If you have put off turning those video tapes or reels of film in the closet into the finished film you've long promised your kith and kin, it may be because you suspected you'd be getting into something that was less a simple project and more a full-time hobby.

You were right. Editing software makes movie-making easy in the same way that a word-processing program makes it easy to write a novel. But crafting a film is one of the most gratifying things you can do on a computer, so it will be time well spent. Thus, just in time for the holidays, here's a how-to based on a recent home project of my own.

There is lots of good news here. Home software packages have become powerful and easy to use. Many video products, like camcorders, come with a free editing program.

The major brands -- Adobe's Premiere Elements, Pinnacle Studio 11, Ulead VideoStudio 11 -- let you try their products free for a month; purchase prices usually are well under $100. Apple owners might want to check out the new iMovie, which has an innovative method of helping decide what clips to include in a project.

I downloaded a free trial version of Adobe Premiere Pro, an $800 product intended for professionals. It was hard to learn, but fun hard, at least if you enjoy a deep-end dive into a complex but powerful piece of software. If not, even the simplest programs can now produce striking results.

Depending on who in the industry you talk to, the practice of digitizing 'legacy' images like VHS tapes, 8mm and Super 8mm film reels is either dying out, with everyone who intended to do so having already done it, or else poised to take off, with aging boomers finally finding the time.

A film-transfer service bureau (find them online) can digitize your old reels of film. With video tapes, you can do the job yourself with a small 'capture' device, which connects first to your VCR and then to your computer.

I used the $200 Pyro A/V Link from ADS Tech with excellent results; less-expensive models also work well.

Camcorder owners, of course, can just connect their camera right to their computer and get to work.

Before you make your first splice, carefully look at every clip you have, a tedious but crucial part of movie making. Rely on your emotional reaction the first time you see a clip -- and keep mental notes on what you're viewing -- because you'll become inured to them after the endless viewings required as a part of editing.

Look for anecdotes, scenes and hidden stories. Carving a turkey may not be a scene from 'Casablanca,' but it has a beginning, middle and end, which deft cutting can reveal.

Learning the power you have to make people laugh or cry simply by arranging shots in the right sequence is the great joy and creative core of your project. Don't be afraid to rearrange sequences to get there. And don't feel obliged to include all the material. The best cutting-room floors are usually the most littered.

When moving from clip to clip, stick to simple jump cuts and dissolves, rather than the dozens of tacky special-effect transitions built into editing packages today.

One of hardest parts of a home-movie project involves something you may never have heard of: color correction. No piece of film or video, including those taken by pros, ever looks perfect straight out of the camera. Color correction involves nudging it to get it just right.

Most programs include color-correction features; the problem is you need a trained eye to use them properly. Because color correction done well can dramatically improve the look of your movie, it might be worth getting professional help for a once-in-a-lifetime project.

I used my local Craigslist to hire a local videographer to come to my house and spend a few hours working with the project. You can also look for video collectives online, as well as color-correction services, though you may need to ship them a USB drive containing your project's files.

In a related vein, don't watch your movie only on your computer monitor; view it on the television set on which you intend to actually show it. The differences may be substantial enough to send you back to the computer for adjustments.

Also, know that sound can be changed as magically as pictures can. Remove annoying hisses and buzzes. Some video packages have sound editors built in. If yours doesn't, search for a 'sound editor' or 'noise reduction' product on sites such as download.com. Again, you can test many free of charge.

As you work, take pride in the fact that you're doing the same thing professional filmmakers do, at least those in the documentary business. And just like Hollywood moviemakers with a release date, you must at some point resist the urge to continue to fiddle and pronounce your movie 'done.'

Getting there will have involved many evenings glued to your monitor. But you probably would have spent your time that way, anyway. At least now, you will have something to show for it. It may even end up on YouTube.

