Avid training (Manchester or Cardiff) in the UK

[Michael Hancock]

I’m in the US so I can’t personally attest to any of these training facilities in the UK:

https://www.avid.com/training/centers/index.asp?countryCode=GB

…but to get your hands on an Avid system download it from the Avid website:

https://www.avid.com/freedv/index.asp

This is AvidFreeDV, a stripped down version designed to introduce people to the Avid interface. It’s incredibly limited on what it can do (since it’s free), but its interface is pretty much identical to the Xpress Pro/Media Composer/Symphony interface–it’s just missing most of the features (extra rows of buttons, color correction, center duration, etc…). It’ll help you become familiar with the Avid interface, however, and the Avid way of doing things. Which is modal. Everything has a mode–Edit mode, Effects mode, Trim mode, Segment mode, etc…

Since you’re coming from FCP and Adobe you’re probably used to a lot of freedom in the timeline to just grab clips and drag them about. Avid is much different and doesn’t work well this way. I would definitely suggest following the online tutorials at https://www.avid.com/freedv/tutorials/index.asp to get familiar with it. They will probably annoy you since they’re so basic in nature but they’ll answer some core questions about how the program works.

Good luck with your endeavors, and if you have questions post away.

Mike.

There is also online training available from Avid at https://www.avid.com/training/selfpace/alex.html

[Darryl Corner]

Thanks Mike …

I’ve been digging around on the Avid site and checking out the tutorials. I have FreeDV too and will spend sometime getting familiar with the basics though ultimately I’m going to need some time on the “real thing” as much of my work tends to be multi-layered compositing.

It’s certainly a very different way of working!

(Spotted you reply on the other forum as well – thanks for that)