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August 6, 2006

Although I like all aspects of film, editing is what I like most. I have two years experience editing with Avid Express Pro DV and got pretty good with it. My question is this: is it better to essemble a studio editing package full of different programs(ex. pinnicle liquid+sony sound forge+adobe after affects) or go with a package set of programs(ex. avid symphany suit, or adobe production studio)? Any opinion would be great. thanks.

Chris_Burket · August 8, 2006

Although I like all aspects of film, editing is what I like most. I have two years experience editing with Avid Express Pro DV and got pretty good with it. My question is this: is it better to essemble a studio editing package full of different programs(ex. pinnicle liquid+sony sound forge+adobe after affects) or go with a package set of programs(ex. avid symphany suit, or adobe production studio)? Any opinion would be great. thanks.

If you want to be a professional editor, you should learn two editing systems. Final Cut Pro and AVID media composer and/or Express Pro. Express Pro and Media composer are EXTREMELY similar. What type of material do you want to edit??? Features, TV, Reality, Documentary, Commercial???

The other programs you mentioned: Sound forge, after effects... aren't editing programs. They are sound and effects programs. Depending on what type of editing you want to do, learning such programs may or may not be beneficial. For instance, TV and Film editors pretty much do 100% of their editing and temp FX in the AVID (or FCP which has a small market share) and then leave it to the sound editing facility and VFX house to handle the rest. However, I'm sure some editors that do smaller features, reality TV, commercials etc.. will do some of their own VFX and sound on programs like after effects etc...

Shawn S · August 8, 2006

If you want to be a professional editor, you should learn two editing systems. Final Cut Pro and AVID media composer and/or Express Pro. Express Pro and Media composer are EXTREMELY similar. What type of material do you want to edit??? Features, TV, Reality, Documentary, Commercial???

The other programs you mentioned: Sound forge, after effects... aren't editing programs. They are sound and effects programs. Depending on what type of editing you want to do, learning such programs may or may not be beneficial. For instance, TV and Film editors pretty much do 100% of their editing and temp FX in the AVID (or FCP which has a small market share) and then leave it to the sound editing facility and VFX house to handle the rest. However, I'm sure some editors that do smaller features, reality TV, commercials etc.. will do some of their own VFX and sound on programs like after effects etc...

Agreed with what Chris said. I am an editor (actually assistant right now) in Los Angeles working on national TV shows. If you want to be an "editor" then master the editing programs. You can thrive in the low level editing world with knowing a bit of all those programs like After Effects and such. But once you pass that level of work it's mostly the editing program it self that you will be working with. Look up the Offline & Online processes and you will see the effects and sound is all done later on first the program is edited.

I personally know a little bit of the compisting programs, I know the Apple programs (DVD Studio Pro, Motion, etc.) but Avid and Final Cut Pro will get you by for being an editor. I won't get into which one is better then the other but it is important to know Avid to really get ahead in the industry. I am working wtih Media Composer quite a bit but also worked with Adrenaline, Xpress & FCP. There are editors then know many other programs and some do get some good work out of it so if you want to learn them and have them go for it but to really be an editor master the editing programs.

If you are assembling your own home editing station then it might be good to have a bit of everything involved so when working on a independent feature or whatever it may be you can do as much as you can at your own station since chances are the producers don't have the budget for a real Online process. I have my own station, mac G5 with FCP & Avid Xpress, the Apple Studio programs, The Adobe suite, etc. but most of my work is working at a Post facility so I only use my own station for little independent side projects.

-Shawn

Edited August 8, 2006 by Shawn

August 9, 2006

so, i'f i understand correctly, if i want to advance from the amateur level of editing to the pro level, it would be better for me to get and master programs like avid, final cut pro, adobe, etc. rather than get a bundle like adobe production studio or the final cut or avid bundles that comes with all the affter effects and sound editing software. am i right?

Chris_Burket · August 9, 2006

so, i'f i understand correctly, if i want to advance from the amateur level of editing to the pro level, it would be better for me to get and master programs like avid, final cut pro, adobe, etc. rather than get a bundle like adobe production studio or the final cut or avid bundles that comes with all the affter effects and sound editing software. am i right?

There is nothing wrong with getting the bundles that these manufactures offer like final cut studio etc.. it never hurts to know more.... But most professional editors just use one program for the offline.

What kind of editing do you want to do? If you want to cut long form TV for instance... you should probably try to find a post PA position and work your way up to assistant editor and then hopefully become an editor someday.

Mark Allen · August 10, 2006

outside of final cut express, I was under the impression that FCP only came in the studio bundle now. It's a great bundle though.

The number one thing that will get you work is getting to know people who hire editors and then do a decent job and be reliable. Personally, I would absolutely understand how after effects works just to know that much more. Knowng how it works and mastering it are totally different things. First get a mastery of the editing programs.

Try to get around the editing environment. Even if it means being an assistant. In college I asked an actress friend to watch a cut of my movie - she made a few comments which I thought were pretty astute and she had fun. I told her she should try to get some experience at Corman's studio. She got an editorial internship gig there. Next movie - an assistant gig... Five years later, she was editing for Francis Ford Coppola. I can't tell you how many super talented people I know who are never working because they never let their ego go enough to do what it took to just get in the room and be known.

For anyone wanting to be in the industry, I can't state enough how important it is to just get around the people doing it and make a good impression. Be the "go to guy," "the person with the answers..." etc.. There is a dirth of people who know what they are doing and are in the right room at the right time. So get in the right room and be ready.