Well, you got quite a few FOSS, some even xplatform solutions, but none is really pleasing.
So, OpenShot went to Kickstarter to boost development (just read the description on the project page) and it’s going to be released for Linux, OSX and Windows.
I for one wish them to succeed the kickstarter, will also chip in a few bucks, because Openshot currently is as stable as a newborn lamb and kdenlive isn’t the best one either but IMO the least of all the evils out there 
The visuals were nice already. So this more than like Blenders sequencer? You can also animate actors?
An OS X Win port would be nice for him. I might chip in on this project!
The workflow and interface looks pleasing and intuitive but how in the heck is this scripted in HTML and CSS inside the application ?!?!
I don’t know if it will be more like Blenders sequencer and how far the capabilities will go.
But fact is most FOSS solutions for simple video cutting are already a PITA due to performance or stability issues.
The fact that it gets a complete new python scriptable engine, that ideally doesn’t repeat all past mistakes is already great.
If it only becomes a super efficient, rock solid cutting tool like Adobe Premiere it’s a huge win.
Also the full implementation of ffmpeg is great news.
There is no “scripted HTML+CSS” inside the application. The new UI builds upon it as far as I understand it.
Instead of fighting with QT, GTK, wxWidget or whatever, they chose to use HTML5, jQuery and Webkit and such to build the canvas of the application, what they call the “timeline”
This way it’s easy skinnable, most likely with XML and just works no matter on what platform as long as it can run Webkit.
For those unaware, webkit originated in the KDE project and is a FOSS layout engine.
Basically it’s the “render engine” of every HTML browser. Give it html, it gives you eyecandy.
It might also be a matter of the future possibility to run OpenShot as cloud tool or webtool.
Who knows.
Anyways I am going to pledge to the project, thus far it’s doing great, I hope it’ll meet the 20k target, even exceed it and get new milestones added 
I really like to work with OpenShot, if only the current version would run for more than 2 minutes without crash 
Can`t we finance certain features for Blender in Kickstarter? I would be more than glad to support features that i look foward to.
Nah. Just think it through.
This already failed before, there where already proposals on Kickstarter IIRC.
Furthermore we got the subscription from BF directly.
One of the biggest problems is, especially when it comes to specialized features, that the amount of people who actually are interested in it is small, and on top of that, let’s face it, the broad majority of Blender users are hobby users or just don’t bother to spend money. They talk how great Blender is and how much they would contribute, and once a project is launched requiring the user base to chip in with money the loudest noise is the tumbleweed rolling through the dust… 
Another problem or better, risk, is, that it will not make it in trunk, or that the “contribution spirit” isn’t there:
I was one of the backers of Ocean Sim for instance. I didn’t actually need it at that point, haven’t used it in any of my projects thus far, but maybe one of my clients will require it for a future project, or some other user already used it successfully in a commercial project.
Great. Next time a feature is added by the community with financial effort, I just rely on the “contribution spirit” of the others to get an actual useful feature in Blender, I might have a use for. For such an project every contributer counts.
Still the successful funding was no guarantee that Ocean Sim would ever make it into Blender, it might have been a branch forever.
And at one point you might have ended up with using Blender 5.81 and having to somehow make all work with Blender 2.55 as last branched version to properly work with Ocean Sim. (random version numbers)
So, it would be up to the BF to launch such a funding, which they already do.
You can subscribe or donate to the BF at any time, and Ton lists on a regular basis what projects have been approved and how many funds are diverted to realize it.
If you don’t like the direction Ton steers the ship, you can always fork Blender and start to raise funds for the projects you think are the right to implement in Blender…
But, for how long will you be able to maintain it, and offer updates and a compatibility to the trunk?
To bring this back on topic, OpenShot is a video editor… You pay for what it is and it’s clearly outlined what you pay for, what you’ll get and it’s in the hand of Jonathan Thomas.
Blender is too much already, too many features to improve, too many proposals to add.
Personally I think it’s best to donate to the BF and let them decide what’s best for Blender.
And if you don’t approve with Ton or whatever, don’t donate - don’t complain, and fork
That said, the last 2 days it made ~2k USD per day, a good tendency.
I will tell you how it is as soon as I get the first beta version
Just a small update for the non-pledgers.
I am excited, OpenShot is funded and funding moving towards the first stretch goal alredy.
In other words, by the end of the year everybody should be able to use the all new and shiny OpenShot. For free. In OSX, Linux and Windows.
You’re welcome
If they reach their deadline for December launch for Windows and Mac they may beat Lightworks to the punch for the first cross platform NLE…
And a final update:
The kickstarter reached 45k USD. 
One stretch goal was changed to free and one lowered to 40k, so now the new Openshot will have it all:
Stretch goals:
What’s very cool, is that due to backers requests Jonathan Thomas (the developer) offers to opt out of the “signed verification certificate of contribution”.
I and many others already opted out, I rather have the P&P, and the material cost added to Openshot, than a bluntly put, worthless piece of paper sent from the U.S. to me.
I am quite excited, as there are not really any good free video editors. KDEnlive is getting worse and worse, then there’s a lot of crap and Blender, and while I currently use Blender for the most part, it’s far from good or optimal for video editing.
I don’t know when I’ll get access to the first beta versions, but the final versions for OSX, Windows and Linux are scheduled for Nov/Dec 2013, already with some of the stretch goals included.
\o/
All of that sounds just great, Arexma. I always thought that Open Shot had an amazing potential.