Buzz : Media Composer

HDVideoPro Gives Avid Media Composer 6.5 Rave Review

Timory Burleson — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

“Media Composer 6.5 offers all of the features that top-flight editors are demanding—speed, flexibility and an efficient workflow optimized for large, complex productions.”

- George Avgerakis, HDVideoPro

HDVideoPro writer George Avgerakis recently put Avid Media Composer through its paces, with the stellar results documented in an article published this month. Avgerakis highlighted Media Composer’s professional storytelling tools, 24/7 live technical support, and worldwide collaboration capabilities via integration with new technologies like Interplay Sphere.

“One great new feature in MC 6.5 is that it allows linking over a wireless connection when connected to an Interplay Production Server through Avid's new Interplay Sphere technology,” Avgerakis said. “An editor in the field can remotely pre-edit a show using local camera sources and archived footage from the studio. The final edit is then transmitted back to the head end, where staff can transcode the entire edit for air.”

Guillaume Aubuchon is a senior post consultant at DigitalFilm Tree, a 60-seat facility currently working on NCIS: Los Angeles. In the article, he discusses why Avid remains the only choice for the highest level of broadcast and theatrical editorial. "Our clients demand efficiency," Aubuchon explained, "so for us it really comes down to the basics, which are media management and collaboration. Whether supporting large editorial environments or constructing new workflows, the fundamentals of collaboration and media management don't change. Avid provides us with the flexibility, while maintaining a level of organization that allows for greater efficiency."

Read the full article to learn more. As an added bonus, you’ll also find out how Avid supports aspiring filmmakers at the Sundance Institute's Directors Lab.

Timory

@Timory

The Sun Shines at Sun News Network with Avid

Amy Paladino — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Today’s digital issue of TV Technology features Avid customer Sun News Network in a first person user story on how the Canadian network wanted to build an end-to-end system that would allow seamless transition from ingest to playout and would also provide robust automation. Manager of Engineering and IT at the Sun News Network, Mike Heninger, explains “choosing Avid to achieve this goal was an obvious choice, due to exemplary operation with earlier Avid system systems including Unity, NewsCutter, Media Manger, ControlAir and AirSpace.” Heninger goes on to share how the network has since implemented a number of Avid solutions, including iNEWS and Avid ISIS and details how each of these systems are currently being used.

He also states that “Avid has not only helped the network incorporate non-Avid systems, but also continually updates its technology, keeping everything industry-current, and providing a level of service and support that is just as much of an essential component as the products themselves.”

Check out the complete article on TVTechnology.com.

Ben Affleck and Michael Kahn talk Avid in POST’s November issue

Avid Community Team — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:00:00 GMT

POST Magazine’s November issue hit the newsstands featuring projects from two famed Hollywood directors – Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck. The Oscar-winning moviemakers have one thing in common and that’s their use of Avid’s Media Composer in cutting blockbuster films. Lincoln editor, Michael Kahn, shared a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to cut with Spielberg, while Affleck provided first-hand insights as the director/editor on Argo. What did they have to say?

Affleck explains that although William Goldberg was the editor of Argo, he too is an Avid-user:

“I love editing — in fact, I own an Avid. When I was younger I tried to make money by selling nonlinear PC-based editing systems using Adobe Premiere, but the drives were too slow and they’d drop frames. I was trying to cut my friends’ acting reels. But I kept up my interest in nonlinear editing, and eventually saved up enough for my own Avid. On Gone Baby Gone, I had an editor but we parted ways in the middle of production and I hired Billy — but he was booked and couldn’t start immediately, so I got an HD Avid, which at the time was considered unnecessary — ‘You don’t need to cut in HD. It’s ridiculous!’ So I began cutting it myself and got halfway-through before Billy came on board.” – Ben Affleck

Kahn and Speilberg were a team when editing Lincoln on Media Composer often working on post-production right after a shoot – Kahn spills on why he uses Avid and why Speilberg approves:

“Steven saw how efficient [Avid Media Composer] was, how it saved a lot of time, so we’ve been on Avid ever since.” Kahn likes “not having to go to the trim box to get a trim” when he cuts on Media Composer. “You push a button and see the scene. Access to material is much quicker so you’re able to make decisions much quicker. We can’t wait to see how a scene will turn out, so if we can see it faster and make decisions faster, it benefits us.” – Michael Kahn

Check out the full issue.

BostInno Speaks with Editor Jeff Freeman about ‘Ted’

AlissaV — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:00:00 GMT

As one of the funniest flicks to hit the big screen in a long time, Ted spurred a lot of buzz this summer about the fast-talking, crude bear walking alongside Mark Wahlberg. Though it may have been Ted’s snarky remarks that had people talking, Dave Eisenberg at BostInno knew that the real story went on behind the scenes, with the tricks used to make Ted come to life. Dave spoke with Editor Jeff Freeman to get the scoop on his unique experience cutting this film, his take on what makes good editing, and why he always sticks with Avid to ensure the best results.

