Michael Hancock
Forum Replies Created
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What’s your setup? Version of Avid you’re running, hard drive configuration, processors, graphics card, drivers, etc… All the details, big and small.
Maybe your hard drive is having trouble keeping up with the steady flow of data being thrown at it over long captures? 1:1 can be pretty demanding. Give us some more details and we’ll try to help you some more. It’s hard to help without knowing more about your specific system setup.
Michael.
No project is ever finished, only abandoned in a state of near completion.
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Check your Avid installer–you’re looking for Avid EMP, part of the Avid install disk (or upgrade, if you downloaded it). It’s not in the Goodies Folder. You’ll need at least Mojo or Adrenaline box–I haven’t had the chance to use a Nitris box, so I can’t guarantee it will work with it. Run the installer and check for Avid EMP–install that, then open After Effects and set your preview for Avid EMP. It should be the last option on the list under Preferences (I think…I’m not in front of a system). It’s a great, great, asset. We have it installed on our Xpress Pro and Adrenaline box here.
Michael.
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Wow.
Let me say it again….wow.
Stupid and unnecessary? Not at all. In fact, I admire your organization!! As far as saving all the custom colors–I have no idea. After hearing why you need it, though, I wish I could help! Please, keep us posted if you figure it out. I just might adopt some of your methods here. Although I’m not sure they’d apply as much to a :30 promo, but still… 🙂 Can’t hurt, learning good habits versus bad, right??
Michael.
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Avid Free doesn’t play with any other system of Avid at all. It’s designed to introduce the Avid interface to new users, and that’s about it.
Your best bet is to try and find XpressDV (it’s no long being made, so it should be really cheap if you can find it). Your client can capture in whatever resolution they want on their Media Composer (say, the highest resolution they can), then transcode to an external drive at DV25. You take that drive and edit with it on XPress DV. Cut your project, finish it, give your client just the project file (forget about the media and consolidating), they open it on their media composer (with the original, higher rez footage)–everything will relink and you’re done! They can online it there and consolidate when they’re done. Pretty simple, really.
Good luck.
Michael.
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Actually, the most recent release of Xpress Pro (5.5 and up) can playback 1:1 without a Mojo. I just don’t think you can output/monitor it without a Mojo.
If you’re getting Wrong Format for all of your video it’s in a resolution your Xpress doesn’t understand–maybe 2:1 or 10:1. Ask your client what it was originally captured in, then have them transcode it on a MC to a format Xpress likes.
Michael.
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Steve Hullfish is considered an Avid guru and has written some books on using Avid. I haven’t had the chance to read them, but they often come highly recommended. Here’s one:
https://www.amazon.com/Avid-Xpress-Pro-Editing-Workshop/dp/1578202388
Otherwise, check the Avid community forum at the Avid site for tutorials and tips/tricks:
https://www.avid.com/community/
Best of all–Ask Here! That’s what the CreativeCalf and CreativeCow are for. If you’re stuck, post your question. Wonder why Avid doesn’t work like FCP? Post here and we’ll set you straight. 🙂 I like Avid over FCP, but I tried to make FCP work like Avid and the Mac I was on had a lot of problems. I’m guessing you’re trying to make Avid act like FCP. Won’t work, and learning not to is half the battle.
Good luck on your Avid endeavors, and let us know if we can help.
Michael.
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The question you’re asking is too broad, and what you’re looking for doesn’t exist. You want an editor that’s good at everything, easy to use, doesn’t require workarounds, and can do text and voice. Doesn’t exist. However…any NLE that calls itself professional quality will let you do voice overs. And Titles. And edits. And at least some effects. So, is Avid the right NLE for you? Let’s see.
For 10K you will get a computer, storage, the software and a Mojo. Mojo is the Avid breakout box so you can bring analog footage into your system. If you’re working with all digital media (DV, P2, etc…) you don’t need a Mojo. Save your money there.
Media Composer educational isn’t available to students–only Universities, and only for the purpose of teaching people how to use Avid. It’s not a buying option for you, unless you’re a University and you’re going to teach an editing class.
The differences between Xpress Pro and Media Composer–Media Composer gives you more advanced editing features and effects like Keyframeable Motion Effects, Animatte, more resolution options, the ability to show multiple timecodes, etc… The Software version is about 5K, plus the system. You’ll easily spend 20K on a Media Composer.
What can you do with Avid? Depends on how much time you want to spend with it. There is a learning curve, and it’s rather steep. As Jon said, the program is really, really, really deep. I’ve been cutting on it for 2 years full time and have spent well over 50 hours every week for 2 years studying every single feature I come across. As far as understanding the software and what the buttons do, I like to think I know it really well. Yesterday I learned something new. There’s always something new.
That said, if you take the time to learn the program you can do almost anything with it. There are workarounds for some stuff–there are workarounds in every NLE. Avid lets you mix resolutions in the timeline (FCP doesn’t), FCP can do HD at an affordable price. Avid–well, not as affordable.The text editor in Avid is ok. You can copy from Word, do scrolls, rolls, etc…Then there’s Marquee, which comes with Avid, and is an advanced titler that lets you do 3D text. It’s powerful but kind of awkward. Many people prefer Boris or After Effects (with the Invigorator plug-in, for 3D text). I like After Effects and Marquee.
