Starting From Scratch: Editing Software

Determining the right type of editing software for your program is pretty important. That’s why we’ve given it its own post. There are a lot of choices out there. A lot. For this post, we’re going to just narrow it down to the most common systems that schools (both high school and college) use. Arguably, those systems are:

1. Final Cut Pro
2. Adobe Premiere
3. Avid

Regardless of what software you go with, there are a lot of things to consider before investing that kind of money. First off, are you a PC school or a Mac school? If you’re PC, I’d consider looking at Adobe or Windows Movie Maker. If your school is already invested in Adobe CS.5 and if you ask nicely, Adobe might cut you a deal on Premiere.

If you’re a Mac school, iMovie should be readily available for the students (and the adviser) on the iMacs, MacBooks, even iPads. If you want to jump up to the professional level, then start looking at Final Cut Pro X.

Most professional production shops and colleges/universities are either in the Avid camp or the Final Cut Pro camp although more and more are moving to Premiere. We have Final Cut Studio for a lot of reasons. First off, we’re a Mac school. Secondly, I want to ensure that my students are fully prepared for the next level. I’ve found that, even if they have to switch to Avid or Premiere, the learning curve for both is pretty flat.

Final Cut Studio – (education price: $299 for FCP X, $49.99 for Motion, ). Apple caused quite a stir with updating the venerable editing system this past summer. Pro editors were not happy and Apple is finally, albeit slowly, coming around to listening to them. I reviewed FCP X a few months ago and, for the most part, I still stand by my review. In short, here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Compatible with most digital formats. This is a big improvement from Final Cut Pro 6 or 7. Sometimes we shoot with DSLR cameras and converting them into FCP 6 is cumbersome. Same with iPhone video. FCP X solves that problem.
2. It’s cheap. $299/copy is a really good price for a solid editing system. Historically, FCP 6 or 7 went for about $800-$900.
3. If you’re familiar with iMovie, then FCP X is a good jump up and the learning curve isn’t as steep.

Cons:

1. If you’re NOT familiar with iMovie, then finding out where Apple put the bells and whistles is kind of a challenge.
2. You can’t output your video to tape. Although, there are rumblings that Apple may fix that.
3. The backlash for the software continues and, if Apple gets out of professional video, then you’re not teaching what the pros use. Quite a conundrum in my classroom right now. Hopefully, Apple will make this right.

Adobe Premiere – ($399 per copy)

*Note – I’ve only played around with the trial version of Premiere.

Pros:

1. It’s compatible on either Mac or PC. Nice to have that option.
2. It’s a fairly decent price for what you get.
3. It’s very similar to the old Final Cut Pro interface. Even some of the keyboard shortcuts are the same.
4. It’s compatible with most video formats.
5. Adobe updates their software pretty frequently, which, in this case, is a good thing.

Cons:

1. Not many production houses or colleges use Premiere….yet. It all depends on whether Apple comes around. Adobe is already trying to appeal to FCP editors.
2. I’ve heard from others that Premiere gets a little buggy and can lag a little bit.