On Ted:

“We shot with a stuffie, a stick and a pair of eyeballs. Seth was very smart, they shot the scenes with Seth off camera, fully miked as if he was an actor in the scene, he still did the voice of Ted.”

On editing:

“Success in our area is if you don’t notice us.”

“You’re always the audience when you’re cutting a film. I’m always thinking what would I like to see next, what would make me enjoy this movie a little bit more?”

On Avid:

“We’re not just cutting film anymore. We’re doing mixes, importing music, we’re doing so much… Finally they came up with the editing system that could work for editors who had cut on film for so many years. For us, the Avid was film friendly. It thought in frames. Nowadays, you pretty much use seconds and minutes as opposed to film frames.”

A big thank you to Jeff Freeman for sharing his story, and check out what else he had to say on BostInno.

DV and Studio Daily Spotlight Editor John Gilroy and ‘The Bourne Legacy’

AlissaV — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Fans of the Bourne film series flocked to theaters this summer when the release of The Bourne Legacy hit the screen. What viewers might not have realized when watching the action-packed film was the intense editing process that went into making it such a show-stopper. Bryant Frazer at Studio Daily and Oliver Peters at Digital Video each had the opportunity to interview The Bourne Legacy’s editor John Gilroy, and through their respective articles, share what it was like to work with his family on the project (his brother Tony Gilroy was the writer-director and his other brother Dan Gilroy co-wrote the screenplay), how he managed editing on such a tight production schedule, and the various places he set up his Avid Media Composer to make sure he got the job done. Here are a few sound bites from Gilroy that were captured in the interviews. Check out Oliver’s full interview on DV and Bryant’s on StudioDaily.

On Family:

“As an editor, I work in much the same way with Tony as I do with other directors. I try to understand the vision of the film they’re trying to make, in big ways and small… I’ve certainly known Tony longer than any other director I’ve ever worked with or ever will, so there is undoubtedly shorthand to that sort of understanding, but essentially the process is the same.” – DV

“People would say, 'Well, how are they going to get along?' But we always got along. We have a very similar sensibility and it's a pleasure working with him. It's totally organic.” – Studio Daily

On a Fast Production Schedule:

“This was a long shooting schedule and a short post schedule, so that puts some extra pressure on the editorial process….Probably the biggest challenge for me was that the film’s most complicated action sequences were shot in the Philippines at the end of the schedule instead of at the beginning or the middle. There were all sorts of visual effects that had to be delivered, so I had to hone some very complex sequences very quickly.” – DV

"We had a long shooting schedule and a very short post schedule…I only had 10 real weeks to put the thing to bed after we stopped shooting. So we were working hard from the get-go, and moving quickly." – Studio Daily

On Avid:

“I’ve thought about trying out other software—like [Apple] Final Cut—in between films, there was never a real need. I’m happy that Avid has been able to keep improving itself over the years with various small innovations” – DV

“’The size of the team expanded until, near the end of post-production, close to 15 editors were each working on an Avid Media Composer connected to a Unity shared storage network,’ Gilroy and first assistant Harrison set up a couple of Avids [Media Composer] in a hotel room near the shoot, where they could consult closely with the director during the final weeks of principal photography.” – Studio Daily

Kudos to John Gilroy and his team for an amazing film and a big thanks for sharing your story!

The Pro Connection - Filmmaker Kevin Smith Answers Student Questions

Mark Williams — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 07:08:00 GMT

Filmmaker and nascent media mogul Kevin Smith has opinions. Yes he does. And more than just opinions, he has answers. Now that sounds bold, ostentatious even. But it's true. With a track record that includes some of the most beloved films in the indie-cinema canon, Kevin Smith has forged his own path his entire career. He's struggled against the forces of self-doubt, championed his audiences, and seen more sides of the film industry than many of us would ever hope to. And it has made him stronger. And wiser. And it has given him insight. And dare I say actual answers to some of the most pressing questions on the minds of young filmmakers just beginning their own careers.

In a series of Q&A talks, Kevin Smith tackles questions from film students about editing, writing, distribution and a myriad of other topics and answers them with his trademark brand of wit, wisdom, honesty, and (be forewarned) seriously coarse language. But the words ring true.

Check out Episode #2: Editing Philosophy and let us know what you think in the comment section. Be sure to check out the other episodes in the playlist while you're there.

In Kevin's own words, "Making movies is easy. Pull-up's are hard!"

NBC Olympics Chooses Avid for Sixth Consecutive Broadcast of Olympic Games

AlissaV — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Another exciting morning at NAB where we’re excited to announce that we will deploy the most comprehensive Avid workflow in the history of NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group to support its coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games taking place in London, England, July 27-August 12, 2012.

