Getting used to no source/record

J

jumar

Active member
Due to the peculiarities of my job, I use Avid Xpress DV, FCP, and Premiere on a daily basis. I'm fluent in all of them.

Four months ago, I gave the Vegas trial a try on a rush project. The lack of source/record made me go insane and I had to switch to Avid part way through the cut to get the project done on time.

On Saturday, I will begin shooting a big doc with up to 50 hours of footage, all to be shot in 24p with possible exception of timelapse. This is a self-financed project, and I'll need to buy the editing software when I go into post. Avid Xpress Pro and FCP are my favourites, but are out of the question due to price (avid) / platform (fcp). I will not cut a serious project on Premiere.

So... in last minute revisiting (within my budget) I'm looking at either my current choice of Avid Xpress DV because I like it (but it doesn't do 24p), or Vegas due to it's 24p timeline ability. Vegas seems like the obvious choice, but I was so uncomfortable using it the first time (for admittedly a very short time) that this decision is really stressing me out.

The end product will be output to DVD, possibly broadcast, and a very slight possibility of a film blowup. The editing deadline is loose.

So here are my questions about Vegas:

1) Will I get used to it? It's the source/record thing that really kills me. FCP freaked me out when I first started using it (post Avid/Premiere), but now I love it. Maybe I just need to spend more time with Vegas?

2) If I edit on a 24p timeline will I be able to watch my cut in realtime on a broadcast monitor/television through firewire on my deck?

3) If I want to do timelapse, will Vegas choke on mixed 24p/60i during capture?

I need to decide now because I have to decide between shooting 24pN (which I'm used to) or 24pA, like, tomorrow. Am I nuts to cut this thing in 24p? Should I just stick with the 60i workflow that I'm used to?

Oy... my shoulders are so stiff right now.
 
Re: Getting used to no source/record

While it's hard to say if you will ever get used to Vegas' workflow, I can say that, after some time working on real projects (as opposed to mucking around) in Vegas, I got used to it.

When I was first trying it out, I hated it.  I used it for about 3 weeks and still hated it and pretty much wrote it off and thought I was going to have to settle for Avid DV (also note this was before the DVX100 and 24p were a reality).  Up until this time I was not working on any clients' projects in Vegas.  A small project came up so for some reason, I decided to give Vegas one more try and use it to cut the project.  After about a week working on the project, I finally "broke the seal" as it were, and found peace with Vegas.

Granted, it has a very different workflow, but upon getting used to it, you will likely find that, like many others, therein lies the possibility for a much faster way of working. :)
 
Re: Getting used to no source/record

Hi jumar,
I am not familiar enough with Vegas to help but you were writing that you will not cut a serious project on Premiere.
Pls be kind and comment on why is that,and which vesion u are referring to.

Thanks,
Johnnie
 
Re: Getting used to no source/record

I'm in a very similar position.

I've used Mac platform and software Avid MC and FCE/FCP exclusivlely for the past however many years, but now my job offers a choice between premiere and vegas only. (help desk doesn't want to support a mac)

I'm loving the programs quirkly little features, but I'm still having serious issues adapting to the actual editing.

It'd be great if someone out there could write a "Vegas for Final Cut Pro Users" book. They have them for every other software package these days.
 
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