Scott Witthaus
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Apple Final Cut Pro X Coins
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COW Coins
Forum Replies Created
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[andy patterson] “you could have answered my question the first time I asked it. Instead you compared a TV Station to a college. I found your reply kind of odd. None the less I responded to it. “
errr, what?
[andy patterson] “. Why not offer classes for Avid and Premiere Pro where you work and ask the students for their input? Perhaps their feedback could be useful. Perhaps they would say it was good to learn FCPX, Premiere and Avid.”
You’re just not getting it. Please go back and re-read my answers. Maybe that will help. Have a nice day.
Oh, I did find out that Berklee Online is offering an online class on FCPX, but I can’t find an online Avid or Premiere class! https://online.berklee.edu/brands/final-cut-pro
What a crappy school for doing that! ???? Kidding.
signing off….
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
Andy, am sure everyone is getting tired of our back and forth (I know I am), so let me just finish by saying yet again that while I appreciate your point of view and your passion on the subject, I am very comfortable what I teach and how I teach it. Right now, X is part of that process. If another tool came to market (that can work in our infrastructure) that might better help our students in storytelling, I would research and consider it. Again, I don’t teach a “how to use the buttons to make an edit to get a job” class. And I don’t “hate” Premiere, rather I think it’s not the best tool (at this time) for my students . Maybe that changes in the future. If Apple suddenly gave up on X, I would be totally comfortable teaching Premiere or MC to get the desired results for my students.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
Agreed. The agency cut was much better, IMHO.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[andy patterson] “Do all your students own an Apple computer?
“Yes. It’s strongly suggested. I have seen about 3 PC’s in 9 years. Much like Full Sail requires a Mac for some programs, we strongly suggest that too. Our graduate program is Mac based.
[andy patterson] “$300.00 for FCPX is nice but it is not as good as free. Also FCPX is not cross platform. “
$199 for the package of software is pretty damn spiffy. Cross-platform? See above.
[andy patterson] “The fact that you could not respond by saying “if BMD had a NLE that mimicked FCPX for free and worked on Mac and PC I would opt to teach that instead of FCPX. “
Ok, ok, I’ll answer a question that is not based in any facts, or alternative facts. BMD and Resolve are not as good, at the present time, than most of the other leading NLE’s out there. However, if I ever feel that a future version of Resolve might benefit my students in their craft I would investigate it. But right now, it’s a non-issue. But I do keep an eye on things. I went to the Adobe Max conference in November and I, like a couple on this list, am in the Avid Ambassadors group. Trust me, I keep an eye on things that will be help my students.
[andy patterson] ” If your school is not teaching Premiere and Avid the students are not getting the best education. “
sigh.
[andy patterson] “Then why teach FCPX? “
As stated before, it’s the best and easiest software to teach the craft, in my humble opine.
[andy patterson] “Isn’t that why you have a job?”
yup. And since I have used and made money on all three, I can answer those questions.
Andy, you’re not a fan of X. Totally cool. I am. Totally cool. But I know what I am teaching and am comfortable in what and how I teach. I have my student’s best interest in mind for the industries they enter. Student reviews are generally excellent. Our students have a 97% placement rate at 6 months after graduation. I am ok with that. For more info, go here: https://www.brandcenter.vcu.edu/
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Brett Sherman] “But the problem with that is, you are sacrificing a lot of your limited time getting into idiosyncratic details of how different editing systems work instead of teaching the craft of editing. If FCP X allows you to get to the craft quicker, then that’s what it should be. There is a lot of thought that has to go into curriculum development. If one of the students really excels with FCP X and decides to make a career of editing, I have no doubt they will easily be able to switch to another editing program as the need arises. They will be richer for having spent more time thinking about the craft of editing.”
Could not have said it any better.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[andy patterson] “You should be able to teach all three unless you are only a part time instructor. “
9 month contract faculty, so yes, full semesters. I design the curriculum. Teaching concept development and story flow and design is more important, so I teach the best, fastest-learned software to support the storytelling aspect.