With just 100 days to go until the Summer games begin, this marks NBC’s Olympics division’s and Avid's sixth consecutive Summer or Winter Games working together, NBC’s Olympics division’s broadcast facility will house employees responsible for delivering 17 consecutive days of Olympic coverage. At the heart of this massive undertaking is the Avid Interplay Media Asset Management (MAM) system. Serving in conjunction with third party vendors, SONY and Harmonic, the Interplay MAM system will be used to create two simultaneous feeds for use in London and at NBC’s Olympics division’s headquarters in New York City.

All of the video content’s metadata, including all athletic content, will be ingested directly from

Sony’s XDCam Station into Avid’s Interplay MAM system and, once there, replicated from London to New York using Harmonic’s MediaGrid and ProCast solutions. In New York, media coming from Interplay MAM will be used by more than 40 users to create highlights for web distribution. London-based users and editors will get immediate access to Olympic footage, which can then be transferred from Interplay MAM to Avid’s ISIS® shared storage for use in multi-user, simultaneous production across multiple networks and news feeds.

HD nonlinear edit suites in London’s International Broadcast Center (IBC) are outfitted with seven Avid Symphony and 26 Media Compose systems for high-end editing and 5.1 surround sound. The systems will be connected to Avid ISIS shared storage and Avid Interplay production asset management systems. Users will be able to quickly browse the Interplay MAM proxy and transfer material faster than real-time for use in Symphony and Media Composer editing software applications. AirSpeed® 5000 is used in conjunction with ISIS 7000 to create turnkey production islands at the Olympic venues, including gymnastics, swimming, diving, and track and field.

For more information please visit: http://bit.ly/IKVIA5

Avid Announces NAB 2012 Technology Demonstrations, Customer Presentations and Live Webcast

AlissaV — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:00:00 GMT

As we count down the days to NAB 2012, we’re excited to share our lineup for the show, which includes presentations from renowned customers and the largest array of new product announcements from Avid at NAB in more than a decade. Additionally, we’ll be offering overviews of our recently released solutions including Pro Tools® 10, Media Composer® 6 and Avid Interplay® Media Asset Manager (MAM) 4. Follow the news as it happens and see which customers will join us on the main stage at the show.

Get Avid News Live on Sunday, April 15, 2012

We’re excited to host a live press event and simultaneous webcast to announce our latest solutions on Sunday, April 15 at 4:00 p.m. PT. A live online Q&A session with Avid experts will immediately follow the webcast. To participate, visit http://www.avid.com/nab and select the registration option.]

Technology Demonstrations

If you’re able to join us at the show, come visit us in the South Hall at Booth SU902 to see technology demonstrations highlighting integrated news, sports, and TV production workflows that enable users to create amazing content and business value. We’ll also feature demonstrations of our industry-leading creative tools, including Symphony 6, Media Composer 6, Pro Tools 10, Avid DS, ICON, and System 5 mixing consoles for broadcast and post production. Avid solutions will also be showcased in more than 60 Avid Partner Booths, reinforcing our commitment to open, collaborative workflows.

Avid Customers to Share their experiences at NAB 2012

We’re thrilled to have several of our customers join us to share their stories at the show. Customer presentations on the main stage in our booth (SU902) will include the following guest speakers:

-- Morgan Spurlock (Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan’s Hope, Failure Club, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, A Day in the Life, Super Size Me)

-- Eddie Hamilton (X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass, Resident Evil: Apocalypse)

-- BellMedia, Matthew Sherman and Michael Nunan

-- Discovery, Randall Rike

-- Person of Interest, Scott Weber and Keith Rogers from the Audio Team; and Joshua Levey, associate producer, and Ryan Malanaphy, assistant editor from the Picture Editorial Team

-- San Francisco Giants, Paul Hodges, Brad Martens, Chris Gargano

Avid will also be on hand at several NAB 2012 events including the following:

Avid and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus will come together outside NAB Central Hall 5 entrance, offering public tours on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of the state-of-the art mobile studio that visits schools, festivals and industry events all over the U.S. Documentary film maker Morgan Spurlock will be on board for a live stream event on April 17 at 5pm PDT. Outfitted with Avid’s latest audio and video offerings, including Media Composer 6, Pro Tools 10 and the new Pro Tools|HDX System, the John Lennon Bus is a self-contained professional recording studio and post facility dedicated to providing students of all ages with free hands on opportunities to make music and produce professional video projects

-- MediaMotion Ball, Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, April 16, 5:30- 10:30 p.m. PDT

-- Eleventh Annual Las Vegas SuperMeet, New Tropicana Hotel, April 17, 4:00-11:00 p.m. PDT

For more information and to stay connected with Avid at the show or online at NAB 2012:

-- Visit the Avid at Booth #SU902, Las Vegas Convention Center -- April 16-19, 2012

-- Visit Avid.com/NAB2012 for more details on session times, live webcast information and information about Avid at NAB 2012.

