Chris Jacek
Forum Replies Created
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First a little (possibly boring) background on me:
I’ve been editing for about 20 years. I started cuts-only, then learned CMX, and finally got my first experiences with NLEs in the mid-90s. Back then the systems were costly enough that you were just fighting to get some time on a machine that someone else owned. I started with Video Cube, moved to Media 100, and finally landed a full time job as an Avid editor. Later I (foolishly) started my own business, and got my own Avid MC system for about $65,000 (a bargain in 1997), and a $35,000 BetaCamSP package.
By the time I saw FCP at NAB in 1999, the first prosumer DV cameras were on the market, and I saw the writing on the wall. I realized that my 100K in gear was about to rapidly lose its value. In the ultimate “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” move, I got a job on the Final Cut Pro team in 2000 as a QA engineer. Over the next 7 years or so I edited Avid and FCP, eventually moving away from Avid as decided to shift my career to academia.
Like most professors, I taught FCP almost exclusively, since it has been the top dog for colleges. I also teach After Effects extensively, because I believe it is the most powerful program out there for video professionals. Over the past few years, I started integrating Premiere Pro for a couple reasons. After CS3 came out, I saw its potential as a future player in the market, and more importantly, it was bundled with Production Premium, so it was basically free.
If I’ve learned anything (or re-learned in some cases), it is that you should never stick with only one platform. I came very close to falling into that trap with FCP, because I had such affection for it. Apple has taught us all how dangerous this can be. Luckily, I still remember my Avid skills (like riding a bicycle), and had recently added Premiere to my list.
So my advice for what an aspiring editor should learn is: ALL OF IT. I am going to teach my students all 4 programs (FCP7, FCPX, Avid, Premiere), and also teach them After Effects. Their heads may explode at first, but it is like any other art or science. The more different things you learn, the better you are at each of them. It is a better than 1:1 ratio for the time you put in.
Gone are the days of needing access to a $100K system to learn how to use it. With the free 30 day trials, and free/inexpensive video tutorials, you’d be amazed at how much you can learn in a few months. If you really have the time to put into it, there is no reason you cannot master them all. Beyond the free trials, consider taking a course at a local community college. Not only will you learn in the class, but you will then also be eligible to buy the software packages at an educational discount. Adobe and Avid are especially aggressive with their student pricing.
I’ll also re-state the advice that someone else has already posted. After learning the basics, the best way to get better is to cut, cut and cut. Do projects for pay, projects for free, and make up projects for yourself to do. Challenge yourself to re-create a television commercial that you like, or an effect you saw on a movie or TV show.
My students often ask me how to become a better editor, and I tell them to edit 100 videos. It’s kinda like being a musician. If you practice 6 hours a day, you are going to get better. Also like music, getting better on one instrument (or program in this case) will make you better at others. If you become very good a playing the clarinet, the trumpet will be that much easier, despite the fact that they are played very differently.
Okay, that’s it for my long-winded answer. I hope at least some of my meandering was helpful.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Walter Soyka] “Do any other vendors really do this, though?
What if a facility wanted to add an Adobe license, but they were still running CS4? Can they call Adobe and order one, or will Adobe only sell them a new license for CS5.5 and a pile of upgrades for the other workstations?
“Maybe not, but there would be the option of running the old and new together, since you could open the CS4 projects on the CS5 system. You’d obviously only be able to do this one-way, but at least it would have been an option. With Apple, not only can’t you do this, but you don’t even have the “pile of upgrades” option.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Andree Franks] “So you have some inside knowledge or programming. Know how that this can be done?
I don’t! But your statement clearly states that it is possible to import Final Cut Pro 7 and lower into Final Cut Pro X but the Final Cut Pro team was to lazy to provide there customers with this option?
That is a pretty ballsy statement… especially since many none Apple humans stated the opposite even here on the Cow!
Then there should be no worries a 3rd party will provide us with this tool to make a extra buck! ;)”It’s not ballsy at all, it’s common sense. You don’t need any inside knowledge to know this is possible. Or at least it’s possible to import the basic structure of a timeline. It is still in-points, out-points, timecode, etc.., Saying you can’t concert that is like saying you can’t convert inches to centimeters because they are on a completely differently based number system. Pure hogwash.