[andy patterson] “t the very least the school should have a trained Premiere Pro and Avid editor. “
I have made a lot of money on Avid in my career and still use Premiere today, so that “trained editor” is me. And to support what I mentioned above, X is it.
[andy patterson] “Your feelings for FCPX are irrelevant.”
Well, no. Since I create the curriculum it is very relevant.
[andy patterson] “Premiere, Avid and AE are out there.”
Sigh. See my previous posts. Lynda.com is out there for them.
[andy patterson] “In fact I know of a TV station in Chicago that uses Edius. Oprah Winfrey’s own Harpo productions used to use Edius as well (they still might).”
We are not doing 1:15 news packages or long form broadcast. Note my posts above. Would you say that the Edius station is doing it’s editors a disservice by using such a niche product?
[andy patterson] “I could see only teaching FCPX if FCPX was the only NLE being used in a professionals environment but that is not the case. “
Note my posts above, please. I am not teaching kids to go out and local news or broadcast.
[andy patterson] “The answer to those questions is what I really want to know.”
One more time….I am teaching the craft of visual storytelling not “learn this system(s) so you can get a news gig”. At the end of a project, I want a story based on a strong concept, shot and posted properly. They can use iMovie for all I care. It’s about the end result and less about what tool they use to cut it. To assist my students to get to that result, I teach X. I have always said that I can teach ANYBODY how to operate a software. Talented storytellers are not that easy to find. I am trying to get technology out of the way of the storytelling process.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[andy patterson] “Why not teach Avid, Premiere and FCPX and let the students decide which one they like best? Avid, Premiere and FCPX will all get better and it would not hurt to learn all three.”
I have 15 weeks a semester so I can’t take the time to teach all three. We have a university site license for Lynda.com (only took me three years to get the university to agree to get that!) and if they want to use Premier, they can learn it there. Not much need for Media Composer unless they are going into broadcast, which I have not had one go that way yet.
I have all three, used all three and still use two of the three. X, for what I do and teach, is superior. So, in the limited time I have with each class, that’s what I teach. No apologies, I just feel this is the best way.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Oliver Peters] “No offense meant, but doesn’t your post also show your bias for X over Premiere Pro? “
No offense taken. And my perceived bias is based on my experience with both products and who my students are. I am there to teach my students the craft of visual storytelling. Concept through post. In my mind, X is a superior product for editorial and that is what I teach them. So if that is a bias, then yes, I am biased.
We have the cloud on all the computers and if some want to use Premiere, they can (and PS, AE ,etc), but based on my experience, both in academia (9 years) and post (33 years) X is the better tool for my students. Now, if I were teaching kids that will go out and work in TV news or some other broadcast post gigs, I might, might, teach something different. I think it’s the duty of faculty to go outside their comfort zone to see if there are things that will be better for students in the future. X was certainly outside my comfort zone 6 years ago, which is why I kept teaching Legacy for over two years. Now I feel it’s the superior product for my students and what they are doing now and going forward. Your mileage and students may vary! ☺
Oh, and trust me, the Adobe reps who come and visit have heard my opinion on this very clearly (not that it matters alot!).
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Claude Lyneis] ” The staff at our local film school all went PP after FC7 was abandoned and there is almost revulsion at the idea of X. “
Faculty needs to do whats best for the visual storytelling, not their own hide in their own bias. I think if the faculty at your school gave each software equal play there might be a difference, but I see too much fear in “new things” in academia. I teach the other way around and sent every student this offer from Apple. I want to give my students the best tools to tell a story and not care what the Coen brothers or anyone else cuts on. And this is something I told our Adobe reps as well; until their products can be better for my students telling visual stories, there is no need for me change how and what I teach. Just my humble opinion, of course.
sw
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Shane Ross] “I got her Adobe Premiere at the student rate “
Call social services! 😉
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter