Should I learn Final Cut Pro Studio or Avid?

R

Ralph nixon

Well-known member
I'm new here so thanks for any input I receive. I'm planning to be shooting on an HVX200 and I was wondering if both Avid and Final Cut Pro Studio support this? Are both Avid and FCPS industry standard? And if I wanted to turn a hobby into a job sometime, say as an editor or an assistant ( I do have some connections in the Canadian industry, and possibly a few in L.A., and one feature I wrote and directed and co-produced under my belt [albeit that was a decade ago]) then what system is best to learn, Final Cut Pro Studio or Avid? Can Avid and Final Cut Pro Studio do the same things for around the same price, just on different operating systems? Thanks again.

R.N.
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Im told FCP has a better learning curve than Avid. However a lot of what you see on TV and Movies are cut on Avid systems. But more and more projects are getting edited on FCP systems these days too...
 
Ralph,

It really depends on what level of work you're talking about and what area you're in.
I've worked as a freelance editor for the past 6 years and I was cutting on Avid until this past year. I finally switched over to FCP not because it's better, but because it just made more sense for where I am. The majority of the people I work with/for are using FCP systems, so it made it easier for me to get work.
(but I still have my Avid sitting here for one client who is Avid based)

BUT - that's where I am, and with the specific network of people that I work with.
Your mileage may vary.

That said, NLEs are basically all the same.
99% of the time you're doing straight cuts, and there isn't one NLE that does straight cuts better than the other.
Programs are easy to learn, it's learning to edit that's the hard part.

I think maybe you should look into what the people in your area are using, and talk to the people that you anticipate possibly working with. Also, do you have a PC or MAC preference? If you're PC based now, it might make more sense to go with Avid.

Having used both programs I can tell you that they are both fantastic.
There are some things I miss about Avid since I've switched, but overall I don't regret the switch one bit.

I realize this isn't a clear cut answer...but my point is that no one is going to be able to give you a clear answer - we can only tell you what we chose, and why we chose it. Hopefully that helps a little bit.

The good thing is - between Avid and FCP, you can't really make a bad choice in my opinion.
 
It depends on what you plan to use down the road. I started out by taking a class on Avid because that was all the school offered. The next semester I bought a mac and started using FCP on my own and it was a pretty smooth transition because quite a few parts of FCP and Avid are similar. Really, I don't think you can go wrong either way.
 
That's because apple actually hired avid engineers to start up FCP. Back in the days Avid said they were going to stop supporting mac os. I think they still regret the day. :)

For most bang in the buck, final cut gets my vote every time. Especially with the insane studio package that's out since a year or something. You get the NLE, a sound editor (a good one this time), a motion graphics creator (have to look in to this one, but looks cool) and a DVD-authoring app.
Now about the last one, DVD studio pro is the simplest app I ever used, yet it gives you really nice stuff really fast. Even colleauges of mine go: you made that yourself? Then I go: well, I did use a template so it took me like half an hour. Then they go: What?!!! Half an hour?!! I want that!
No seriously, for me this IS sliced bread.
Avid is just the NLE. But a real good one aswell.

NLE speaking, editing is editing and a part from a bit of different names and workflows its all good :).
Main differences:
-FCP is one app that handles every flavour of video. With help of cards where needed.
Avid has a bunch of apps. SD to HD, more realtime requires breakoutboxes with extra hardware. The I don't like is that they push THEIR OWN hardware down your throat and it costs big bucks.
-Importing and different file types in avid are simple. It will convert everything into OMFI-media files that fit the project settings. Only drawback: it is a huge hassle to manage media from outside avid. And: if you import say, a music file, into two different projects you have to be carefull or it will encode it twice. That's a waiste of space. You can adjust that in settings though.
FCP lets you do the work. If files are in incompatible types, you have to convert yourself. And place the files somewhere yourself. But on the plus side: capture files, render files and autosaves are stored in a very open and straightforward way. Mediamanagement can be done from the desktop.
-Avid works fast, but Avid works strict. Very strict workflows and ways to do things.
FCP is looser. You have two, three or more different ways to do everything. Pick what suits you best.
-FCP FX work is easy! The tabs on the windows are the best user interface ever for this kind of thing. All your FX in one accesible place.
Avid s*cks in FX. After you put a first one, you have to 'step in' that one to put a new one. Ansd you can only control one at a time. Frustrating...

That about rounds the main things up for me.
Avid is (generally) solid working NLE wich is real fast for simple and straightforward editing. But if you need FX you're saying FCP all the way. Trust me.
And for the price vs quality FCP kicks everybodies asses.
 
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