[Mike J.]

Well… are you working in DV?

There is a video processing tab that includes RGB and YUV. Switch out of RGB

[Mike J.]

Look I was an avid editor for 5 years – before FCP even existed. The general avid work me was creative/storybased picture cuts, titles, basic keyframing basic audio work, and edls outputs.

The color corrector in XPRESS is new to me and I recieved assitance (literature) to get me up to speed with that. My negative comment was regarding the my personal extended use of it for advanced grading and lighting/color specific color correction using the avid timeline’s basic tools – which work and look the same as they did in the 90’s.

I’ve been able to make a informed judgement between the two regarding the workflow I am searching for and feel a bit impaired by the avid tools/timeline for this and I commented on that.

It’s not a your football team vs my football team.

My error was typing my comment in this quickly becoming “Stepford Wives” -like thread.

Obviously this a sore spot for some of you, and it seems your looking for a target…

so again…

thank you for you the help, my apologies for generalizing or being percieved as generalizing your heartfelt product of choices.

Sorry…

GO AVID!!!!!

[Mike J.]

Hello…

Did you even read what I wrote before you launched your rant. Geez 🙂

Additonally… I must add, Avid saturated the market many years ago with full turnkey systems for television and film. That truly is why they controled the industry… they were the first serioulsy adapted and they were a serious monetary investment as well. It’s hollywood. They held onto Moviolas for how long? If it ain’t broke…aka not really a town for embracing changes.

– “Any good avid editor can plop themselves down on a FCP and be up and running with no training in 15 minutes.
NOT ONE FCP user can come over to avid and have any idea what they are doing without some sort of crash course.”-

– A interface that is difficult to figure out without assistance you say as if that’s a bonus. Great… write that up for the marketing department 🙂

My point was a specific one and I thank you who offered help and assistance.

Anyway.. I get just as mad a FCP for Apple issues as well.

Point was though… the task I was searching to do in Avid isn’t as productive or easy to do as it is in FCP.

Again… sorry to generalize or be percieved as generalizing the negative point.

Thanks again.

[Mike J.]

Ummmm…

Listen… the “simplistic” and “outdated” term is directed that in 1990 the Avid tools and interface was an incredible achievement beyond physical film and negative cutting. In 1993 the addition of Film Composer was ever better.

But… it is 2005 and there are new needs. I realize that AVID needs to keep it “the same” for those old school film editors that drudged the transition to electronic and won’t agree to all new interface changes or proceedures. Understood.

In that light, you must expect some criticisms.

Going back to Avid I get frustrated that I can’t do some of the workflows I do on Final Cut Pro without many extra steps or not even at all.

Avid does many great things and has a locked in industry solidness that FCP hasn’t nearly earned or may never earn.

But it is still mostly the same eact tool it was. When you try something new like I did with Final Cut, it was weird and strange. But then it became that I wished certain things were like FCP in Avid and I guess I stil do.

My specific was regarding color correcting in AVID vs Final Cut. The color correcting tool is great in AVID..but the limits in the interface make it simplistic primary color correction friendly and less helpful in the ability to specify masks and grade like I can in FCP timelines.

Yes, maybe symphony and Adreniline may increase possilbities for what I desire…but look at the price difference.

That’s all I’m saying.

Sorry to offend you folks.

Mike

[Mike J.]

so the crop-like tool is in the PICTURE IN PICTURE effect.

Sorry… all these AVID timeline tools seem so outdated and simplistic compared to Final Cut Pro for access and ease of use.

[Mike J.]

Yes…you are correct…neither are there…

This is strange to me though…. if I take a clip on V2 and matte it over V1…ONLY V2 with black matte box appears as the record window. Shouldn’t the matte area become and alpha?

SO..what exactly is the crop tool in AVID then?

[Mike J.]

excellent for the copy tip… thanks…

Yikes…photoshop just for a soft mask/matte. I have access to xpress pro. I’ll look for the paint effect

[Mike J.]

This happened to me…

I will assume you are using a DECKLINK (kona) cared with your machine then correct?

What’s happening is the pop up window for the fonts is appearing on your NTSC monitor, but you have your video outputting to the monitor so you don’t see the font pop up.

Go in and disable video output to the NTSC monitor and you will see the extended desktop on the NTSC monitor and if you open your fonts..the pop up appears here in this monitor.

You can choose your fonts there…

Nice, I was working at another office and I don’t know how this got that way, but that’s how I was able to move on.

See if that’s the case… the PREFERENCE repair doesn’t do anything here…. but should mention if you are using an video card like decklink to help with an answer.

Mike

[Mike J.]

Nattress Standards converter is an awesome quality and fast tool for this.

I highly reccomend.

[Mike J.]

Here will come the flood of postings.

In short… Final Cut is NOT the tool for colorgrading.

With that said, processes for doing exactly the same thing can be done in FCP.

Lately, I’ve done 3 high profile broadcast shows this way. Two film aquired and one video.

Other tools like Final Touch offer some convienence features with their deserve price.

With a creative, effects thinking and well-eyed operator you can achieve the same effects in a FCP timeline. FCP’s technical limit involves 8bit processing of color space vs. 10bit.

Everyone will choose 10 bit on paper but will in reality choose a well-done 8 bit color correction/grading/repair over a standard 10bit because this is a process meant to enhance the narrative of storytelling….

I color corrected a show that was amazingly the worst looking video I’ve ever seen in the professional world thus far…. after much essential and creative work on my part…. Time magazine wrote the show up for it’s quality and value.

So… just saying.

Don’t handle this “lightly” on the creative side if you intend professional results. a.k.a don’t underestimate the value of a skilled artist over a guy with a box of tools.

Mike