Get Your Head in the Cloud #Adobe #Creative Cloud #PremiereProCC
In recent years, the accessibility and approachability of cinema quality recording devices has allowed film making to find it's way into our everyday life. From cinema quality images created by DSLRs like the Canon 5D Mark III (only $2,800.00) and even the 6D or 7D Mark II (both of which come in under $2,o00.00), and even the awesome images created by the Apple iPhone, film making has become something that anyone can do for a reasonable price. It's not just the ability to create video for the common person, it's now that you, your buddy, your mom, anyone, can not only create video with their smart phone, but the images are beautiful, cinema quality. (Good lighting, angles, and story are sold separately.)
Along with the influx of cameras is the recent accessibility and affordability of editing software that is not only user friendly and simple to learn, but it's also Hollywood quality. While Avid has been the industry standard, and is still used by many an editing house and on many a feature film, Adobe's Premiere Pro and even for a while Apple's Final Cut Pro have (had) been used increasingly more on television, feature films (such as Gone Girl) and on your mom's documentary of Christmas morning and your first date - you didn't see her in the bushes filming you with her iPhone 6 did you? While there are many "seasoned" editors who swear that there is no way you can produce a quality edited product on Premiere, more and more pieces are coming out that prove just the opposite. Again though, it's not just the ability to create professional products, it's the fact that, like with a DSLR, you don't have to be a seasoned, long time film/television professional to even understand and utilize the equipment/software.
With the advent of "the cloud", Adobe has made their long and generous line of software products available at an incredibly affordable rate per month. For around $50 a month, one could get their "holy-crap" package that comes with literally everything they have to offer; you could edit a film, color correct it, do professional audio editing, after effects, and more for a fraction of what Avid costs.
So, there you go... if you love Avid, which there is nothing wrong with, have a ball; but, if you're like most people on Earth, I say go with the budget friendly option that will work just as well. You can take that extra cash and buy a sweet shirt or... some tacos for your friends.
What the Adoption of Adobe's Premiere Means for FiveSix Productions
In two words: Flexibility and Control
For the past few years, AVID and especially Final Cut Pro have been our NLE platforms of choice; with Avid as our high-end editing application and Final Cut as the everyday, workhorse solution. Adobe products have always been a part of our post-production arsenal, such as After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator, but in terms of an NLE, the ease of use and familiarity of the FCP platform (prior to X) was what we always fell back on. UNTIL NOW.
With the release of Final Cut X, we noticed some concerns within the industry. This was primarily attributed to, what appeared to be an emphasis place on the amateur consumer market and a departure away from professional editors, in terms of features. Also, FiveSix relies heavily on our ability to refer to our archives, which were all cut on early versions of FCP, which X initially did not support.
When Walter Murch, a highly decorated editor, with such credits as Godfather II and Apocolypse Now, viewed X for the first time, he stated, "I can't use this" (Macaulay, 2011). In a Boston seminar speaking about the new FCP release, he listed several disappointing, underachieving elements that Apple failed to include and felt as if FCP was turning their back on the professional editors that had been loyal to the software for years.
Even with the recent fixes in the FCP platform, including the ability to work with edits that were cut in previous versions of the software, the damage had been done for us. As soon as we identified the limitations of the new FCP, we sought other options. One such option was Adobe Premiere, which was a NLE that we had experimented in the past but never considered migrating to.
When the commitment to make a change was made, we decided to continue editing with FCP 7 but beta test Premiere for a couple editing jobs to ensure that Adobe's offering was going to be the right fit for our company. We knew immediately that we made the right decision. First and foremost, the bridging capabilities with other Adobe Products that compliment the editing process is exponentially beneficial. Also, the elimination of the transcoding of footage that was so bothersome with FCP, makes life incredibly easier. We shoot a lot in Panasonic's P2 format and what would have taken FCP hours, depending on the job, only takes Premiere a fraction of the time. FInally, Premiere offers a level of control that appears unmatched. Because of the inherent creative capabilites that can be found in Adobe's flagship Photoshop and Illustrator software, an application like Premiere has acquired the same ability to manipulate and sculpt images like no other program.
All in all, FiveSix's migration to Adobe Premiere has been a great success. In our opinion, the missteps of Apple's Final Cut X has given our organization the ability to offer our clients better quality and the ability to expand our creative horizons.
Sources:
Macaulay, S. (2011, October 29). Walter murch on fcp x: “what is the ‘pro’ part of it?”. Retrieved from http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2011/10/walter-murch-on-fcp-x-what-is-the-pro-part-of-it/