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FCPX Trumps Avid
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Yeah, I’ve got short film that I’ve been cutting on Avid for an ex-girlfriend of a friend, and I’ve been involved with it now for about 3 years (off and on) for a grand total of probably $1,000 dollars. Arggh. Yeah, having Avid DEFINITELY assures the good paying gigs. LOL.
Chris
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[Marvin Holdman] “it puzzles me that you are so proud of the fact that you are on the front lines of our industries seeming “race to the bottom” rate wise. The fact that you have apparently undercut a contemporary”
I have no idea what the Avid guy charges, but I don’t think $150/hr is racing to the bottom. In fact, I’ve worked long and hard to get up to that.
[Marvin Holdman] “idiots who could afford the first generation of DV camera’s and sold many of my clients on it being “just as good” and “broadcast” at a fraction of the industry rate.”
Yep, I was one of them. I talked my Dad into buying me a Sony VX-1000. And, yeah… my work was not very good. The camera wasn’t the problem, though.
[Marvin Holdman] “it is a bit of an overstatement to say “FCPX Trumps Avid””
I agree, but I couldn’t resist posting my story with an inflammatory subject line! 🙂
Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style!Check out my Mormon.org profile.
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Because I thought it was funny.
Sorry.
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[Jason Jenkins] “Define “Avid gig”?”
A job requiring an Avid (or other high end editing app…FCP 7 included) to get the job done. One that requires a professionals touch, and has certain technical aspects that only high end NLEs can provide. And one that typically pays a respectable rate, because of the high end nature of the work.
An “iMovie job” is typically very low end with little to no consideration given to technical aspects, and one that might pay, but pay very little. The fact that the director did the rough cut themselves only adds to prove that point more…save money by doing the rough themselves. On a free editing app they can use with their MacBook.
Think of it. When someone says “we need an editor to help finish a project. It was cut with iMovie,” what image enters your mind as to what level of production this project is? Opposed to “we need an editor to help finish a project. It was cut with Avid Media Composer.” What image does that bring to your mind as to the level of production?
It is cool that there now is a tool that can take someone’s rough they did with iMovie and put it into an environment with more controls. Cool that you were able to get it done. FCX trumped Avid in this one case. It was the right tool for the right job. Glad they gave us this tool to be able to do that.
But very sorry that they killed the pro app in order to give us the ability to work on people’s iMovie projects…
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Walter Soyka] “In your experience, Oliver, when has FCPX been the best choice?”
That’s hard to answer. So far for me it has yet to be the best choice. There are things I love and hate about it. For everything that speeds up the workflow, there are several that slow it down. I have used it on several unsupervised, paying gigs mainly to see where the skeletons are and to get the chops up just in case. This includes round-tripping through Resolve.
Right now the sweet spot tends to be short-form projects, like simple commercials, web or short marketing videos. Something that is dialogue or picture-driven and very light on graphics and text.
Another possible “best choice” might be if you wanted to cut RED footage at 2K or 4K. Convert to ProRes first in Redcine-X Pro and then cut at native sizes in FCP X.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Kevin Patrick] ” Because I thought it was funny.
Sorry.”
I’m sorry I didn’t get your joke. That happens to me too 🙂
Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style!Check out my Mormon.org profile.
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[Oliver Peters] “Right now the sweet spot tends to be short-form projects”
PS: I do believe I’m starting to see a divide in where the NLEs are going based on a lot of things I’ve seen posted here and in other places over the past 6 months. I think that in general, film editors, broadcast TV stations and post facilities will likely trend back to either Avid or maybe over to Premiere Pro. I think companies with in-house “creative” post operations (like ad agencies, media marketing companies – the sort of model typified by @Radical Media) may very well trend over to FCP X.
I realize a number of folks here have posted about cutting docs and TV shows on FCP X, but I really believe that’s an extreme exception for this kind of work. There may be some producer/director/shooter-types doing it, but I simply can’t envision too many experienced editors working in these genres adopting FCP X for this type of work. There’s just too much missing and the application is way too unstable at this point in time.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Shane Ross] “Think of it. When someone says “we need an editor to help finish a project. It was cut with iMovie,” what image enters your mind as to what level of production this project is? Opposed to “we need an editor to help finish a project. It was cut with Avid Media Composer.” What image does that bring to your mind as to the level of production?”
I knew going in that it wouldn’t be something I would put on my demo reel. Do think I should turn down a job because it comes in the form of an iMovie project? My rate is my rate.
Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style!Check out my Mormon.org profile.
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[Jason Jenkins] “Do think I should turn down a job because it comes in the form of an iMovie project? My rate is my rate.”
Heck, if you can get your rate on that project, and have the tool to do it right (FCX)…then great!
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Walter Soyka] “I don’t mean to say one can’t use FCPX, or that it won’t ever get there, but really… would everyone using FCPX for “big budget gigs” today please raise their hands?
“Does this presume that the number would be more or less than the number of hands that would have gone up for Legacy six months after IT was released? Or are we requiring the sibling to perform at the level of it’s decade older brother simply because they have the same last name?
: )
“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Connor
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