你是否曾答应过亲朋好友把壁橱里的录像带和胶片制作成一部小电影，而后来你却把事情一拖再拖？原因可能就在于你觉得这不是一件简单的事，而是发烧级的人士才能办到的。

这你倒是没错。虽然现在有软件能让制作电影变得像用文字处理软件写小说一样简单，但剪辑影片仍然是你在一部电脑上能完成的工作中最有成就感的，因此也会是非常花时间的一件事情。下面我会根据最近自己的经验介绍一下如何制作家庭电影，不过只适合在假日进行。

其实现在已有很多方便制作家庭电影的条件存在。像各种家用软件功能变得很强大，而且使用起来也很简单。便携式摄像机之类的许多录像器材都附赠编辑软件。

奥多比系统公司(Adobe Systems Inc.)的Premiere Elements、Pinnacle Studio 11和Ulead VideoStudio 11等主流影片剪辑软件都可以免费试用一个月，而且一般情况下购买这些软件100美元就绰绰有余了。苹果公司(Apple Inc.)的电脑用户该试试新的iMovie，这款软件以创造性的方式来帮助用户挑选片断。

我下载了一套免费试用的Adobe Premiere Pro，售价为800美元，它针对的是专业人士。这款软件学起来很难，但却很有趣，不过前提是你至少要喜欢钻研那些操作复杂而功能强大的软件。如果你不是这种人，那即便是最简单的软件也会让你望而却步。

将VHS 录像带、8毫米胶片，或者是超级8毫米胶片中的历史影像数字化的各种办法要么正被人淡忘，要么是方兴未艾，这要看对谁而言了。之所以有前一种说法，是因为有这个需求的人都已经完成了数字化处理，后一种说法也有道理，因为婴儿潮时期出生的美国人渐入老龄，终于有了点闲暇时间。

影片转换服务店（从网上找）可以帮你对胶片中的影像进行数字化处理。如是录像带，那你自己就可以用一部小型的影像“捕捉”设备来完成。这种设备要先与录像机相连，然后再接到电脑上。

我用ADS Tech出品的Pyro A/V Link效果相当不错，其售价是200美元，便宜一些的机型也不错。

如果是便携式摄像机，只用把摄像机连到电脑上就可以进行数字化处理了。

在你第一次进行剪接前，要仔细看过手头的每一个视频片断，这是影片剪辑过程中很枯燥但却关键的程序。因为在编辑时你需要一次又一次地看这些片断，这会让你变得麻木，因此不妨将你第一次看这些片断时的感觉作为编辑的依据，而且还要牢记所看过的内容。

找点轶闻、有趣的场景和隐藏的故事。切火鸡的场面可能不会出现在《卡萨布兰卡》中，却有可能通过你巧妙的剪辑成为一段有头有尾的情节。

将拍摄的片断按合适的顺序排列就能触动人们的喜怒哀乐，掌握这种能力是你完成作品过程中的一大喜悦和创意核心。不要害怕打乱顺序从头来过。也不用非得纳入所有材料。最好的剪辑常常是通过丢弃最多的材料来实现的。

在片断之间切换时，最好是运用简单的跳越剪辑和淡出效果，而不要用如今的编辑工具包里设置的数十种俗不可耐的特效转换。

自己制作影片最难的一个部分涉及你可能都没听说过的东西：色彩校正。没有哪部影片或视频从摄像机里拿出来就能完美无暇，就算是专业人士拍的也不例外。色彩校正就是要一点点地将片子修改好。

大部分影片剪辑软件都有色彩校正功能；问题是你得有训练有素的眼光才能正确使用它们。色彩校正做得好能极大增强你的影片画质，因此如果是十分珍贵的影片，不妨请专业人士帮忙。

我便在本地请了一位电视录像制作人，让他来我家，花了几个小时修改影片。你也可以在网上找录像制作人员和提供色彩校正服务的地方，不过可能得把影片文件存在U盘里寄给他们。

同样，不要只在你的电脑显示器上看影片；在你想用来播放影片的电视机上检视一下。二者播放的效果可能会有很大的差距，足以让你回到电脑旁重作调整。

另外，你得知道声音也能像图像一样进行不可思议的修改。令人讨厌的噪音可以去除。有些录像工具包有内置的声音编辑工具。如果你的工具包里没有，可以在download.com一类的网站上搜索“声音编辑”或“噪音去除”产品。这类产品也有很多可供免费试用。

在对影片进行加工的过程中，你得知道自己做的是跟专业电影摄制者一样的事，至少跟纪录片制作者一样。同时，就像好莱坞的电影制作者会有一个发布日期一样，你也必须在某个时刻抵制住继续摆弄影片的欲望，宣告你的影片“完成”。

要做到这一步，无数夜晚都得“黏”在电脑屏幕前度过。但不管怎样，你的时间可能本来就已经这样耗费掉了。至少现在，你花的时间还能有点成果可以展示，甚至还可能会出现在YouTube上。