The only problems with converting previous projects is that FCPX lacks functionality that FCP7 did (i.e., how could you convert a multiclip sequence). This is what makes Apple’s claim about “FCPX being too complicated” laughable. It is the FCP7 project that would be too complicated.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Bill Davis] “Criss,
You can’t open “legacy” projects in FCP-X because the underlying database structure is COMPLETELY different. “
And this is exactly why the software should not carry the FCP name. Everyone argues how it is a completely different program, built from the ground up. That’s fine. If they did not name it FCP, and put a higher number on it (albeit not the 8 you’d expect), we’d have much less to complain about. Apple makes the CLEAR implication that this is an upgrade or update.
IF they’d named it something else, and kept FCP alive, I think 90% of the complaints would not exist. It is the deceptive nature of it all that really rubs people the wrong way.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Craig Seeman] “[Chris Jacek] “Could you imagine Microsoft pulling the same crap with MS-Word?”
Can you imagine what Windows XP users had to do to “upgrade” to Widows 7?”
It’s not even remotely analogous. These are operating systems, not apps, and you could still open most XP apps in Windows 7.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Geoff Dills] “So when I see everyone whining about how you can’t open legacy FCP7 projects in FCPX I am reminded of that. To me the solution is so simple: keep a machine with a partition with FCP7 around as long as you have legacy projects you need to work with. How hard would that be? Did Apple promise you that you would ALWAYS be able to open up a project in ANY future version of FCP? No. “
This is an incredibly big deal. It can also be agued that there IS an unwritten promise from every software provider that old projects will open in the next version. Maybe not every version, but definitely the NEXT version. Could you imagine Microsoft pulling the same crap with MS-Word? Microsoft even goes so far as writing patches that allow you to open newer files in an older version.
Can you think of ANY software update that does not open or convert the previous version’s files? Probably not, because that kind of irresponsibility would bankrupt most software companies.
Also, your use of the word whining is also offensive and inaccurate. It’s not whining when it’s a legitimate gripe. Or in your world, was Poland just whining about being invaded? (Note: This is not meant to be an equivalent analogy, but only to point out that not all complaints are “whining,” and those who suggest as much are being disingenuous)
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
Ironically, Apple is doing exactly what you have accused the “big corporations” of doing. They have taken away a software platform that we loved, and incorporated it into their own crappy product. It just so happens that both products are in the same company.
Final Cut Pro X, is Final Cut Pro in name only. You can argue that someday it may be a great revolutionary product that we’ll all love. We can only wait and see. But right now, it is not adequate. So basically, this is the exact kind of corporate takeover that you claim to hate so much. It’s somehow worse, because it’s like they are destroying their own family. I’d better stop the analogy now, before I start it with many Godfather quotes.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
Though I’m not that close to Atlanta, I’m not super far away either. When/where does your new group meet, for those who might be interested in making the trip?
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Andrew Richards] “Nice, what do you have?”
I got a Dell XPS 17. I went a little crazy tricking it out with a quad-core Sandy Bridge i7, 2-750TB drives (7200 RPM), Blu-Ray burner, GeForce 555M (3 GB). It’s pretty impressive what it can do with Premiere’s MPB. Too bad I’m still spending alot of time and energy dealing with learning the Windows 7 interface.
It seems pretty gigantic next to my 13″ MPB, but at about 9 pounds, I still consider it to be mobile. At least for my purposes.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Andrew Richards] “I was being slightly facetious there, but a portable workstation is not going to be used very often like a mainstream laptop. The battery life will be nearly useless for much more than moving from one power outlet to another. If a machine made of desktop components is used in anger and powered by a battery, it will last minutes, not hours. Realistically a mobile workstation is just a portable all-in-one form factor, and will usually be used at a work surface while plugged into power, simply out of necessity. “
I think it is a little better than you think. I have been putting my new laptop through its paces, and can easily get 2+ hours of intensive editing and compositing on battery alone, full brightness, etc.., Of course, I opted for the larger battery. But at that point, going from 8 to 8.5 pounds isn’t much of a difference.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee