Hello from the Lightworks Development Team
Welcome to the first Lightworks Open Source Newsletter. We will be sending it out every month to keep you updated on developments and news. We will also be profiling Lightworks users to give you more of an insight into where and how Lightworks is being used in the industry.
 We would like to start by saying “a big thank you” for the overwhelming interest in Lightworks over the past few weeks. We have had a staggering number of registrations and they are increasing every day. There have been a lot of questions about our plans, but unfortunately we were not able to respond to everyone. We hope to clarify some of the details here. |
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Platform Support
We have received a lot of questions about OS support for Lightworks. Currently Lightworks runs on Windows 7 and Windows XP. One of the drivers for taking Lightworks Open Source is to encourage other developers to get involved and help us take Lightworks cross-platform. Our intention is to port it to Linux and OSX. We’ll be discussing more about this with developers in the upcoming weeks. |
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Open Source Software Version
EditShare has had a long history with the Open Source community, and it is something we understand very well. The days of locking a customer into your proprietary workflow are long gone and the industry is changing rapidly. We believe that Lightworks is the most powerful editor available, particularly with its effects engine, full-featured tool set and extremely fast workflow. With over 20-years of development and an Open Source community, we hope to make it even better.
Our intention is to make Lightworks Open Source as full-featured and powerful as possible without any unnecessary restrictions.
 Out of the box, Lightworks will handle many codecs and effects, and will allow you to capture, edit and export as you would with any other NLE. Naturally, there are some restrictions on what we can Open Source, and we will offer third-party components through the online store. |
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Commercial Software Version
For those editors that do not want the Open Source version, but the full turnkey system with support and all options, we will be offering a commercial version of the software, which will be chargeable. Pricing will be available at the end of May through the EditShare Reseller Channel Partners. |
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Release Schedule
Obviously a big question on everyone’s mind is when are we releasing Lightworks Open Source? It’s going to take some time to prepare Lightworks for an Open Source project. Whilst we are opening up the source code, we are still managing the whole project in-house with our experienced development team. Our intention is to make the code available by the end of the year.
 However, we don’t want this to stop people getting their hands on Lightworks and using it. So our plan is to finish off a couple more key new features, such as stereoscopic support, and then make it available as a free downloadable application. We aim to make the first free download available in Q3 of this year. |
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Beta Programme
Whilst we are keen for everyone to download and use Lightworks as soon as possible, we’d also like to hear from those who would like to join our beta programme. This isn’t an open door for anyone to get an early copy. We are looking for experienced individuals who would like to provide genuine feedback to help our design and development team make a stronger editor. We are only opening this particular programme to 80 editors. If you feel you could spend some time with Lightworks and relay your experiences, please register here. We will be opening this beta programme on the 21st June. |
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 Lightworks User Profile
Each month we are going to profile a Lightworks user. This month we are profiling Scott Hill, editor of Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty...
Click here for the full profile |
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| For further information about Lightworks, including system specifications and features, and to register your interest in Lightworks Open Source as an editor, developer or manufacturer, please visit www.editshare.com |
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