Avid Training classes ?

H

han

New member
Hi everyone,
I have the opportnity to take the Avid Training classes (http://www.avid.com/training/courses/courselist.asp?productID=10) failry soon.

These classes sound like a geat way to learn Avid Media Composer. I would most likely try to take the Certification afterwards.

My question is this;
1. Are they worth it? They cost a lot, I am not sure if for three days its worth it.
2. Whats included with the classes?
3. Is the Certification worth it?
4. Can I skip the first class and just take the second and third if I acquire basic knowledge about Avid beforehand?

Thanks guys,
If anyone else who has taken these classes can tell me a little bit more about it that would be great.
 
I haven't taken these specific classes. When I first started I had the opportunity to take a class from an Avid certified instructor. It was very beneficial to me not because of the material taught, but because I got to see how another person edited (I'd been cutting footage for about 8 months before going to the class and didn't edit with the keyboard, when I saw this guy just banging away at keys and making all this stuff happen while never touching the mouse, that changed my ways from that day on).

Classes can be valuable, and they can be a waste of time. A lot of that depends on what your current skillset is. Have you ever used Avid before? If so, for how long? When you read the descriptions of the classes do you think "Man, what does that mean?" or do you think "Oh, they'll probably cover X, Y, and Z." You don't have to answer these questions to me, but think about them.

The certification is something that I've personally decided is not worth it. I've never had anyone who was in a position to offer me a job ask about Avid certification. All they want to see if the work that I've done in the past.

But never forget that more education and certification can't hurt. If the classes are being offered to you, and they're free, jump at it. If you're fronting the money, then think about it before you sign up.

My two cents.
 
take the class you will be very glad you did. your editing speed will increase, by at least 150%. I can assure you of that. Its not just the editing you will learn its media managment, storyboard and script translation etc. most Professional editors edit independently of directors and producers, interpreting footage and putting a directors vision on screen is a very difficult task. The media composer is the best NLE OUT THERE PERIOD. its true that its the editor not the system that puts out the final content. not to deviate from the topic, many people move from the Avid to FCP due to costs and the need to own thier own home systems. once you learn the avid all the other systems will be a piece of cake. so yes learn the avid. certification is your own choice.
 
krestofre said:
(I'd been cutting footage for about 8 months before going to the class and didn't edit with the keyboard, when I saw this guy just banging away at keys and making all this stuff happen while never touching the mouse, that changed my ways from that day on).
Click to expand...

So are you editing mouseless nowadays? Is this actually a better way than the typical mouse/keyboard combo?

Fidelio
 
I touch the mouse as little as possible while editing. If you know the keyboard layout then it's a much faster and more accurate way to edit.

Even something as simple as marking an in and out point on the fly is impossible to do with the mouse. Keyboard all the way!
 
krestofre said:
If you know the keyboard layout then it's a much faster and more accurate way to edit.
Click to expand...
I'll second that. This is true for any NLE or any app for that matter. The downside is that it can get a little nuts sorting out all the different shortcuts when you're switching between Composer, FCP, After Effects, etc. Then factor in the different platforms (PC - ctrl & alt keys; Mac - command & option keys). Is it ctrl - T or command - H ? Wait, what app am I using? Sooner or later it's time for a stiff drink. The damage to the liver is a small price to pay for a speedy workflow.

Wait what's this thread about? Oh yeah, training. IMO the training is worth it. Certification isn't relevant. Employers want to see your reel not a piece of paper.
 
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Avid, for me, was tough to get used to, coming primarily from Adobe Premiere and FCP. I've had Avid for about a year now, and I feel like I've got a good handle on it. Honestly, if you can afford the courses, take them, but I dropped $30 on a book, loaded up some footage, and just went for the hands-on experience. I'm sure there's things I would have learned quicker/easier had I gone to a course, but I feel as if I have a pretty good handle on the system now just through practice.

Also, this website has and will be a fantastic resource for me, whether pertaining to the DVX or my Avid system.

So my opinion: If you have the spare cash to take training, do it. If not, head to a Borders books or something and pick up an Avid book (the one I got was "AVID XPRESS PRO POWER! by Steve Julin, well written book that's easy to understand and I only dropped $30) and start practicing! Either way, I think that once you get used to your Avid, you'll realize it's pretty easy to use and very powerful.

PS: Hell, if you can afford it, do both. No harm in knowing more.
 
If you can swing the live training, go for it. It's a great chance to pick the brain of another user who probably knows a few tricks that you hadn't thought of. I've been cutting on Avids for 12 years, and learned a few new tricks with the latest round of training we just had at the station. (I work for CBS in Denver.) The online training, on the other hand, is a joke. Stay away.

Books are good, but there's still nothing like the personal interaction you get with a living, breathing instructor.

One word of advice; if you take the course, bring an audio recorder or something like that. Notes get you so far, but when you get back to the edit suite, you invariably scratch your head asking yourself "How the heck did they do that again?"

Later,

K
 
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