Tired of being called an editor when you are so much more? It's true isn't it? We may as well be called Postmen or Postwomen for all the graphic design, animation, DVD authoring, duplication, color correction and grading, , compositing, audio mixing, compressing and don't forget editing!
In large workflow situations such as posting for big national programs that are expensive to produce such as Lost and Heroes, we would simply be a cog in a giant machine all working toward a common goal with our small contribution. Colorists who work with programs like Lustre and focus on just that, compositors focus on compositing, audio techs who mix down sound and finishers who bring together all the elements.
But what is an editor, really? Someone who takes out all the bad bits as Walter Murch stated in his book In the Blink of an Eye"? Of course, an editor takes out the bad bits, organizes footage and focuses on timing.
But this brings us to my point; what is the future of an editor? MTV brought us shows like "Made" where the show was shot with cheap 3-chip cameras with messy videography and a posting workflow that was, well, let's say a little bit unsophisticated. Is the Postman/Postwoman doomed to a career of having to know everything about post!? My answer is 'maybe.' despite the changing landscape of media distribution where people acquire their television from XBOX Live, Hulu.com, iTunes and other such distribution methods; does everything look like garbage? No, it looks ok and it'll only look better and better as new compression algorithms are designed and larger pipes are brought into our homes. It's inevitable. There will be a home for 'messy' and 'unsophisticated' production practices and also the elite in production. It is an exciting time as there will be plenty of work for us all; people who want to do-it-all and others who wish to be a cog in a great machine.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
The three A's (actually 4)
Many of you have heard of the three A's; Apple, Adobe, Avid. These are the three companies that create software for the desktop NLEs that are so prominent in our industry today. But there's a fourth and hugely prominent NLE that not many editors know about because of it's expense and rather difficult learning curve; Autodesk's Smoke. I've had the pleasure of doing some editing on all these programs and I'll comment on all four of the below.
Apple - Now this is a company that has been doing extremely well for itself in the past decade. Final Cut Pro has 'democratized' the video editing industry (and boosted the sales of Mac computers) with it's extremely cheap and easy to operate program. It is the NLE that I'm most familiar with as I've used it most in my career. It's cheap, easy to use and is bundled with a pretty steady studio package. Compatiability with ever changing updates of Apple's QuickTime can hinder this software. Advice: once your system is up and running and there are no issues with it's operation, sever your connection to the internet and never update.
Avid - Do not listen to people who say Avid is dead; far from it. This diverse line of programs and equipment remain a reliable ally in the ever changing world of video and film editing. Just look at any "making of" video and when it comes to post you'll see an Andrenaline or other software in the background. A huge amount of television shows and movies are cut with Avid equipment. Mired by customer service issues, Avid has finally started listening to their customers and are now holding focus groups to relieve issues and keep their customer base from flocking to Apple.
Adobe - A company that is focused on post and design. If it weren't for Final Cut's popularity, Adobe would dominate the poor man's market for production. With a wonderful selection of design programs and video and audio production tools, and an updated and solid NLE (Premiere) Adobe is looking good and doing strong. After Effects, Illustrator, Encore, Photoshop, Flash and much more make this a great economical package for those starting out. However, established post houses do not feature Adobe Premiere in their suites but rather the Final Cut Pro/Adobe combo.
Autodesk - A company that is truly dedicated to postwork. Now with Mya under it's wing and a whole slew of amazing products, Flame, Combustion, Smoke and many others; Autodesk is for the elite. These programs come with hardware that is designed for large pipeline workflow, perfect for users who are specialized in single functions (a cog in a giant machine). Smoke, Autodesk's NLE is simply amazing. It does more than Final Cut and After Effects combines. Many say it's an editor on steroids and it certainly is. Its greatest use comes when used as a finisher, bringing in all the elements from offline workflow and combining it into a finished product. The interface is old and although has been updated here and there, it still has remnants of an early 1990's software. This amazing product also comes with a large price-tag. I wont name it since prices may be going down to compete with all the FCP hub-bub.
Donald Sinatra
Apple - Now this is a company that has been doing extremely well for itself in the past decade. Final Cut Pro has 'democratized' the video editing industry (and boosted the sales of Mac computers) with it's extremely cheap and easy to operate program. It is the NLE that I'm most familiar with as I've used it most in my career. It's cheap, easy to use and is bundled with a pretty steady studio package. Compatiability with ever changing updates of Apple's QuickTime can hinder this software. Advice: once your system is up and running and there are no issues with it's operation, sever your connection to the internet and never update.
Avid - Do not listen to people who say Avid is dead; far from it. This diverse line of programs and equipment remain a reliable ally in the ever changing world of video and film editing. Just look at any "making of" video and when it comes to post you'll see an Andrenaline or other software in the background. A huge amount of television shows and movies are cut with Avid equipment. Mired by customer service issues, Avid has finally started listening to their customers and are now holding focus groups to relieve issues and keep their customer base from flocking to Apple.
Adobe - A company that is focused on post and design. If it weren't for Final Cut's popularity, Adobe would dominate the poor man's market for production. With a wonderful selection of design programs and video and audio production tools, and an updated and solid NLE (Premiere) Adobe is looking good and doing strong. After Effects, Illustrator, Encore, Photoshop, Flash and much more make this a great economical package for those starting out. However, established post houses do not feature Adobe Premiere in their suites but rather the Final Cut Pro/Adobe combo.
Autodesk - A company that is truly dedicated to postwork. Now with Mya under it's wing and a whole slew of amazing products, Flame, Combustion, Smoke and many others; Autodesk is for the elite. These programs come with hardware that is designed for large pipeline workflow, perfect for users who are specialized in single functions (a cog in a giant machine). Smoke, Autodesk's NLE is simply amazing. It does more than Final Cut and After Effects combines. Many say it's an editor on steroids and it certainly is. Its greatest use comes when used as a finisher, bringing in all the elements from offline workflow and combining it into a finished product. The interface is old and although has been updated here and there, it still has remnants of an early 1990's software. This amazing product also comes with a large price-tag. I wont name it since prices may be going down to compete with all the FCP hub-bub.
Donald Sinatra
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