Need To Learn Avid

[Andrew Mckee]

I may be biased, but I always think that training is the best way. For someone who can edit, 1 day with someone who knows Avid inside out (try and find a certified school in your area) can be enough to get you going and would take much longer through books and or tutorials. It just depends how much your time is worth.

Andrew McKee
Editor/Colourist
Avid Certified Instructor – MC5.5
Apple Certified Trainer – FCP7
Pixelwizard.net

[Danielle Warren]

Thank you Andrew. I think training is great, but it’s usually VERY expensive. Otherwise that would be the first option.

[Michael Hancock]

Need to learn Avid? Start here: https://community.avid.com/forums/t/67003.aspx

Want a book? Buy this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1460985451/ref=as_li_tf_tl/?ie=UTF8&tag=splnow-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1460985451

Have questions when you’re done with those? Post here or the Avid forums. Both forums are active with well-seasoned veterans answering questions.

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Michael Hancock
Editor

[Danielle Warren]

Thanks Michael. That book looks great!

[Chris Conlee]

[Danielle Warren] “Every time I’ve used Avid in the past I hate it and find it extremely un-user friendly.”

Hello Danielle,

Over a decade ago I came to Avid from some other systems, and I too felt as you do. However, all these years later and I wouldn’t dream of cutting ANYTHING on another system unless somebody had a gun to my head. It’s just that good.

However, my biggest advice to you is to stop trying to compare Avid to FCP. They’re two totally separate systems, with different paradigms. Avid treats editing as if you’ve got spools of film in your hand, with everything run thru gang synchronizers. Learn and embrace the trim tools, particularly asynchronous trimming. It’s a very powerful thing.

The sooner you embrace the “Avid way of doing things,” the sooner you’ll get up to speed and start enjoying what you’re doing. If you try to make Avid act like Final Cut Pro it’s gonna prolong your pain.

Good luck,
Chris

[Danielle Warren]

Hey Chris,
I totally hear what you’re saying. I know it’s not right to compare, but when you’re no longer learning something on a system from scratch, it’s difficult not to relate stuff from one program to the other.

For example, I almost never use trim. I never find much use for it, so why would I use it so often just because I’m cutting in Avid?

I want to try and learn with an open mind, but what hampers me is that it’s taken me years to become as proficient and fast with FCP as I am (and I’m always learning new things as well), and I’m worried it will take me that long again to get knowledgeable AND quick, because as we know from clients’ demands, you have to be fast with deadlines.

But I put this message out because I genuinely want to work at this and get better. I really appreciate your comments and explanation, it helps a lot!

[Michael Hancock]

[Danielle Warren] “For example, I almost never use trim. I never find much use for it, so why would I use it so often just because I’m cutting in Avid?”

Because it works so well. In FCP, Premiere, Edius, etc…the trim modes left much to be desired. In Avid, it gives you the ultimate control over very minute changes to your edit. You can see the outgoing frame of the previous cut, the incoming frame your trimming, the outgoing frame of that clip and the incoming frame of the next clip. I didn’t use trim for my first year on Avid – once I discovered it and really started getting comfortable with it I used it more than anything else. I’m at a FCP shop now and it’s the number one thing I miss.

[Danielle Warren] “I want to try and learn with an open mind, but what hampers me is that it’s taken me years to become as proficient and fast with FCP as I am (and I’m always learning new things as well), and I’m worried it will take me that long again to get knowledgeable AND quick, because as we know from clients’ demands, you have to be fast with deadlines.
“

Just keep working at it, and customize your keyboard. I’d estimate that 90%+ of your day-to-day editing activities can be done using only the keyboard, and once you master it and map it so it makes sense to you you’ll be flying in no time. Just keep plugging away at it and watch those tutorials. They’ll get you up to speed pretty quickly.

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Michael Hancock
Editor

[Danielle Warren]

Thanks Michael! I’m actually watching some tutorials as we speak.

I’ll pay special attention to trimming if it’s as helpful as you say.

[Danielle Warren]

I also forgot to mention when I wrote the post that the reason the client gave me for wanting to switch to using Avid is because he thinks that FCP will no longer be updated, version 7 at least as that’s still what a lot of people are using including he and myself. I haven’t looked, but apparently you can’t buy it from Apple anymore, you can only buy X.

What do you guys think about this? Is that really a valid reason? It never crossed my mind once, and while v7 isn’t perfect, it still works great and I don’t think that’s really any issue. I know this is an Avid forum, but figured as editors you guys might have some insight.

[Chris Conlee]

As I mentioned, Avid is built on a film editing paradigm, so trimming is integral to the way it was designed. Think of strips of film run through a gang synchronizer which you roll your cuts through while trimming. In Avid, even the black is a “thing” just like film leader. That’s why you can add effects to black space on the timeline, just as you could scribble notes on leader with a grease pencil.

DEFINITELY learn trimming, and you’ll wonder how you ever did without it. You can also do asynchronous trims, ie: trim the head off your current shot, while trimming leader away from the tail end of a music cue, so your cue stays in sync with your cut. Powerful stuff, but you have to get your head around it.

Chris