

A lot of what makes *great looking* video, regardless of content, is lighting, film look (24p) and color adjustment. Lighting should be part of your budget, and yes, it can come from Home Depot. Film look in the digital realm comes from having true 24p, and that costs money. Videos taken with it look like film; videos taken without it look "too real". Color adjustment can be done on camera or (better for you) digitally in post processing like Adobe After Effects (AE) and it's what gives movies their darker , *dramatic* quality.


Anyway, make a priority list of features (camera, lighting, shots, editing) you want out of your videos and then, like buying a house, get the most you can for your dollar. Take your time, there is a lot to know.

Good Luck!