-
After FX vs FCP vs BLAH + job advice?
Ok.. I’ve been lurking in the job posting section for a while now…
I keep seeing things like “FCP required, but working knowledge of AE would be nice” …. aren’t they both compositing programs?
Couldn’t I do everything in AE that I could in any of the other competition in compositing software.
I played with Discreet Combustion before I toyed with AE.. the only thing I noticed Combustion had OVER AE was it’s particle system was MUCH easier to implement and use…
I dunno – maybe it doesn’t matter? Trying to get a job, and I only have AE under my belt. My roomie is learning Maya and we have aspirations of making our primary income based on graphic design.
Anyone have any advice for us?
-
5 Replies
-
Final Cut is editing software, not compositing.
Anyone looking for FCP primarily is looking for an editor, not a compositor. -
[Dave LaRonde] “Nobody with any experience in both would ever mistake FCP for anything but an editor.”
To expand on that, nobody with any experience in both would ever mistake AE for an editing application =)
Darby Edelen
Lead Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA -
I see.. so..
AE / COMBUSTION / etc = compositing
FCP / PREMIER / etc = editing
right?
-
[Jeremy Fabiano] “Trying to get a job, and I only have AE under my belt. My roomie is learning Maya and we have aspirations of making our primary income based on graphic design. “
I would suggest that you both get experience in FCP and/or Avid, as well as any application you might need to help you produce a creative and useful product. Unlike most post-houses of the past, having a cursory knowledge of many apps is a good thing, in addition to specializing in just one or two. Photoshop is a must.
The best advice I can give anyone after my 20+ years of production is to make sure you have a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of ALL parts of the business. That means knowledge of the technical, artistic, and financial areas. It doesn’t hurt to know some marketing and personnel skills as well.
For example, you should know the difference between PAL and NTSC, you should know the difference between frame data rates and frame pixel dimensions. You should have an understanding of frame composition, color space and how it translates to different display and playback systems. And you should have an idea of what is billable time and what constitutes an ROI expense. Even if you plan on working for a large facility you will still be at an advantage because you know you have a balanced perspective on the business.
Primary System Info
Mac Pro 2×3.2 Quadcore – 6MBram – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro -
Thanks a bunch everyone who answered, this will definitely help.
-Jeremy
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up