Voiceovers–Avid will let you cut audio directly into the system while you’re playing your sequence–it’s called Audio Punch-In. It’s pretty cool and great for voiceovers. ProTools will give you the muscle to really do some awesome audio work, but it’s a seperate program. I’ve never used it, but it’s touted throughout the industry as one heck of a system.
If you want to do event work, documentary stuff, etc…Avid would fit your needs. Buy a certified system if you want to work. Build your own if like to spend time troubleshooting. Avid runs on a PC or Mac (the Intel Mac version is in Beta, supposed to be released in March, I believe), you get an installer for both when you buy the software. It’s ability to take projects from one version to another and one system to another is the stuff legends are made of. People take projects from old, hardware based Xpress Meridien systems and immediately run them on brand new Symphony. Consider that.
Given what you want to do, FCP would also suit your needs. It runs on Mac only and isn’t backward compatible. You start a project in FCP 5.12 you can’t take it back. Not even to FCP 5.11, I think. You can’t mix resolutions in the timeline without rendering. However, you can buy a nice capture card and (with fast enough drives and enough storage) you can edit HD for cheap (well, cheaper than on an Avid). Consider FCP.
Adobe Premiere Pro would fit your needs, and if you get the Creative Suite you’ll get one heck of a package for an unbelievable price. Adobe Premiere still needs a lot of work and doesn’t have a good reputation with long form projects, but it’s integration with After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and whatever the Adobe DVD program is called–well, the integration is better than anything else out there. I think Adobe is light years ahead of everyone else when it comes to integration, but their editor needs more work. It’s a contender, though, and a system to watch for the future. It’s currently PC only but Adobe announced they’re bringing it back to the Mac. Consider Adobe.
I’m not familiar with Vegas. I’d focus on the three listed above.
Take my opinion with a grain of salt–I love Avid. It’s my NLE of choice. I also use Photoshop and After Effects a lot. I don’t like FCP because I don’t like Macs and I’ve worked on buggy FCP systems. Just trying to be honest. Many people love them and great work is being on them, though.
To be honest, no one on a forum can tell you which NLE is best for you. You really need to get some time in front of one. Avid has a free version called Avid Free (search the avid website for the download). It’s an extremely watered down version of Avid but it’s free and it will introduce you to the Avid interface and method of editing (which is a lot different than FCP and Premiere). Download it and try it. Try to get some time on a FCP system. The same for Premiere. I believe you can download a trial version of Premiere. Check Abode’s site.
Best of luck, and whatever you choose–come back to the Cow for troubleshooting, tips and tricks. It’s a great place to learn.
Michael.
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Selling isn’t exactly frowned up. There’s a whole Classified forum, and even a forum dedicated to Automatic Duck: https://forums.creativecow.net/viewforum/116 It’s a very practical solution to your problem. Plus, if you spent “all day” at making an EDL work you lost 8 hours of billable work time (that’s bad), or 8 hours of personal time (even worse!).
Automatic Duck, for your purposes, would have cost you $500. That’s about $62.50 an hour–if you bill more than that per hour for your edits you actually lost money. I suggest next time buying the plug-in and billing the client for it.
Side note: I am curious–why go from Avid to FCP? I’ve seen posts of people going from one system to another, either from FCP to Avid or vice versa. Both are very capable editors–I just wonder why people don’t just start and finish on one system, especially with all the headache of getting everything from one system to another.
Michael.
No project is ever finished, only abandoned in a state of near completion.
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I completely understand your frustration–we had a brand new Avid that had to have a new motherboard and SCSI card within the first year. Turned out to be an HP issue (which they resolved very quickly), but it put us in an awful crunch and left us cursing up a storm until it was fixed.
I hope your problem is taken care of soon and it’s smooth sailing from here on out for you. Happy editing!
Michael.
No project is ever finished, only abandoned in a state of near completion.
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Phil, I know you’re frustrated but keep it nice. Jon is a professional like the rest of us. We’ve all had clients breathing down our necks, had deadlines loom large and menacing in front of us, and had a system crash. It’s called life.
Avid’s hold times can be long sometimes, yes. You say you draw the line at an hour–are you saying you’re willing to wait an hour, or you called and after an hour hung up? Keep trying back, early in the morning, in the afternoon, later in the evening. Put the phone on speaker and go about your day. When you get through get straight to your problem. Get your problem fixed, then ask what you can do to get through faster next time. Maybe ask for the contact information of the person in charge of the support center. Call that person and explain why you’re disappointed. I’m sure if all the techs are so busy they’re working on over a 1 hour hold time they’re probably not happy with the situation either, and complaining to them won’t help you. You need the person in charge to know you’re not happy. Ask if there is an express line you can call next time for emergencies. I don’t know, I don’t work for Avid. Maybe email would get you a faster reply. Again, ask them.
Otherwise, do you have an issue we can help you with, or is it hardware related (as in, your motherboard is shot and you need Avid to replace it)? If we can’t help you I do hope you get through to Avid soon. Nothing is worse than an approaching deadline, angry client, and a busted machine.
Good luck,
Michael
No project is ever finished, only abandoned in a state of near completion.