[Ted Levy]

“It’s simply an Avid giving up thing.”

Sounds more like it’s a “you giving up on Avid thing.” As I’ve said, I love their software and innovations and intend to keep using their products.

I was at NBC in Los Angeles yesterday. They have two post-production buildings filled with dozens of Avid rooms, editing shows like Grey’s Anatomy (which is shot 100 yards away, right there on the lot), and network promos. There’s not a single Final Cut Pro in sight. I spoke to the head of post, and his commitment to Avid is strong and deep. He’s very technically savvy and quite familiar with Final Cut Pro, and has no interest in migrating to it. That’s the reality on a professional level.

[Ted Levy]

Cathy, everything you said is really true. And more and more often on my projects, I’m having to deal with fixing bad editing, mediocre sound mixing and poor color correcting done by other people who’ve learned some software but don’t have the necessary creative background, talent and skills to make something of quality.

I’ve been reading a book of interviews with independent film directors. They all have literary and artistic, not technical, backgrounds. Do you know that Neil Jordan started out as a famous novelist and short story writer in Ireland? He only decided to direct films when some TV scripts and a feature script he had written were directed in a really disappointing way. His first film, Angel, features Stephen Rea, whom Jordan had seen performing on the stage. It was really well-received, and the rest is hisory.

[Ted Levy]

If you’re willing to spend the $299 for Boris FX, the newest version is an amazing suite worth much more than that. One of its best filters is “Film Damage,” which is the same BCC filter provided in the more expensive (but not more powerful) BCC suite. It’s very flexible, with adjustments for scratches, dirt, hair, tint, flicker, and weave.

Ted

[Ted Levy]

Thanks a lot, Cathy! That was extremely helpful. I’ll check out the book, as well.

Ted

[Ted Levy]

Thanks Cathy, you really have me figured out. And just like yourself, my greatest strength is that I’m a really good storyteller. It’s all that I really care about in this business, anyway, and all that most of the people I interview with or work with care about. As Altman said, if film ended tomorrow, I’d just start working on the stage…..anything to be able to dramatize the human condition.

Ted
Los Angeles

[Ted Levy]

Well, I guess I just love the Avid interface and don’t feel too much need for it to evolve beyond its current state. I really haven’t run into any editing situation that Avid or its compatible plugins can’t do quickly and easily for me. Regarding functions like DVD mastering which are not related to editing, I’m happy to have other professionals who specialize in that kind of work do it at their facilities. In the broadcast/cable world or that of feature docs, thankfully editing can be a fulltime creative specialization unto itself.

For those who like other flavors of editing software, I’m glad the options are there for them to enjoy.

[Ted Levy]

And to bolster my argument, here’s a recent post by Grinner (from April 10th, Re: Modal editing) about Avid that I find typically distasteful:

“I’m wondering what the code wroters (sic) on staff actually do each day. I’ve not seen much in 15 years. Biggest development that has come out of Avid in a decade was purchased by them, not written by them.”

Here’s another of his recent comments (April 3rd, Re: Graphics, Resolution, Pixel Aspect Ratio):

“Do a video mixdown of your entire sequence then export it.
I know. what a bummer.”

This contribution was typical Grinner (April 1st, Re: Database errors/Media tool won’t read clips):

“Since the meridien line went to this new improved ism, media tool is just flat out buggy…The solution for me will be to move on to FCP. I can’t afford all these bugs anymore.”

And there was this one (April 1st, Re: Troubles with export):

“I agree. It should. I think this is why so many copies of premiere, FCP and Vegas are selling.”

And one more (March 28th, Re: Export):

“You have to do a video mixdown before exporting it for DVD. Drag, I know but that’s the deal.”

These posts were all within the past three weeks! Grinner has no right to be hosting this forum, which is intended to support Avid users, rather than being used to bash the product. Please, just give it (and us) a break. If you want to move on to FCP, then by all means do it, and move on from this forum as well.

[Ted Levy]

If by warp he means an image morphing into another, I’d try the FluidMorph effect in the Illusion FX category. It’s actually quite sophisticated and attractive if used on the right images (and try playing with the options of still frame vs. moving video, borders, etc., with that effect).

Ted

[Ted Levy]

I don’t really get that disillusionment with Avid’s new products. I’m editing network nonfiction shows on my Xpress Pro with Mojo and love it more than the Media Composers and Symphonies I used to work with. The real-time audio fades/dissolves, the mixing of resolutions, the merging of editing and effect modes, the seamless integration of Boris and Moving Picture software…I know this sounds like a commercial, but it really is a pleasure. And of course the media management is reliable and powerful. I’m still a big fan of Avid.

The production company in Los Angeles that I’m working for has six Avids running on a Unity system, two shifts a day, and the three network series they’re doing are cooking along on schedule. When I bring them my Avid sequence, they load it up, online the episode, create an OMF for the audio guys, and it’s out the door to the mix house. It’s a professional tool.

Ted

[Ted Levy]

It’s because you’re trying to zoom in on the image in the Avid timeline, which is not hi-res (even at 1:1, it only has 720 X 480 pixels). In the Boris interface, you need to choose the original still image on the hard drive as your source, and make the move on that. The imported image in the Avid timeline will then just be a dummy edit under the effect. This is the same approach used by the Moving Picture software by Stagetools (which is much more user friendly and quick if you plan to do a lot of work with stills, and not expensive either).

Ted