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shadybirdstan · Jan 3, 2003, 02:23 PM

I'm going to be starting to do some digital video editing (basic highlight film type stuff). The place where I work asked me to tell them what I would need to do this.

I told them either a nice powerful PC with Adobe Premiere or a nice new dual processor Mac with iMovie to start and eventually FCP down the road.

Sound about right?

FYI, I would be taking video that already has been converted into digital format and working on it from there to make "highlight films".

Chuck_star · Jan 4, 2003, 01:22 AM

You may want to go for Dual g4 with fcp. Take a course, you wont regret it.

iMovie is hardly in the same league as Adobe Premiere.

AP is available on the mac as well.

UnixMac · Jan 5, 2003, 09:23 AM

While the PC and Mac both can edit DV... the fact is the Mac is far more stable (under OS X) and this is by far the advantage, thanks to the Unix based OS.

I would do a duel 1.25 Mac, with FCP and two good monitors.

Plus FCP is the most powerful software based NLE out there.

k2director · Jan 7, 2003, 04:16 AM

Just so you don't scare your boss, you would be fine with:

Even the low end G4 dual these days, a single monitor (1280 by whatever, minimum), and a big Firewire hard drive (7200 rpm...Firewire assumes you'll work in DV video...if you want a different format...something digitized from analog or a high quality digital tape format, you'll need an expensive capture card and faster drives). iMovie would be hopeless. Either Final Cut or Premiere would have to be your choice, but Final Cut would be preferable.

And the Mac is the natural choice for video editing. The PC can do the same stuff on paper, and people certainly use it, but the Mac is more stable, and it has a very big company backing its moves in digital video (ie, Apple through Final Cut). Apple's very aggressive about upgrading Final Cut, and it's already arguably better than the PC's equivalent product (Avid XPress DV), and cheaper, and scales to a lot more hardware.

I think the lead Final Cut /Apple has will continue to get bigger in the next 2 years. The first **major** Hollywood film is being cut on it now--ie, Cold Mountain, based on the best selling Civil War book. More will follow, guaranteed.

Go Mac...

Steve SpotOn · Jan 7, 2003, 07:05 AM

I'd definatly go the MAC + Final Cut Pro route.
But don't forget to include some of those extras you may need... If you are coming from/to various formats you could do with a convertor box such as RT Mac which will convert analogue tapes to firewire (and back again - useful for VHS copies etc.). It will also allow you to view your edit on a TV monitor as opposed to a computer screen. Extra costs but well worth it for being able to handle nearly all formats.
A decent pair of speakers... a good sound track can really improve a video.

Steve

UnixMac · Jan 7, 2003, 10:32 AM

Originally posted by k2director:

I think the lead Final Cut /Apple has will continue to get bigger in the next 2 years. The first **major** Hollywood film is being cut on it now--ie, Cold Mountain, based on the best selling Civil War book. More will follow, guaranteed.

Go Mac...

Hey K2... What TV shows are done with FCP? Any at this time that you know of? Seems like the logical choice for the lower budger stuff.. Or do they use Avid and Discreet's stuff..

joelc · Jan 7, 2003, 05:52 PM

If the first hollywood film is just being created in final cut now, what do most moveis geet made through?

Joel

k2director · Jan 8, 2003, 02:55 AM

I'm not aware of regular tv series' that are cut on Final Cut...yet. But it has been used, as far as I know, on non-repetitive tv specials--ie, a 2 hour special for HBO, that kind of thing.

Old habits die hard, and many editors in film/tv prefer to stick with what they know and so far works...ie, Avid. Also, it's surprising but many editors (not their assistants but the editors themselves) are not that technical, and so they're not likely to understand what a new product can do for them, and how systems can be built around the product that ultimately serve their work flow better. So the editors are not in a position to tell a producer or post production manager that Final Cut would be a good choice or at least alternative worthy of inspection. And producers are even less technical, so while they're eager to save $$, they aren't going to be a significant force in pushing a new system either.

But this is changing, and you can tell that Final Cut is beginning to reach critical mass. It's had a few years to become established among indie filmmakers and videographers, trailer houses, some editorial shops used by smaller ad agencies, etc....awards have been won, heads slowly turned, etc. The next 1-2 years will see the breakthrough...

scottiB · Jan 8, 2003, 10:20 AM

shadybirdstan, looks as if part of your solution appeared at the keynote: Final Cut Express. iMovie 3 as well.

Slam dunk---and have fun!

Xaaron Swiftblade · Jan 9, 2003, 05:31 PM

Most movies are done on high end Avid systems, they can cost upwards of $200,000. Avid does make a PC and Mac DV alternative, called, you guessed it, Avid Express DV. It runs for about $1600 I think, but at only $400 for students.

If your employee is on a tight budget (who's isn't?) The go with Premiere/After Effects on a PC (or just shell out the extra few hundred for the Adobe Digital Video Collection). If you're like me and have your heart set on a Mac system, be prepared to spend an extra grand... or three.

UnixMac · Jan 9, 2003, 08:14 PM

Seems like every time you turn around there's a Mac on TV or in a movie, so I assumed that they were the most used in Hollywood.. But I guess that is still home use or private use.. as the big Unix machines still do the heavy lifting... but now that Mac is Unix, maybe Apple will get serious about processing power and tap IBM's Power970 or Power4 series of CPU's in sets of 2 to 4 and make some heavy lifing mac's that don't get smoked by a $2500 P4 PC running XP!

k2director · Jan 10, 2003, 02:02 AM

Actually, most of the Avid systems running in Hollywood **are** based on Macs--older Macs running OS 9! Avid sells more PC based systems now (their top-of-the-line Symphony, which is for broadcast TV, is PC-based), but for years their bread and butter was the Mac, and so you still find tons of older Macs running Avid around town. It's pretty depressing when you go into an edit suite, and see OS 8 staring you in the face!

typoon · Jan 10, 2003, 09:13 AM

How bout Using in the Near future iMoive3 plus Final Cut Express if the 999 price tag of Pro scares you? You should be able to do everything with those 2 apps.

UnixMac · Jan 10, 2003, 09:19 AM

Originally posted by k2director:
Actually, most of the Avid systems running in Hollywood **are** based on Macs--older Macs running OS 9! Avid sells more PC based systems now (their top-of-the-line Symphony, which is for broadcast TV, is PC-based), but for years their bread and butter was the Mac, and so you still find tons of older Macs running Avid around town. It's pretty depressing when you go into an edit suite, and see OS 8 staring you in the face!

This is my point though.... Mac has a couple of problems... lack of proper support for OS X, and lack of a fast CPU.. The fact that pro's are using OS 9 is a sad statement on how Avid and others are supporting OS X.

I wonder if Avid dissed Apple because Apple is backing t their own FCP??