China? Yeah, China for gods sake.

[Bill Davis]

All I’ll say is that if you wait for the demand, you risk that if a demand does develop, you may be way back in a line behind thousands of editors who did not.

For decades, an edit suite was a thing a company provided for an editor in an office building. And, of course, that still happens. But today, it’s also clear an editor cam easily come to a job with all the tools needed in his or her briefcase.

I see from your sig that you work – at least partially – in cable programming.

You might find this interesting.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLqX2pQkpLCQ_wo_6BVFnh8BfvVbCAp5wM&v=5KhNCDMPTIY

FWIW.

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

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[Andrew Kimery]

Hey Scott,

I stumbled across the thread you started in the Premiere forum (https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/3/966492) but I’m not sure if you are monitoring it anymore so I decided to post here.

I used to work for Viacom/MTV/Spike in Santa Monica and I know they recently moved from FCP 7 to Premiere Pro. If you want I can get you the contact info for tech guys and Post Sup I still know over there and you can pick their brains about the transition.

[Bill Davis]

Yep, As we all know nobody in local market TVStationland ever makes iffy gear calls.

Hey, want to buy a hundred M2 decks really cheap?

; )

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[Andrew Kimery]

[Bill Davis] “All I’ll say is that if you wait for the demand, you risk that if a demand does develop, you may be way back in a line behind thousands of editors who did not.
“

Handful of loosely related observations and anecdotes…

1. Odd thing to say Bill since recently you’ve highlighted NLE agnostic situations (the client only cares about the final product, not the NLE) as well as situations where editors dictate which NLE they use (my NLE or the highway) as reasons why one doesn’t need to worry about knowing multiple NLEs.

2. While I’m waiting for the demand for FCP X to start showing up in my neck of the woods I’ve been editing on PPro because there is a growing demand for that. And Avid because the demand for that, while always high, is probably the highest it’s been since I moved to LA 11 years ago. And FCP 7 because the demand for that is waning but not gone.

3. Speaking of Avid… what do Avid, PPro, FCP 7, AE, Photoshop, and Resolve all have in common? Probably many things, but for this rhetorical question the right answer is, they are all applications I use on a regular basis to make a living yet I wasn’t an early adopter on any of them. Off the top of my head I’d guess the closest to the ground floor I ever got was with FCP (I started on version 3). I’m sure I’ll add FCP X to that list at some point.

4. Speaking of FCP X… Funny story, in 2013 I picked up a side project (a feature length doc) and I had planned on using that as my test bed to learn FCP X (it was a low budget affair with more time than money so the situation was perfect for working through the growing pains on a real project). Right after I agreed to do the documentary though I got hired to edit a web series, and the web series had to be done on Premiere Pro. I didn’t know PPro at the time but the producers and I really hit it off so they were understanding that it would be a little rough going at the beginning while I got up to speed on a new NLE.

Since I had to learn PPro for the web series I didn’t want to be learning FCP X at the same time so I decided to do the doc in PPro as well. In case anyone is curious, the web series turned out very well and the doc is on an indefinite hiatus due to lack of funds (shocker, I know). Interesting how that happy accident ended up leaving me with a more marketable skill.

5. I can’t speak to all of them but I know at least some of the original shows on Amazon and Hulu are being edited on Avid. If I had to venture a guess I’d say most/all of the original shows on Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, etc., are edited on Avid because they are scripted shows and that world is still ruled by Avid.

[Eric Santiago]

Im Asian but not Chinese so can I chime in 🙂

For me its just been a major PITA working with FCPX, Premiere and Resolve.

I really had to remove the one that wasting all my time and sorry to say its Premiere.

With my current workflow of prepping R3Ds and Audio Sync for rough edit, Premier did not (pardon the pun) cut it.

Im sure Ill get flamed for my comments but Id rather step in and give my 3 cents (Canadian here) that most of us just wants things to work.

So until I figure out why the R3Ds from a full feature shoot (1100+ clips) cant sync via audio in Premiere but smoothly in FCPX, I will be forced to stick up for the one that does work.

Also, why cant I just import a freakin R3D via folders in Premiere without pulling my hair? That Media Browser is poop to me.

I guess I just got so used to AMA Bins/Event Browser.

[Paul Neumann]

Sorry if a NBC/Universal Owned and Operated station in the top 5 media market in the US doesn’t meet your criteria for organizations that should be trusted to make a good software purchase decision. Bill, do you ever think of just how snotty you come off to people?

[Bill Davis]

[Andrew Kimery] “1. Odd thing to say Bill since recently you’ve highlighted NLE agnostic situations (the client only cares about the final product, not the NLE) as well as situations where editors dictate which NLE they use (my NLE or the highway) as reasons why one doesn’t need to worry about knowing multiple NLEs.”

Andrew,

There’s this thing called context.

I write extemporaneously within the context of the conversation at the time.

If the context changes, it may well appear that my opinions change. (And sometimes they actually do!) it’s acknowledging that as new information appears, it’s OK to alter ones opinion on a subject. In fact, not to, is a sure sign of hidebound thinking, which, in my experience, is a generally bad thing.

