-
2013 an exciting new year
-
[craig slattery] “Im talking about other editors and post houses”
It shouldn’t happen anywhere. As long as the editor is fully aware of the project workflow and deliverables, one should trust their choice of tools.
-
[Craig Seeman] “It shouldn’t happen anywhere. As long as the editor is fully aware of the project workflow and deliverables, one should trust their choice of tools.”
I don’t think it’s that cut-and-dried. Post houses want to be able to have someone step in and pick up where the editor left off if need be. Using software that enjoys broad editor support is a big concern for post house managers. Project compatibility is a lot more than moving a decision list across via a translated XML. That’s generally inadequate, since speed ramps and plug-ins almost always cause problems. I freelance at different places, but I am only hired if I can run THEIR system. That means FCP 7, X, PPro or Media Composer, depending on the shop. In addition, it also means getting up to speed very quickly on their internal workflows throughout the facility. Ultimately it gets down to who is calling the shots.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Well a fine VT it was! Excellent work.
Michael Sanders
London Based DP/Editor -
On the other hand post houses can be massive stick in the muds.
One London post house was vetoing the use of c300’s and Alexas on shoots because their media management system couldn’t handle 1080 25p!
Michael Sanders
London Based DP/Editor -
[Michael Sanders] “On the other hand post houses can be massive stick in the muds”
Yes, I can definitely agree there. On the plus side, I get extra work adding LUTs to Alexa files and generating offline-edit-ready media, because some post house are too lazy to do it themselves. Works for me! 😉
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “I don’t think it’s that cut-and-dried. Post houses want to be able to have someone step in and pick up where the editor left off if need be.”
Ironically that reminds me of why I stopped freelancing like that. Too many jobs, for me, started with either cleaning up a mess or trying to figure out somebody else’s method of organizing or workflow. For me, that was through the early ’00s and all my freelance work was Avid. FCP was too immature at that point.
Personally I wouldn’t want jobs to be handled like that. I no more want to switch directors mid project than I’d want to switch editors. Back in my facility days, the clients were more often that not livid if they had to switch editors. Granted things happen.
[Oliver Peters] “Post houses want to be able to have someone step in and pick up where the editor left off if need be. Using software that enjoys broad editor support is a big concern for post house managers. Project compatibility is a lot more than moving a decision list across via a translated XML.”
But then you’d be looking at editors you like and trust with the tools you already have. You wouldn’t be asking what they edit on if you’re familiar with their work.
If you’re hiring an editor because you like their work and they have a tool of choice, there’s a reasonable chance that editor can bring in those who can handle the workflow.
Maybe a better way of putting it is that the editor would brought on as part of a team who have the skill set to handle the project end to end.
-
[Michael Sanders] “One London post house was vetoing the use of c300’s and Alexas on shoots because their media management system couldn’t handle 1080 25p!”
Interesting that you brought that up.
It’s why, maybe in a different context, I think of hiring an editor much like hiring a director or maybe a DP and their choice of camera. Sometimes the camera preference comes with the talent . . . and sometimes that’s a big fight as well. -
[Craig Seeman] “But then you’d be looking at editors you like and trust with the tools you already have. You wouldn’t be asking what they edit on if you’re familiar with their work. If you’re hiring an editor because you like their work and they have a tool of choice, there’s a reasonable chance that editor can bring in those who can handle the workflow.”
That’s not really a given. Or maybe I’m not following the logic.
Look at this hypothetical. A shop is completely FCP/Quicktime-based and I’m hired and allowed to bring in my own system running Media Composer. I post the whole project with all media converted to DNxHD. At the end I deliver masters as converted QTs. So all is good, right? No, because six months later they want to dive back into the project, but don’t have the budget to hire me again. Since I cut on MC, all of the project info (beyond just sequences) is useless to them as is the DNxHD media. Therefore, they have to start from scratch.
OTOH, if I cut on their FCP system – or bring in my own FCP system – all is compatible with their later need to handle revisions.
Let’s look at this scenario a bit differently. We started with the context of FCP X and we are all looking to be favorable to X. But given the same scenario, what if the editor is cutting on EDIUS, Vegas, Avid DS, Mistika, Lightworks, etc.? How does the facility manager justify that and make it work?
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Craig Seeman] “Maybe a better way of putting it is that the editor would brought on as part of a team who have the skill set to handle the project end to end.”
Here’s another example. Walter Murch has been cutting on FCP “legacy” since “Cold Mountain”. That’s still his preferred NLE. Yet on “Wolfman” he had to cut on Media Composer, because everything was already in place at the time he was brought on board.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “A shop is completely FCP/Quicktime-based and I’m hired and allowed to bring in my own system running Media Composer.”
The question is why are they hiring you?
If it’s because they know your work and your familiar with their NLE and workflow of choice, you’d be using their equipment.
If it’s because there’s a specific job that calls for your creative and technical skills, then they have a meeting with you to discuss the workflow. If your axe of choice is Media Composer you work out the details of the workflow.[Oliver Peters] “No, because six months later they want to dive back into the project, but don’t have the budget to hire me again.”
They hire another Media Composer editor. I don’t think there’s a shortage of very good Media Composer skilled freelancers.
[Oliver Peters] “Let’s look at this scenario a bit differently. We started with the context of FCP X and we are all looking to be favorable to X. But given the same scenario, what if the editor is cutting on EDIUS, Vegas, Avid DS, Mistika, Lightworks, etc.? How does the facility manager justify that and make it work?”
So you mean what if the editor has an NLE choice with a small freelance pool… at least of the talent caliber they’re looking for?
Again the question is why are they hiring the given editor?
If you like an editor’s work and they’re brilliant with Vegas, they might even know Media Composer a little but you may not get the performance or speed on Media Composer or FCP with this particular editor. Then you may need to consider whether you have other Vegas editors you can call on in a pinch. Of course if our Vegas editor under consideration has a list of happy clients and showed you their demo, one has to consider that it must be working out for the others hiring that person.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up