That's right, "Easy" is a relative term, especially when switching to a new way of doing things, but using the same basic concepts.  What do I mean you ask?  Well, I am still editing video...something I have been doing since 1999, and the tools to accomplish this task in Media Composer are similar to the tolls I am used to using in FCP.  I remember when I first switched to FCP from Premiere 1.something, or was it 2.something, in any case the swich was really easy.  The AVID proved to be a tough transition, but with a much bigger payoff!  It is simple a much more robust system designed for professionals, not prosumers. 

What do I like?  I LOVE the Smart Tool.  This tool set changes depending on where your cursor is placed on a clip.  No more going to the tool palette for a differ tool, or hitting the appropriate key...Brilliant.  I feel like I have so much more control over the timeline and individual clips within it, and its quick and easy to boot!  Oh, there that word easy again.  Well, there was one speed bump I ran into.  SYNC.  I beat my head against the wall for a little while trying to figure this out on my own and then decided to ask the community for help.  I had multiple responses in an hour or so....Hats Off to the AVID Community.

I was having trouble keeping things in SYNC when rolling, slipping, etc.  In the post I was told about SYNC LOCK, something I may have learned if I had read the manual, or watched ALL of the tutorials at lynda.com.  Ever since enabling sync locks I am flying around the timeline and making changes, and everything stays in SYNC.  Cool. Check out my post and the responses here.

That's all for now!  Keep checking back, there is a lot more to share...just gotta find the time.

Aloha

Good bye Final Cut Pro...Hello AVID Media Composer! We made the switch, its official.  Funny, when people reference switching they usally mean switching "to Apple" not "away from Apple".  Don't get me wrong.  I still love my Mac Pro, and a lot of other things about Apple, and I will probably still be using FCP for quick turnaround jobs...until I get comfortable with the AVID.

That being said, I have been studying up...big shout-out here to www.lynda.com and their tutorial "Migrating from Final Cut Pro 7 to Avid Media Composer 5.5",  and also the  "Wanna Switch?" Series by Kevin P. McAuliffe. I have some small projects I am working on that are allowing me to get comfortable with the new interface and workflow.

Things are different, but in all actuality its really just accomplishing the same tasks with mostly the same tools in different places.  AVID really wants you to pay attention to your format first and foremost, which I find helpful.  It was easy to get started in FCP and not really know which format you were working on...with AVID you NEED to know before you can start.

The biggest change for me so far is understanding the bin structure, and also how a project is organized both in the interface and on your RAID.  The new AMA Linking (new to v5) is a really nice feature that makes the switch from FCP pretty easy.

I will keep posting what I am finding out in this new process.  But suffice it to say, we here at Kenai Productions are stoked!

I was excited, yes I was, for the release of Apple's Final Cut Pro X.  I have been using the software since 2000.  That's over 10 years.  I had invested lots of $ in the program, and also a lot in the many plugins I use.  So when Apple said they were going to make FCP better than it was, I believed them.  It reminded me of Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man..."We can make him better than he was...faster, stronger", INSERT Cool jumping sound here!

Well, I dutifully threw down the $300 when it came out in hopes of familiarizing myself with it for possible use on an upcoming short I was to work on.  Ambitious, and possibly a bit foolish, I know, but it was worth a try.

It was sleek, and fast, and reminded me of iMovie.  What did I just say?  Yes, iMovie.  Well, I thought, maybe there are some pro features hidden away that would separate it from its baby brother, Apple's consumer level editing program. In short- NO GO, what was missing you ask?

1. You cannot open previous Final Cut Pro projects ( I have a LOT of those)
2. You cannot customize the organization of the project media (Really?)
3. No multicam - gone
4. No OMF and XML export
5. No output to Apple Color, which I used a lot (Apple actually killed Apple Color with the release of FCPX-Thanks again Apple)
6. You cannot assign audio tracks, something every pro needs to do before sending the work for Mixing/Mastering
7. No (real) external monitoring
8. No support for Capture from Tape
9. No layered Photoshop support

The list above has been written about in many different places.  Thanks to Walter Biscardi's article for consolidating it.

So, I was under the impression that when you put out an upgrade to software that you were supposed to ADD features, not take them away!

Well, what did I do next, something I had been thinking about for a long time but resisting, in hope Apple would come through with a real solution.  I SWITCHED TO AVID.  Yes, that pro tool where the software developers actually listen to the people that use the software, and make changes/upgrades accordingly.  Yes, there was a learning curve, and I am still figuring things out as I suspect I will for some time.  And with the upcoming release of AVID Media Composer 6, which promises the possibility of a 64bit program and a, in my opinion, much needed GUI refresh.  I am stoked!!!!

I still have FCP 7 and am actually using it on my current project....but I will transition to the AVID for the next project.

Keep tuned to the blog for how this transition goes.