The ACE have just posted the results of their 2007 equipment survey.  As it deals with post detailing trends over the last four years, it makes very interesting reading.

Particularly interesting comments about ScriptSync there too.

I don't know why feature editors seem to be cool to it- perhaps they see it as a threat, a hassle or just plain don't need it.

The new version is much faster and easier to use.

When this software is finally able to create transcripts instead of just matching prepared ones to avid clips,  it will be a runaway hit because it will save $$$ and time for transcription services and put a lot of typists out of work.

itmatters:

I don't know why feature editors seem to be cool to it-

I'm pretty sure that ScriptSync is mostly interesting for dialogue driven scenes. That rules out a whole league of films.

Agreed.   There was also the issue of not being able to easily make big changes to a synced script that had numerous clips attached- though maybe that's been improved as well.

It might be that all the prep work required is seen as non-creative, non-volitile, as adding a secondary timeline and ultimately a distraction from the real job  which relies on traditional avid tools (like Sub Sequences, Group clips, Locators) along with the promise of improvisation and very personalized strategies by the editor.

An Avid/ YouTube demo of how to do it would help new users. The docs are way too detailed & complicated, imo

Man, I find this tough to take seriously.  Is ACE even relevant anymore?  This survey is based on 105 returns...only a third of the active membership.  I really see nothing new here that we have not discussed on these forums already.  The author talks about Avid trying to "dump" Apple.  How long ago was that?  Aren't we past that?  In the 'Edit System" box, it shows Adrenaline, Xpro and "Avid".  What does "Avid" mean and why did it drop from 50% to 25% in a year?  35mm increased in 2007 and HD 24p dropped?  Isn't this counter to what we all are seeing?  This is miles away from being a true statiscal survey on industry trends

I apologize for ripping this, and it is interesting reading, but IMHO it should not be given much weight.

What I found interesting about ScriptSync was the comment "Those who like it are, in general, passionate supporters.  It is probable others don’t understand it well, or have not been able to usefully apply it to their own situation."

I see that as a generally positive indicator for the future of ScriptSync, not negative.  You would expect such a new product not to have a massive usage figure.

Scriptsync is half of why I use Avid, it's dissapointing to see it not appreciated.

It's particularly useful for working with a director who doesn't know anything about Avid. They can just point to a take and a line and I'm right there. It's much more visual and intuitive than bins and clips. Those are usually never opened again after scriptsyncing is done.

 

switthaus:

Man, I find this tough to take seriously.  Is ACE even relevant anymore?  This survey is based on 105 returns...only a third of the active membership.  I really see nothing new here that we have not discussed on these forums already.  The author talks about Avid trying to "dump" Apple.  How long ago was that?  Aren't we past that?  In the 'Edit System" box, it shows Adrenaline, Xpro and "Avid".  What does "Avid" mean and why did it drop from 50% to 25% in a year?  35mm increased in 2007 and HD 24p dropped?  Isn't this counter to what we all are seeing?  This is miles away from being a true statiscal survey on industry trends

I apologize for ripping this, and it is interesting reading, but IMHO it should not be given much weight.

 Agree,

but the thing I was mostly surpricing about is the develpoment of FCP,

2004: 13%

2005. 14%

2006: 13%

2007: 18%

That indicates the FCP hype is just a hype and FCP do not gain any major market shares.

 

switthaus:

This survey is based on 105 returns...only a third of the active membership. 

That should not be a problem. More important is whether or not the taken sample is representative and to determine what it is representative of.

Is ACE even relevant anymore?

Relevant to what? I would think so, but that's me watching from a distance.

What does "Avid" mean and why did it drop from 50% to 25% in a year?

Well, less "other Avids" (I guess a lot of older Meridiens) were used, and more Adrenalines (they went up, right?).

switthaus:

35mm increased in 2007 and HD 24p dropped?

Well, the same happened over here. At least, as long as we are talking about features. A little less HD24p and a bit more 35mm. For some folks, HD production was a disappointment. For others, different projects have different requirements (would you should regular HDCAM in the snow?). Especially 35mm 3-perf has increased here over the last 3 years. In documentaries, I think P2 has been coming up really strong (creating all kinds of workflow challenges for inhouse editing departments of production companies).

Either way, the survey is not completely uninteresting.

One of the things I notice here in my country is that most feature editors use Avids (mostly Adrenaline), whereas FCP has a much higher penetration in documentary production. Since the survey does not distinguish between show types, I can't tell how it is over there.

One other thing that seems to happen here is that on features here, we used to have only one system (with assistants and apprentices in night and weekend shifts), whereas most folks now work with more than one system.

 

Berga -

These numbers certainly seem to indicate that, but remember who they come from.  And the huge gains in Adrenaline just don't make sense.  Again, I would really be wary of anyone taking this survey as a true indicator of "industry trends".  This almost certainly is not a "scientific survey" but rather an overview of those members who decided to respond.  Also, this is a survey where almost 40% of the participants rate themselves as just 'competent' or below in terms of knowing the technology.

Job -  I too find this survey interesting, but taken with a huge grain of salt and not to be viewed as "industry trends".  A better title would have been "Trends in the ACE".

by relevant, I mean relevant to our business and the explosion of new editors and media outlets.  ACE used to have some sway and it was a good thing to have after your name, but that does not seem to be the case.  Maybe still the case in the feature world, but not so much outside of Hollywood?

A true survey will have descriptors on how the sample was taken.  The author merely stated that less than 1/3rd of the active membership replied, and he thought that was "pretty good".

As far as the generic "Avid" term, I would love to see a more accurate descriptor of this in the survey.

HD/35mm - In the spot world, I am seeing more and more file based production, holding steady on HDCam24p and less 35/s16mm (much to my sadness, as I still think well shot 35 can't be matched).  Of course, like the ACE survey, this cannot be considered an accurate survey of the industry!!  :-)

Unlike Berga above, I find it troubling that this very narrow survey shows a 5% increase in FCP use.  The TV, MOW, MS and film folk have always been a strong bastion of support for Avid products.  Any erosion of marketshare amongst this group must be viewed with concern in Tewks.  What this could indicate is a larger trend outside of this particular group of editors.

best -

SW

 

Scott,

I can not disagree with You. As a trained economist and statistican, these type of surveys is bread and butter for me. I also know that the organisation only represent a fraction of the market.

I will comment the label, Avid. I think it is just a generic term for every Avid NLE, You can not think about shares between different systems within the Avid family. You shuld read that line like this, - I use some sort of Avid system, I do not know which.

My remarks about FCP was just because lots of people claims that Apple is the gigant leap, especialy of heig profile editors, from Avid to Apple. The figures in this survey, show that there is no increase in market shares for Apple during the last five years in this particular part of the NLE market. 2007 is the only year which differ, but I am not shure if it will make a significant chance or just a stocastic change. It is just a difference in 7 persons answers.

We may remember that 2007 was the year then lots of things developed in the HD-market and Avid have nothing to come with during that year. This year, Avid have a entire new line of products, which answers to the demand.

There maybe an increase in other parts of the market, and this may be a more significant part of the entire NLE, market, but I have not got any data about that.