‘Winning’ NAB vs winning new users

[Jim Jordan]

For me Resolve is the most powerful visual storytelling tool I have ever used. I’ve been on Avid, CC and FCP7. It’s color correction is the excellent. The edit system is excellent! I could get deep into its structure but that will take lots of text. Most things are intuitive, but it is a different structure. Effects and plugins are engaged in the color page. An example of something not intuitive based on other NLE’s you have used is keying. You will have to find a tutorial on the process. In fact, I recommend you pay an online tutorial service to learn the software to its fullest. If you are coming from FCP7 or looking for a replacement for FCP give Resolve a hard look. A comment I got from someone at Blackmagic was, “It’s no secret that one of the lead engineers of Resolve is from the Apple (FCP7) team.

I started using Resolve three years ago after acquiring a new camera that records 4k ProRes. The cloud edit software I was using could not play the footage without sputtering. I fired up Resolve (12) and on the same hardware could play and edit footage without rendering perfectly.

Here is the challenge, “changing your edit software is like changing a religion, once you pick one it’s hard to change”. You will be glad you did.

I have three suites utilizing Resolve. We are set to collaborate on projects. MacPro late2013 8core, dual D700 GPUs.

Jim

[Paul Carlin]

If I was an up and coming YouTuber, the new 4K pocket camera and the included Resolve software would be very interesting to me. I appreciate BMD for putting so much effort into improving their products (listening to users) and see their long-term strategy to be wise and disrupting in a good way.

[Bob Cole]

Great thread, people.

I have a tendency to stick with what I know: film on a Steenbeck, then D/Vision Pro/Edit, and currently FCP7.

For me, moving to a new NLE is like entering a marriage. You have to “take the plunge,” commit to the new method, and accept that things will be new, great, and sometimes scary-as-hell. The main thing is DON’T GO BACK. (To be honest, marriage-marriage was easy by comparison.)

I have, so far, only been “dating” Resolve, mainly due to performance issues. It always seems to require a more powerful computer than whatever I have. I could make that happen today, with a desktop machine. But I need Resolve to run, and run well, on a laptop, preferably a Mac. When that happens, I’ll buy that laptop, install Resolve Version Whatever, and… get married.

Thanks for the illuminating thread. My only contribution is a question: Do you think Blackmagic has the staying power to take Resolve to the point where it is a standard?

Bob C

[Steve Connor]

[Bob Cole] “I have, so far, only been “dating” Resolve, mainly due to performance issues. It always seems to require a more powerful computer than whatever I have. I could make that happen today, with a desktop machine. But I need Resolve to run, and run well, on a laptop, preferably a Mac. When that happens, I’ll buy that laptop, install Resolve Version Whatever, and… get married.
“

Been editing with Resolve 15 on a 2013 MacBook Pro and I have to say it’s working really well, it’s certainly worth downloading 15 onto whatever you have to take it out on another “date”

\”Traditional NLEs have timelines. FCPX has storylines\” W.Soyka

[Michael Gissing]

[Bob Cole] “Do you think Blackmagic has the staying power to take Resolve to the point where it is a standard?”

Yes. Blackmagic have been around for a while and they are totally focused on their products – no distractions. they are making money and are run by someone who cut his teeth in broadcast and post production in Australia.

Importantly they seem to have managed the move from small to global without crashing and burning, a problem that other innovative companies have failed to master.

[Mark Suszko]

Cheer up, Bob – it happens to a lot of guys.

-Upgrades, I mean;-)

[Paul O’brien]

In my pond, blackmagic design (BMD) started off as a small, almost non-existent whisper, but this year the company’s new content stirred up a pretty good thread amongst the local shooters and cutters and for the first time people took notice or Resolve (15) . Mind, it’s a small group, but the consensus was such that “Adobe is no longer an enjoyable solution, it’s just what we use, more begrudgingly than otherwise. And I can use FCPX too.” At Adobe’s monthly/yearly subscription model, I think a certain type of fatigue has hit. So an alternative is at least welcome.
That, and my experience has been that Adobe software/premiere pro has gotten more and more buggy, glitchy, and unreliable over the last couple years even after getting a new up-to-date system. But no, across computers from 2012 (decidedly old and time to be set to pasture) to 2018 (new, and nothing odd about the setup in anyway), Adobe stuff has constantly been the only thorn in my computers’ proverbial sides.
I dabbled with Resolve 14, and it was OK as an alternative, not bad, but I couldn’t switch over just at that time (blast Adobe and their legacy!). I haven’t touched 15, but in my personal life, I’m going to have the opportunity for a hard, clean break of everything Adobe (asterisk I have a legal license for Creative Suite 5.5 so, no CC for me, that is) and switch off Adobe cold turkey to try out Resolve (and maybe the other programs in the package). Plus he pocket cinema camera 4k is very intriguing, and barring horrible reviews it’ll be my next purchase as I also have the good fortune to wait and see if Canon will update their full frame hdslr (or mirrorless, I’m indifferent to the camera format) with competitive 4k video.

[Andrew Kimery]

Oliver,
Thank you for links!

Michael,
I’d love to see a write up about your experiences if you have the time to do a write up.

Thank you everyone for chiming in. Sorry I haven’t been able to be more active in the discussion.

[Michael Gissing]

[Andrew Kimery]”Michael, I’d love to see a write up about your experiences if you have the time to do a write up.”

I mentioned this project to Tim a couple of years ago when I first started and he seemed keen for an article. The project got postponed a year and so I didn’t followed up but I will do a write up once I’ve progressed the post production stage a bit further.