Maybe 10 Years is Enough for Final Cut Pro X – Philip Hodgetts

[Brett Sherman]

[Oliver Peters] “For most editors who work in news, commercials, corporate – if they started in the tape days – the starting point was a tape operator. …

I think today, people entering the field come from a more rounded background, where the experience isn’t just editing. It’s a combo of production, graphics, and post. So that starting point is varied for the majority of the business.”

+1. I’ll also add to that rounded background, more general communication experience including mastery of social media, tweeting, writing, communication strategy, etc. What people on the board may not like to hear is that I think there is a convergence of communication tasks going on that encompasses video as part of it. It takes time to develop these skills in addition to video skills. That mythical kid who got his first camera will have a difficult time breaking in in this environment also. Yes, there will always be room for specialists at the high end. But it’s easy to forget that communication is the goal, not producing the most technically pure video.

And this evolution isn’t all good. Artistry takes a hit. Methodical planning of productions takes a hit. Time to work an individual production takes a hit.

But a look at job postings show this is what employers are looking for. The number of job listings in my area that require multiple talents far, far, far outweighs specialized job offerings. It could be I’m in a unique area. Or it could be that I’m in a non-LA, non-NY area.

[Tangier Clarke]

Just to add to the pot of potential things we’ll have to do, or rather be assisted by AI…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc5P2bvfl44

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/3k7mgn/baidu-deep-voice-software-can-clone-anyones-voice-with-just-37-seconds-of-audio.

I remember when all I need to know was editing and maybe some nice transitions and modest graphics mostly done in Photoshop. Now I edit, do motion graphics and effects, make plugins with Apple Motion for distribution to editors, have to understand compression methods, have to do some light sound work and mixing, and color correction. Students in school definitely have to have a wider breadth of knowledge than I did. Though they also have significantly more tools and access to computing to harness the potential of those tools than I ever did.

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[Tony West]

[Tangier Clarke] “I remember when all I need to know was editing and maybe some nice transitions and modest graphics mostly done in Photoshop. “

It’s a good point but when I think about my old school online days before AVID………….Aaggghhh . After you learned the timecode editor you had to learn that Grassvalley switcher so you could do your transitions through it. Then you had to learn the DVE so you could do your rotating and spinning effects. Then you had to learn the sound board and how to trigger you fades remotely from the editor. Then you had to learn the character generator so you could do your graphics. Then you had to learn the still store system and set up the copy-cam stand. You might even have to pull a tape deck out of the top rack (and what a pain if you didn’t have help lifting it out of there or putting it back in. Oh yeah, you had to get up and actually walk around the room to all these different stations instead of just sitting in front of a computer. There was no youtube to watch someone else show you, so you actually had to read a manual and figure it all out on your own. You could call GV and sit on hold for hours if you had time also.

I’d like to take some of these youngsters back in time and say here…….put it together in THIS room. The would be happy to get back : )

Thanks for posting that video also. It’s pretty scary actually.

[Tangier Clarke]

Oh wow, those are some memories! I know what you mean. I believe I was the last class to splice film at LMU and it pained me to have to (by force) learn how to edit using several tape decks and one (or two) just for adding transitions and effects. I don’t miss those days, but they probably made me a better editor. Since I had already learned non-linear editing going from AVID VideoShop to AVID proper in undergrad, then to have to deal with tape and film at LMU, let’s just say I was none too happy. Though when FCP 1.0 came along I quickly ditched our AVID and Media 100 stations and many heated discussions with my professor then ensued about what was and was not possible; me advocating for FCP things that people thought were not possible.

…that character generator was awful and I don’t miss reading heavy manuals. Now that shelf space is taken up with countless 3.5″ hard drives in silicon sleeves 😉

[Andrew Kimery]

[Brett Sherman] “But a look at job postings show this is what employers are looking for. The number of job listings in my area that require multiple talents far, far, far outweighs specialized job offerings. It could be I’m in a unique area. Or it could be that I’m in a non-LA, non-NY area.”

To me this seems like just the natural progression of specialist vs generalist. The market, and the niches within that market, will certainly influence the breadth and depth of skills that you need.