As a traditional film editor, I have constantly been searching for tools that simulate old-school methods. One of the programs that is being heavily used in current Film and TV editing is Avid Media Composer. Independent and international filmmakers has always the impression that Avid Media Composer is a very expensive package only targeted for the major studios, not the average filmmaker or film editor. The reality is, however, that the price of media composer has fallen drastically during the last few years. Now, it is affordable for many of us who are looking for a professional and serious solution for editing our films.
Media composer comes with a bit of a learning curve, but at the same time it offers a powerful way of approaching editing, and amazing tools that it make it worth going through the adjustment period of learning how this package works. Of course if you have used any other nonlinear editing tool, you’ll have a much easier time adapting to Avid.
Traditional film editors are familiar with the idea of bins; here, you hang your shots, number your bins, and have your footage ready for the rough cut. The software also supports a vast array of file types and codecs; a feature that sets Avid apart from Premiere and FCP. Media composer 6.5 is solid and completely reliable, provided your running it on a suitable rig. It may be a bit more expensive than other available packages, but remember that you are paying the price for certainty. When you are editing, you are putting the efforts of the hundreds of cast and crew and an often-huge budget on the line; picking a solid package is very important.
So what’s new in Media Composer 6.5? The list of fresh capabilities includes dragging non-adjacent segments in the timeline, editing titles directly in the timeline, AS-02 archival integration, DNxHD compression codecs, more relink options, and much more! Avid has once again provided an outstanding Pro-Post solution for filmmakers around the world.
I strongly recommend the use of media composer to anyone who wants to edit a film. Rumor has it that Avid Media Composer 7 will be out soon with new tools, easier access newcomers, and possibly a smaller price-tag!
