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Justifying Transition to FCP
I’ve got a boss who has a bias toward Avid, let’s call him Joe. Joe works in Hollywood and as he is not technically savvy, he relies on the people around him to give him advise and develop his opinions about these things. He deals mostly in tv broadcast, so this kind of makes sense as Avid thrives in this environment. All the people that he trusts seem to drink the Avid juice and have a bias against FCP as a TRULY professional tool. He has the perception that FCP is a “lesser”, boutique kind of editing system. This is affirmed by the fact that many people he knows that use FCP don’t have huge careers in the industry.
The problem is, I don’t know quite how to convince them that while Avid is an industry standard, that FCP is also becoming a standard, or may already be a standard in some cases. See, I am ignorant to the extent of defending FCP. So, I thought you guys would be able to help me on this front. Are there any impressive examples of film productions, or tv shows that edit exclusively in Avid that might change his perception???
Or have I just been drinking the FCP juice?
Thanks for the help.
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16 Replies
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A few small shows like Scrubs on ABC (formerly NBC), Weeds on Showtime, Everyone Hates Chris are handled by one shop, Digital Film Tree using the Final Cut Studio suite.
We delivered the first three seasons of “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network using FCP. (66 episodes)
We’re currently delivering a national PBS series and are lined up to Post four original feature length documentaries in 2009 (one is slated for Sundance)
What it comes down to for me is price vs. performance. Avid can still do more in realtime because you have to buy their software and hardware, but that comes with a price. FCP is infinitely more flexible than Avid and I can set up 2 or three HD suites with FCP for every one Avid suite. So I can bill three clients a day instead of one. This allows me to charge lower rates than comparable Avid suites, but our income per day is higher.
The financial argument is usually what sways folks who come to me for consultation. But ultimately, both are editing tools and whatever he feels comfortable spending money on is the one he’ll keep.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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Justin…you may be opening up a can of worms with this thread….
Avid has been around a long time in the industry. It broke on the scene around 1988. Final Cut Pro started to catch on in the early 2000’s. Your boss may be based toward Avid because in Hollywood Avid still has a very strong toe hold on the industry. It’s what other companies use, and what his friends in the industry use.
That being said there are some basic differences.
Final Cut Pro’s easy learning curve and flexibility is it’s strength. Final Cut Pro doesn’t have exactly the same features as Avid but it’s catching up in that department.
Avid is a very robust NLE. It’s had years to work out bugs, but it doesn’t have the same flexibility that Final Cut Pro possesses.Since your boss is based out of Hollywood there are probably tons of Avid editors available. Maybe that alone is reason enough to stick with or use Avid because of the available talent.
A few years ago Final Focus Productions switched from Media 100 to Final Cut Pro because we were having trouble locating competent freelance editors who could run the software. This gave us an extra reason for the change.
Friends of mine who edit professionally edit with multiple NLEs. (Final Cut Pro, Premier, Avid, or Media 100.)
On a job by job basis they choose the best suited NLE. For example:
If the features of Final Cut Pro make a certain slideshow job faster to edit then they use Final Cut Pro.You’ll probably get a few posts from other editors citing one software A’s superiority over software B but the true answer is that a NLE is only as powerful as the person wielding it. There is a massive difference between what I can do as a seasoned broadcast editor vs. a high school kid who shoots skating videos and other short films on his HDV camera, and edits them on stolen Final Cut Pro software.
DISCLAIMER: I apologize if you happen to be a high school kid who shoots skating videos and other short films on his HDV camera and edits them on stolen Final Cut Pro software. I mean no disrespect!
I know the strength and weaknesses of Final Cut Pro. I know when and how to exploit them to my advantage. I also know when using another program will deliver a better result for an effect than Final Cut Pro.
So in the end the real question to discuss with your boss ask is what is the desired end result?
Do you want to have access to freelance editors who know the software right now?
Do you want to switch because you are more familiar with Final Cut Pro?
Are you ready to learn the software if you don’t?
How much downtime will you have?
How much downtime is your boss willing to have?These are answers you can only really answer for yourself. Let us know how you make out!
-Nicholas Bierzonski
Senior Editor/DVD Author/Java Boy
http://www.finalfocusvideo.com
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I have delivered two History Channel 2-hour specials edited with FCP, two Discovery channel specials. Just wrapped up a History Channel series edited on FCP using multiple stations and shared storage. Numerous TV shows on Nickelodeon and the N (Beyond the Break, Jimmy’s Head), CAKE on CBS Saturday Mornings…
Cold Mountain was edited with FCP, as was JARHEAD, ZODIAK, Academy Award Nominated NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.
Walk into a commercial production company in LA or Santa Monica and 90% of the time you will see FCP in use.
FCP is a tool…no lesser than Avid. Just different. When Avid came along, there were people in LA that didn’t think it was any good either…they all cut on film (yes, even TV shows like Barney Miller and CHeers) and they didn’t think a computer was anything other than a “boutique” item.
If they want to use Avid…they can use Avid. Avid is fine…BETTER in fact than it used to be. But FCP, just because it is less expensive, is no less a powerhouse editing machine.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Walter and Shane, that is exactly what I was looking for, thank you.
Apologies if this thread unleashes a firestorm. The intention of the thread was not to convince anyone that FCP is better than Avid, but rather that FCP is at the same level professionally as Avid and that their are other factors that might influence one’s decision to go with one or another. Actually, as you stated Nicolas, it is common for production companies to both FCP & Avid & other software suite combinations.
I just need to change the perception of a person who doesn’t have all of the pertinent information. I don’t have the bias that they have, so for me (the editor), flexibility is good, etc.
Thanks
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Almost all shows at Universal Studios here in California have transitioned to FCP.
Warren
Warren Eig
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[Shane Ross] “even TV shows like Barney Miller and CHeers) a”
wasn’t Barney Miller shot on video like All in the Family?
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[Chris Borjis] “wasn’t Barney Miller shot on video like All in the Family?”
OH…yeah. Sorry. Cheers and Night Court and stuff like that. Barney Miller and All in the Family were shot like stage plays. Very little editing.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Shane Ross] “OH…yeah. Sorry. Cheers and Night Court and stuff like that. Barney Miller and All in the Family were shot like stage plays. Very little editing.”
Night Court was shot on Video too I think. It has that dull soap opera look.
the only option there would have been linear tape to tape editing no?
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FOX is transitioning over to FCP as well. Alien vs Predator: Requiem and Max Payne were cut w/FCP. GameTrailersTV (shameless plug), a weekly show on SpikeTV, is cut w/FCP (and now is getting graded using Color) and there is also Pie Town productions here in LA that does about 600 episodes of realty TV a year on FCP.
As it’s been previously stated, the differences between Avid and FCP are either personal preference or specific situations where one suite might have an advantage over the other. General speaking though both products are mature enough that neither should ‘get in the way’ of the editor.
-A
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OK, but CHEERS was shot on film. THIS I know. As was UNSOLVED MYSTERIES…and I know that they edited UNSOLVED on flatbeds.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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