Tony West
Forum Replies Created
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[Chris Harlan] “what your point is”
I have had different points during this back and fourth because I have responded to your different points.
My original point was the same as what Steve said in that video.
Apple changed things in a big way by putting out a strong product (fcp) that people could afford.
More people jumped in.
Apple kept putting out products that were getting closer and closer to Avid but under cutting them with really low prices (like you just admitted) Forcing the prices down for more people to reach.
There wasn’t enough difference in FCP and Avid to justify Avid charging thousands of dollars more, so they had to come down to meet Apple which made it cheaper for everybody to afford.
When I talked about Imovie, that was an example of apple changing the game because Avid had to give their product away for free. I got my first Avid free and I think that was a direct result of their response to Apple. They were afraid that people would go from their free imovie to fcp and never buy avid.
So they hoped by giving you their free avid that people might go to the real avid.That brings us up to that video today.
I don’t think that avid’s product can separate it’s self enough from fcp X to allow them to charge the price that they really want to charge. (not that 300)
Every software company has to come down to compete with Apple because
1. They have a good product that people want and 2. they can give their software away because they make their money on COMPUTERS and Iphones and Ipads and Iwhatever the he– else they want to kick butt with.
I can’t simplify it anymore than that for you.
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[Chris Harlan] “Free is relative. To get iMovie, you had to buy a Mac.”
I know, and people WERE starting to buy macs. The start of what you see today.
They weren’t buying it to get Imovie.
They already were getting a Mac and “oh. look at here……a free cutting tool tossed in”
A hardware company like Apple can afford to give away software for free or very cheap.
When the guy in the video talked about the Avid student price being 300 bucks. They didn’t pull that price out of a hat. They don’t want to give their crap away for that price any more than I’m a man in the moon.
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[Chris Harlan] “Software only, it was about twice the price of FCS”
That’s kind of what I was talking about earlier Chris when I said it was a game changer.
It’s not just me saying that, Steve Martin in that clip at about 7 min in is talking about how with fc all you needed was the computer and software. You didn’t need all that hardware.
I already had the computer. It was hands down for me.A lot of people got on the train at the point.
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Dang, that’s a lot of money.
I’m trying to remember what a comparable Avid cost when i was looking to buy fcp 6.
I seem to remember fcp being a lot cheaper but I can’t remember how much.
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[David Roth Weiss] “Credit The Cow Tony”
The cow is awesome, but I found you looking for info on X
and then I stayed : )
[David Roth Weiss] “$2000”
Wow!
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I have been Mac person for a long time so you may have something there.
This is how I remember it and feel free to correct me,
There were other NLE’s out there but I don’t remember them being “free”
When apple tossed in Imovie for “free” I think that put pressure on Avid. It was just a consumer product but you could cut a wedding or something simple on it.
I remember Avid putting out Avid “free” DV (I had that) I think Avid didn’t want you to get your editing feet wet on that Imovie. If you wanted to get started, I think they wanted you on their product.
Chris, what was the price of Avid (roughly) before FCP came out?
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[David Roth Weiss] “That’s not a universal rule that applies to all editors Tony”
I hear you David, I don’t know if anything applies to all editors though. For me I wouldn’t even be on here if X had not come out. I have learned a lot by reading the insights of people who are very bright and talented.
Folks talk about a certain software, I get it and now my work is better for it.
I never heard of you David before X came out and now we are conversing.
[David Roth Weiss] “”Jack of all trades, master of none,””
I’m old enough to have seen Bo Jackson play.
How does a person get good enough to be a Pro in 2 sports when most people couldn’t get to the minors in one?
Hard Work.
A lot of people don’t want to work hard at one thing let alone 2. That comes down to each person.
How hard you are willing to work is how good you are.
[David Roth Weiss] “The democratization of video is not universally accepted by all as a positive. More is not always better…”
Agreed.
I go back and forth on this. As much as my ego likes working on the Olympics, if they say don’t come back………..in my back pocket is “I don’t need you”
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Thanks for posting this Steve.
I watched the whole thing.
I liked the part when he talked about learning different NLE’s and that making you a better editor because it makes yo get out of your routine. I have seen that first hand.
It also reminded me how Apple was such a game changer.
The money kept most people out of the game early. You had to work in someone else’s house.
When Apple put out FCP it ended up bringing the price down to the point where you could have your OWN house.
That’s a huge difference.
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[David Lawrence] “In the end you have to listen.”
I’m sorry fellas, I’m not saying that I wouldn’t look at the footage for the interview, quite the opposite.
AFTER I look at the footage I would tag it. That’s why I would be tagging it. Because I looked at it and liked it. I don’t want to put it in now. I will put it in later, and it will be easy to find.
In the case of sports I wouldn’t need to as much because a HR is a HR and a K a K. It’s not an opinion. In that case an assistant could tag for me.
In the case of the interview I would tag myself.
See the difference? The tag feature is still being used, just by different people depending on the show.
I don’t particularly like looking for footage. I don’t find it fun or creative and it can be a time hog.
A tool that helps me find it faster is great for me.
The less of that there is the more time I can spend being creative putting it together : )
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[Herb Sevush] “is that the wave of the future, specific NLEs for specific tasks, or is a general purpose NLE still more valuable?”
I don’t know if you could make enough money making something for a small group.
Maybe if your cost were low enough to make it.