As to multiple NLEs – methinks you are once again confusing the needs of the roving “hired gun” editor who has to cut based on the clients whims – to the individual who makes their living solving problems more directly through the medium of visual communications.

Where you live, sure there’s a HUGE preponderance of the former. It’s a MEDIA town. Like NewYork and perhaps Chicago – not to mention London, Mumbai and a hand full of other similar global media hubs.

Then there’s the REST of the entire planet. Where concerns from small business to huge ad agencies to artistic groups to not-for profits – who ALL have needs to communicate via video – to constituencies large and small – have needs that may diverge from those that Hollywood has traditionally had.

And then theres the FACT that the entire production process itself is changing. The rise of metadata, the miniaturization of cameras, the capabilities of laptops to replace video and audio recording studios – the changes are HUGE and pervasive.

You want to forge a career as a Hollywood hired gun, absolutely learn AVID and PremierePro if that’s what they want you to cut on this year. You’d be stupid not to.

But if you choose NOT to add FCP X into that mix for whatever reason – that’s a choice that will have ramifications I believe. Of course I may be wrong. And so may you. We won’t know for years.

I’ll just say that in all business, productivity matters.

And many, many X editors are delighted precisely because we feel that we’ve gained in precisely that – productivity – by switching to X.

A great editor can do great editing on any editing software.

Buy a smart editor doesn’t want to unnecessarily waste time and effort doing their editing. Which is precisely why I think X will be around for a LONG time.

YMMV.

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[Bill Davis]

[Paul Neumann] “Sorry if a NBC/Universal Owned and Operated station in the top 5 media market in the US doesn’t meet your criteria for organizations that should be trusted to make a good software purchase decision. Bill, do you ever think of just how snotty you come off to people?”

Well, snotty is kinda in the eye of the beholder, no?

I mean come on, some humorless knuckleheads might think that someone posting in a professional forum underneath an avatar of a human firetruck dalmatian is a form of “snotty” – but others (myself included) just think it’s whimsical and perfectly fine.

In my long experience with large corporations in and out of the Media Business – (and I’ve made videos for quite a few and worked directly with their executive teams) the one thing you can typically count on, is that there’s a tremendous layer of “risk avoidance” that colors much of their decision making.

They stick with whats’ safe.

Then if something else becomes as safe, but saves them 50 basis points, they switch to that. But slowly.

So sorry, but your Texas NBC Affiliate does not impress me at all.

Yes, there are large numbers of operations that have adopted Premiere Pro in the past months, looking for FCP 8.And there will be others. It satisfies their need to change, but not too much. Why take the risk?
It’s the same thinking that has caused so many local stations (even in large ADIs) to mothball their Master Control operations and just run their local stations with a network feed and a local sales team.

If that’s the model you’re content to stake your career on, good luck.

Hope those stations are still profitable and hiring editors in 10 years. At least editors who need station infrastructures, rather than freelance guys in cars who can shoot local news, edit it, and feed it directly to Atlanta for feed back to their local market.

Time will tell.

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[Paul Neumann]

You know man, I try to look forward to what you bring to the conversation here, but you just don’t seem to ever want to return the favor.

So that’s my daughter there dressed as a cow (get it?) for a school play.

Everything I edited went through Atlanta before it went to air.

I edit with FCPX too. You brought up NBC and I thought I’d add to the conversation. Knowing how to use FCPX did not get me the job there. Knowing PPro did.

I use FCPX on some things that I’m wholly on my own, but I have never had anyone offer me a job using it. I’ve done jobs with it. Never hired by anyone to use it at their place. Using it today.

So much for keeping it light. Whatever.

[Andrew Kimery]

[Bill Davis] “I write extemporaneously within the context of the conversation at the time.

If the context changes, it may well appear that my opinions change. (And sometimes they actually do!) it’s acknowledging that as new information appears, it’s OK to alter ones opinion on a subject. In fact, not to, is a sure sign of hidebound thinking, which, in my experience, is a generally bad thing.”

Oddly enough your opinion always seems to change in a way that presents FCP X as the superior option regardless of the context of the discussion. Heads FCP X wins, tails any NLE not called FCP X loses.

I know you sometimes try to present some level of impartiality for the sake of appearances but I think you would be fine just dropping the facade. Proudly let your FCP X freak flag fly, we all know you want to.

[Bill Davis] “Buy a smart editor doesn’t want to unnecessarily waste time and effort doing their editing. Which is precisely why I think X will be around for a LONG time. “

I’m sure there were a lot of people that felt the same way about FCP Legend. Or Blackberry. Or Shake. Or Quark Express. Or Palm. Or Netscape. Or Apple and RISC CPUs. As you like saying, this is a time of great upheaval so being so resolute that one specific piece of tech will be around for a ‘LONG’ time is… interesting. Everything will change! Expect this one specific thing I really, really like which is bound to stay the same forever!