so how important is final cut if im serious about editing?

[randomname]

Since I got in to film I've only ever used premiere, and I'm perfectly happy with it, but everything I. Hear says that final cut and avid are industry standards, so how important is knowing it if I'm serious about going in to film? I would have to buy a mac and have a hard time justifying the cost when I could be spending it on a good light kit or upgrading to a 5D.

 

[handsome pete]

I think it really depends on what your ultimate goals are.

Without more info, my gut advice is to stick with Premiere. Getting to know FCP or Avid could help you land a full time editing gig at an agency or post house, but what will really get you a job is your reel. I edit full time on Final Cut, but we just hired an editor a few months back who only had experience on Premiere. The software can be learned, much more so than talent.

Plus, there really isn't anything they provide that Premiere doesn't.

 

[NoahK]

If you're getting work done with Premiere that's perfectly valid. That said, if you ever want to look for work as an editor you'll find a lot more work with FCP skills than Premiere. But as Pete says, it's all about your goals...

Noah

 

[Dave W]

Since I got in to film I've only ever used premiere, and I'm perfectly happy with it, but everything I. Hear says that final cut and avid are industry standards, so how important is knowing it if I'm serious about going in to film? I would have to buy a mac and have a hard time justifying the cost when I could be spending it on a good light kit or upgrading to a 5D.

If you want to go into 'film', you'll actually want to learn Avid. But a lot of professional editing is FCP.

But, aside from a few different short-cuts and the transition from a PC to a Mac (assuming you're running Premiere on a PC), there really is little difference. I'm perfectly capable of editing with FCP even though the only major editing I do is with Premiere, the interfaces are identical. The only thing that changes is where a few of the settings are, but it's nothing major.

If you're contemplating spending money on FCP instead of a lighting kit or 5D, stick with Premiere. FCP offers no real benefit over Premiere.

 

[NoahK]

Again- not to be rude to Premiere but FCP is not 'identical' to Premiere in any way. If it were you'd probably see a lot more tv shows, movies, commercials, music videos edited on Premiere. Especially given that it's cheaper software and you can build up a PC for cheaper than a Mac. But you don't because folks who know the difference actually know there's a huge difference in the way all NLE's work. that's why you have Avid and FCP owning the professional world and then the rest of the NLEs out there that are used mostly in the hobbyist, one-man band shops.

Noah

 

[milksac]

If you're contemplating spending money on FCP instead of a lighting kit or 5D, stick with Premiere. FCP offers no real benefit over Premiere.

+1

Buying FCP or Avid isn't going to make you a better editor. Time spent editing will make you a better editor. Take all the hot air about the proper NLE choice with a grain of salt. The most important skill set is story telling. This can be accomplished with any NLE. If you can't tell a story then you should absolutely be spending your money on light kits, 5D's or beer.

Again- not to be rude to Premiere but FCP is not 'identical' to Premiere in any way.

All NLE's are fundamentally the same. Any editor worth his salt can transition from one NLE to another with relative ease. Of course it will take some time to build up the speed that comes with familiarity. It's just a tool used to tell a story.

 

[obi1jacobi]

"If you can't tell a story then you should absolutely be spending your money on light kits, 5D's or beer."

Haha, well said milksac.

I started editing on Ulead (anybody remember that?) when I was 13 or so and then moved to Premiere and now use Final Cut. The other day I threw together a quick project on Premiere and realized I am much much faster on Final Cut - it's all about what you're used to and the workflow you've figured out for yourself.

I'd say, learn the basic fundamentals on Premiere, get yourself a lighting kit, and worry about industry standards later.

 

[adkimery]

Like others have said, knowing the craft is more important than knowing the tool but if you live (or move to) a place that is very FCP or Avid centric it will be in your best interests to know those programs.

Learning new things, especially w/how quickly things change now, is just par for the course though. Think about how much has changed for the guys who started cutting their teeth in 1985 and are still working in the industry today. The art and craft of editing hasn't changed but the everyday toolset sure has.


-Andrew

 

[Dave W]

Again- not to be rude to Premiere but FCP is not 'identical' to Premiere in any way. If it were you'd probably see a lot more tv shows, movies, commercials, music videos edited on Premiere. Especially given that it's cheaper software and you can build up a PC for cheaper than a Mac. But you don't because folks who know the difference actually know there's a huge difference in the way all NLE's work. that's why you have Avid and FCP owning the professional world and then the rest of the NLEs out there that are used mostly in the hobbyist, one-man band shops.

Noah

There are obviously differences with the software, but for the most part it's differences in where the settings are located. The main window is practically identical. It's not like, for instance, going to Avid from Premiere/FCP.

There is no major difference between FCP/Premiere. It comes down to preference, and the obvious choice for Macs is FCP because it's seen as more 'native' software to the OS.

 

[deltoidjohn]

I'd stick with premiere if it's working for you. Like others have said, learn how to edit and tell a story properly with whatever tools you have available, and then you'll get better at adapting to other tools later on if required.

For example, if you learn proper colour correction techniques, or the effects of various composite modes, or even how to time your cuts properly in one software, then you'll know exactly what you need to do in another program... you just need to find the right button or shortcut. When it does come time to switch to FCP for a particular job or client then a few solid days editing with a shortcut chart infront of you will put you well on your way.

 

[DJDecay]

I'm going to jump in with my 2 cents.

As discussed to death in earlier years of my 'creative' career with regards to which DAW which NLE etc.. It breaks down into a two-parter.

A - Interoperability, or using it in someone elses business
B - Your flow, jive whatever

So if you're opting to become a "picture editor" as a job then you best pickup AVID and FCS skills, as those are the products you'd find in most post facilities, and having zero familiarity with them will make you un-employable, that also includes exposure to high-end storage or shared storage that those places use.

The second part is if an application speaks to you, and it's interface is more intuitive and conducive to your own personal work-flow, then stick with it, everyone creative has a different way to create, so if the AVID interface or the Premier interface or for that matter Vegas is what speaks to you when you use it, (not when others use it in a fast-paced well rehearsed tutorial on video) then that's the one you want to invest in and stick with. Same goes for DAW's for composition of music - knowing music will make you good, not the DAW you use, but if your own personal workflow alows you to focus more on the creative aspect rather than the way the NLE is wired, then that's the NLE for you for picture edit. The as you go along you'll realise for the specific work that you'll be doing the strengths and weaknesses of other programs.

Choice of NLE for personal use is a very personal choice, which can affect your creativity in a constructive or a debilitating way, and without risking of sounding high-winded or pompous nobody but yourself can help you make that choice, unless that choice is made for you by a company that hired you.

So in the end, if you're flying solo, but the people you work with demand AVID or FCP you'll need to facilitate interoperability and clue in that system, if this is just for you, and you tried Premire, Vegas, Edius, etc.. etc.. etc.. and liked it - then roll with that.

All have their strengths and weaknesses, but the Techniq Turntable of the world is AVID, closely followed by FCP in the narrative motion picture business, medium length tv series formats.