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Does Avid work best on a laptop or desktop?
First off, I am really sorry if this is the wrong place to post. Feel free to delete it. I am a total rookie.
I really want to become a film editor. I would prefer to use Avid because I have read bad things about final cut pro x.
When you first started out in the field did you learn Avid on a laptop or Desktop? I am just wondering because I do not want to shell out big bucks on computers that I do not need when just starting out.
I know there is a lot more to being a film editor than just learning the software, and I have that part in control, but I’m just a bit unsure what is best when starting out with film editing tools
Ive read things about people having two monitors and all that kind of stuff. Right now I know nothing about all that extra equipment, which is why I have a lot of learning and reading to do.
Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Sorry if its a silly question but I am looking at laptops/desktops right now and I’m not rich enough to buy the wrong the thing.
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3 Replies
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Currently, it doesn’t matter. Laptop, tower…both work. I’ve used both on a TV show, and honestly, the laptop was better.
BUT…you really do need two monitors when using Avid Media Composer. The current laptops have Thunderbolt out, and you can either get a Thunderbolt monitor, or Thunderbolt to DVI adapter and attach the second monitor.
Shane
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Thanks. I’ve decided to go with a desktop, just because I feel like it will be better in the long run and last longer. I think I should start reading books on editing before I purchase AVID or any computer, because the fact I am like “uhh why do you need two monitors?” says a lot. Lol. Well, hopefully some classes will also fix that.
Thank you for your input!
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The two monitor versus one monitor (and some people have even had three monitors) not counting the full screen client type monitor have all been used. It usually is a matter of how one organizes their projects and amount of footage and number of bins etc. The larger tent pole features from the studios can get very large. Alice in Wonderland (3D) had over 5000 bins. I have done smaller projects on a laptop, certainly many people are now using iMacs with a single screen, and as Shane mentioned, a second monitor added to that if desired. Suffice it to say, you can start with one and grow as your editing style and project types change.
The Avid interface is still geared towards a two monitor type setup. There are a few things like tabbed bins that can help manage some of the clutter on the screen, but I think there is more than can be done there that can be dynamic and contextual to the editing process. My biggest configuration was a bin monitor, a monitor in portrait mode for the script (ScriptSync), and the UI monitor and of course the full screen client monitor which can either be a nice plasma/LCD or a projector.
Good luck with your journey to feature editing. You will find lots of different and fun projects along the way that will challenge your editing skills.
Michael
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