I’m on a plane, on my way to London, where Avid will launch the next release of the Media Composer family of editing systems at Broadcast Video Expo. I brought along some industry magazines, thinking the time between boarding and when they turn off the seatbelt sign could be used to catch up on what the “trades” are saying about the industry. As I leafed through them, I came across an ad for Media Composer in CinemaEditor, the magazine of ACE (American Cinema Editors). I helped to create and place the ad, so I’m familiar with it, but just like a piece any Avid user has created, it always looks different when it’s published. The first line in the ad copy is, “You asked—we listened,” and on the eve of yet another Media Composer release, I thought I’d expand on that idea.
When I joined Avid in 2008, the company was in the midst of a complete overhaul. New management was learning about the industry Avid served and preparing the ground for the “new Avid” to grow. The executive team was embracing a new philosophy in response to the incredible changes that the industry had seen. The old way of doing things, where a handful of companies and workflows were dominant, was coming to an end. Software capabilities were replacing dedicated hardware, and the flexibility that it offered meant change was accelerated. The way things were done, and how much it cost to do them, could change overnight. And, of course, costs were coming down. So a new approach was necessary.
In marketing, Avid talked about “New Thinking.” That sounded pretty good, but what did it mean, and was it too late? Listening was one thing, doing was another. Could the once-dominant company in NLEs move quickly enough? Did it have the will to change, or was it just marketing-speak? Would customers have faith in the company that helped to make their careers flourish? Would the term “Avid editor” still have that great double meaning?
Well, it looks like there just might be some proof in the pudding. Decision makers at Avid were empowered to work for the customer. Old thinking was discouraged, not tolerated. The product designers and managers got to work. Customer advisory boards were established, direct channels to designers and engineers were opened, and employees hit the road. Avid management was not only listening, it was actively seeking feedback. The loyal customers got lots of attention, but so did lots of other editors, including users of other products. And the messages were clear: editors and their colleagues in the industry asked for more of what had made Media Composer the best NLE available, namely productivity, collaboration, and stability. But they also asked for openness and flexibility. Affordability. Responsiveness. Innovation. And make it work with Pro Tools, for crying out loud!
The features and capabilities in Media Composer have grown and expanded based on all that feedback. Media Composer 5.5 is the fifth release in two and half years. That’s two significant releases a year. Not just minor updates. Each release has delivered on the promise Avid made to listen.
Version 3 brought out a new high performance design, enabled by Avid Intelligent Architecture. Using optimized DX hardware over PCIe, and extracting all the power of new CPUs and GPUs, Media Composer performed better than ever (this was two years before Adobe’s Mercury was ever mentioned). Media Composer was offered as a software-only product for the first time. 3.5 had the first implementation of AMA (Avid Media Access), and let users work natively with XDCAM and P2—no waiting, just edit. And get all the metadata that Media Composer was so good at handling, making the editor (and the assistant’s) work much easier. Then version 4 introduced real-time broadcast-quality Mix and Match, making the open timeline more powerful than ever. It also had better audio integration with Video Satellite for Pro Tools users. Oh, and more format support through AMA.
And then, the big one. The one that, according to those industry pundits in the magazines and blogs, put Media Composer and Avid back on the map. Version 5 supported QuickTime through AMA. Play back and edit ProRes in Media Composer! Use non-Avid hardware with Avid software. What!? The response was great, and customers showed their appreciation by upgrading and buying new seats.
And now, version 5.5 is being announced. It’s another major release and another key moment in the history of Media Composer. Capture and output with AJA Io Express, a popular, cost-effective third-party card—one that works with other NLEs. Use Media Composer with Pro Tools hardware. Use the Avid Artist series (formerly Euphonix) controllers (these same controllers can be used with Final Cut and Smoke too, by the way). And on the innovation front—wait ’til you try PhraseFind. You’ll never edit the same way again. See for yourself by downloading the trial version when it’s ready. And productivity boosts with AVC-I, thanks to smartly designed, expandable Nitris DX hardware. And still more AMA format support, with HDCAM SR Lite being added to the list of formats supported with this great technology. There’s more, so check out www.avid.com/mc to see it all.
So Avid has listened, and acted, and because we’re already well along on still the next release, I can tell you there’s more to come. The company is hard at work, making products that make you faster, remove obstacles from your work, enable you so you can make and do more. I’m proud to be part of this re-invention, this re-birth, and to say, “You asked—we listened.”
Angus