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Dealing with (directors) who don’t know Vegas
Hi there. I started editing because a friend had a project she needed edited and I am fairly technical (in a generic software/computer sense) so I said I’d give it a whack.
After experimenting somewhat unsuccessfully with a variety of free Linux-based solutions, I ended up deciding to spend a few bucks and get Sony Vegas Studio Platinum (because I already have PC hardware).
The long and short of it can be boiled down to two things:
1)I love editing
2) I’m not too bad at it.The first two films I have “cut” have both been accepted into the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival. The very first one actually got a premiere at a SXSW showcase. I’m told that’s good for a beginner.
Anyway, I will talk to a director, and sooner or later they get around to software and when I say “Sony Vegas” they shut down. If it’s not FCP or Avid, they think that it’s no good.
Since this is a Vegas forum, I’m guessing maybe someone out there has found a good way to get over the “I’ve never heard of Vegas” syndrome?
I love the software, I want to keep using it, and I sure as heck don’t want to buy an expensive Mac and expensive software when I get great results (and no crashes) with what I have…
Maybe there is a list somewhere of award-winning films cut with Vegas?
Or some industry GIANT who says it’s great?
I don’t have enough “throw-weight” at this point to convince directors that I’m not just too ignorant to realize that nothing will do for their film but FCP or Avid, but that only leaves me with low-pay gigs with desperate directors who are amazed and pleased when their films look great.
Suggestions?
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8 Replies
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You are confronting a hard truth: Although Vegas is in many was superior to Final Cut Pro, FCP completely dominates the editing industry (albeit shared with Avid.) If you look at the “editor wanted” posts, 99% require FCP expertise. So if you want to make a living as a freelancer working for others, your best bet is to learn FCP.
Vegas is a terrific solution for those who use it for their own projects. A very small handful of editors manage to make a living working for others.
This topic comes up from time to time and I never see any convincing proof that Vegas cuts it commercially. Just protestations that it does. As far as I can tell there is NO list of great films cut with Vegas.
If you are serious about freelancing as an editor, you are probably stuck with buying a very expensive Mac. As for FCP, start with the prosumer version, which costs around $200. However, for real gigs, you will need the full-up version.
Rick Wise
director of photography
San Francisco Bay Area
and part-time instructor lighting and camera
grad school, SF Academy of Art University/Film and Video
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwise
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com -
Make up a DVD (keep it under 5 min.) of samples of what you consider to be your best work.
Then, instead of telling them what you use to edit, hand them a DVD and tell them to take a look at it and call you if they’re interested.
Make sure to use printable DVDs instead of hand written ones and put them in an attractive case.
After all, (superficial) looks are half the battle 🙂 -
I think somewhere in this Forum is a list of Television credits that use VEGAS PRO in there workflow? According to Jedi Master “DSE” Vegas is in a lot of Production Facilities…
Survivor Man, 20/20, help me out here guys…
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I experienced the same thing. Directors with Avid experience would keep their thumb in the post production phase, looking over my shoulder continuously. Why does Vegas do this? Why doesn’t Vegas do that? Ultimately, the preview window didn’t match the final rendered output. Try explaining THAT one to a director.I found myself dancing on the head of a pin until I couldn’t take it any more. I moved to Avid and haven’t had an unpleasant day since then.
Fortunately, I don’t do any work for television, or I might have to learn FCS.
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I always wonder if the same director would ask a handyman what brand of hammer he uses to repair his house?
Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com -
Next time someone asks, innocently say “Well, I use a Moviola, but I can get by with a razor blade in a pinch. The brand really doesn’t matter to me.”
To be honest, however, if/when you need to collaborate, Apple and FCP do not play well with others (see also: QuickTime for Windows not having DVCPRO HD codecs, H.264, etc.) and being a Vegas editor becomes a pain for everyone involved. That said, once you’ve mastered Vegas, FCP (or Avid or Premiere or Edius or MediaStudio Pro or Liquid or…) are pretty easy to pick up. If a director insists on FCP, ask them where the edit bay is and have at it. FCP is a great app and if it’s running on a $30,000 dual-processor, 16-thread workstation, I sure wouldn’t complain.
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Kat,
I tried to email you off the forum to share some info, but your profile email bounced back. I’d like to resend my message if you would send one to me: marywait at tds.netThanks,
Mary Waitrovich
Digital Media Coordinator
UW-Madison -
Rick, I apologize if this has been asked about a thousand times before, but if you don’t mind my asking, what would it take for Vegas to ‘cut it commercially’, in your mind?
I got turned onto Vegas because everyone said it is the easiest to use, and since one can throw just about anything up on the timeline without conversion, they say it is ‘the NLE of the future.’ Yet now that I am getting started with it, there seem to be all sorts of limitations (no P2 support, little BMD support, limited AJA support, no Cineform support, etcetera x 4 or 5).
Is it simply a matter of Sony taking Vegas seriously, and making it into a professional product with good third-party support? Or are there limitations inherent in the design? I know none of this stuff is easy, but it would be good to know where the glitch is.
Norman Willis
http://www.nazareneisrael.org
servant@nazareneisrael.org
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