-- For daily updates during the show, check Avid’s "Industry Buzz" blog, and follow Avid on Twitter: @Avid, and Facebook: http://www.avid.com/facebook.

. . . And the Awards Go To . . .

AlissaV — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Sunday evening marked the exciting conclusion of the winter awards season, and today Avid congratulates its many customers who were recognized as award nominees and winners at the Oscar®, GRAMMY®, and ACE Eddie Awards, collectively the world’s most prestigious ceremonies that honor music, film and television industry professionals. Avid and its customers were also recognized for their contributions to the craft of sound mixing in films and television at the 48^th Annual Cinema Audio Society Awards.

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards kicked things off on February 12, 2012, honoring dozens of our customers for their contributions and achievements in music and the recording arts. Artists, producers and engineers using Avid's audio solutions took home awards for Record and Song of the Year, as well as Producer of the Year, Best New Artist, and Pop, Alternative, R&B, Rap, Dance and Country Albums of the Year. Honored albums powered by Avid Pro Tools included Adele's 21, Kanye West's My Dark Twisted Fantasy, Chris Brown's F.A.M.E., Lady Antebellum's Own the Night and Bon Iver's Bon Iver.

At the 48th Annual Cinema Audio Society Awards, held on February 28, 2012, again our customers were honored for their work on Hugo, in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture and Boardwalk Empire in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Television Series—both mixed on a System 5 digital audio console at Soundtrack NY. In addition, Pro Tools 10 received the CAS Technical Achievement Award for Post Production.

The 62^nd Annual ACE Eddie Awards were also held on February 18, 2012, recognizing the most accomplished editors in television and film. Avid customers honored by the American Cinema Editors during the ceremony include: The Artist (Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical); Freedom Riders (Best Edited Documentary); Cinema Verite (Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television); Breaking Bad: “Face Off” (Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television); Curb your Enthusiasm: “Palestinian Chicken” (Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television); The Descendants (Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic); Rango (Best Edited Animated Feature Film). Joel Cox, A.C.E., (Lifetime Achievement Award).

Heading into the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 26, 2012, Avid customers were well represented—more than 40 were nominated for an Oscar. Eight out of the nine films nominated for best picture used Avid audio or video solutions, including—The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Hugo, Moneyball, The Help, Tree of Life and War Horse. During the ceremony, The Artist, which was edited using Avid Media Composer, was named the winner in the Best Picture category, and customers also took home awards in the Animated Feature Film, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing categories.

Avid was also interviewed by some of the local Boston media to share in our excitement surrounding the highly-anticipated event. Check out: WCVB-TV Boston - Local Company Has Oscar Dreams.

Congratulations again to all of our customers on their creative achievements. As another season comes to a close and with the New Year already in full swing, we can’t wait to see how all of you will use Media Composer®, Pro Tools® and Sibelius® software and more to create the most prestigious, award-winning productions, and most loved media in the world.

Production Apprentice weighs in on Media Composer: ‘Avid Media Composer 6 is everything they said it would be…’

AlissaV — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Check out the latest review of Media Composer 6.0, appearing on Production Apprentice. John DeMaio takes us through his experience getting up and running and provides readers with his comments on several features of the new release, including the updated interface, tabbed bins, 3D, Avid Open I/0, Avid Marketplace and more … a few comments from the review:

“Avid has finally done something that should have been done years ago…tabbed bins! There was the SuperBin, which was alright, I guess. But the ability to create tabs for open bins is simply heaven for me. In the past, there were bins everywhere. It was a giant mess. Even with the SuperBin, I had trouble keeping track of everything. Not anymore. Now I can organize everything and actually see where all of my bins are!”

“However, the biggest change so far is the ability to use third-party hardware. This is the biggest news for me because it means that I can re-purpose my existing Kona 3 card and not have to pay a single dime to upgrade my hardware. So that’s exactly what I did. I downloaded the drivers from AJA and like magic, it was working perfectly. I put it through my normal workload…up-converting from Beta (ok, that doesn’t really happen too often but I did it anyway), down-converting, cross-converting from 720 to 1080 – everything worked as well as it does in FCP.”

“If you want to edit for fun, choose an edit system that’s right for you. However, if you want to edit for a living and work on major motion pictures and television shows…you have to learn how to use Avid. I don’t care what anyone says…Avid is the industry standard and they will continue to rise. Especially after this release.”

Check out the full review for all of the details ....

For more information about the latest version of Media Composer, visit www.avid.com/mc or try it out for yourself with a free 30-Day trial. If you’re just getting started with Media Composer, be sure to visit our Avid Community forum – Media Composer: Getting Started Fast.