The question about how a filmmaker was going to edit his or her film used to be more about the style of edit and if he or she could book time on a favorite piece of editing equipment like a Steenbeck, Moviola, or a Pic Synch. And one didn't need to decide before you shot the footage.

Today, the question is what editing software will be used and whether the footage will be compatible with the end use of the film -- internet, TV, big screen projection, etc. Furthermore, there are many good programs available. And everyone seems to have their favorite.

So the St. Louis Chapter of the Media Communications Association is going to sort it out and shake it down for the film making community with a panel discussion of the pro, cons, and compatibilities of Final Cut X, Avid, Adobe Premiere on Creative Cloud, and Sony Vegas!

Panelists including Bill Streeter of Hydraulic Pictures; Peter Carlos who is the Associate Professor of Communication at Lindenwood University and LUTV Station Manager; and more to be confirmed will help you understand these tools so you can make better decisions about which system is best for which projects. Many of the panelists will have used a variety of the systems and will be able to explore the ins and outs of them. Topics include the controversial updates to Final Cut, Avid's resurgence, introduction of Adobe Premiere and Creative Cloud, and the rise of other programs such as Sony Vegas, the improved iMovie, and the new Black Magic system.

Final Cut was the big editing dog on the block for a number of years until the release of Final Cut X sent confirmed users scattering to other programs. But were the changes that big? Is it true that Final Cut X is designed for use on touch screens, such as tablets? Are users who stuck with Final Cut X as happy with it now as they were with Final Cut 7?

Avid has been around for years, and although it was knocked off the top by Final Cut, Avid and its strange specialty keyboard never went away. In fact, many editors swear by it and university programs also teach it. But is it still mostly used for broadcast applications? How does it compare to other editing software? Does it still require the specialty keyboard? Is the purchase cost for an editing set up part of the reason it lost popularity?

Adobe has brought the creative community many innovative and useful programs for years, and Adobe Premiere is growing in popularity and being used by more editors. While the editing software will be explored, the big news is the Adobe Creative Cloud to deliver the software program. Adobe Creative Cloud allows users to always have the latest update and never have to pay for an update. But the catch is that the users have to pay a monthly fee to use the editing and other software programs. This delivery method fulfills a claim made years ago about all software programs being on the internet rather than on personal computers. The question is whether this "wave of the future" will catch on or not.

While the big dogs in the editing scene have been Final Cut and Avid, other programs, systems, and equipment have steadily and quietly made inroads both in the number of users who sing their praises and in the options and effects that an editor can do with them. Sony Vegas has had dedicated users for some years. Even iMovie has improved its range and looks more like Final Cut. And Black Magic, a new camera which captures data in raw form, comes with its own editing systems and software.

If there's good news in all these changes, it is that no one needs get his or her hair caught in a Pic Synch again! However, the confusion created by the advent and "improvement" of the computer-based editing systems in the last 20 years has changed the conversation from editing style to editing software and equipment.

The St. Louis MCA will clarify the questions raised by the move away from physical editing systems and answer the questions about today's software and equipment options. This way the conversation can return to styles of editing!


 

Wednesday, January 8

TIME:
6:30pm networking, 7:00pm meeting

PLACE:
Missouri Baptist UniversityPillsbury Chapel / Dale Williams Fine Arts Center
One College Park Drive
St. Louis, MO 63141
314-434-1115

COST:
Members: free
Non-members: $10
Students with valid ID: $5


 

PS: Yes, I once caught my hair in a Pic Synch while working in a tiny editing room at the end of a long, quiet hallway. Unable to reach the off switch and with no one able to hear me scream, all I could do was yank my hair out. Boy, was that a bad hairdo! I never edited on anything but a Steenbeck after that! And I think that computer-based editing is wonderful, regardless of what system or software is used. In fact, I am impressed that I will never have to conform my original to my work print in my dining room again!