That was a really long sentence.

Yes, at Explore Media we write.

We also produce/direct/edit and manage the entire workflow associated with video production.  Our main methods of storytelling are image/brand storytelling videos for organizations, and television commercials for a variety of niches in our region near the Chicago, South Bend, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne video production markets.  For our editors, and producers on the budget side, the release of Final Cut X has recently forced us to re-evaluate the top editing systems.

Like good playmates in the ever-changing social sandbox, we’ve decided to share what we found.  We hope you enjoy our test of the new Avid Media Composer 6 and Final Cut Pro X platforms, and our comparisons between those two editors and the program we’ve cut many an HD story on in recent years: Final Cut Pro 7.  Following is our review on the entire post-production process, from loading footage to project archiving, conducted and written by our lead editor, Michael Dicken.  Enjoy, download, and share the Explore Media Editing Showdown here!

Archiving is no doubt a very important step in maintaining a project for possible future use. The idea in archiving is saving only the media you use and discarding everything else. Of course if you’re smart you will always have the raw material backed up in some dark, cool, dungeon-like location. Also with each of the following programs and with editing in general you always want to save the original project file in several places; just think of all the time it took you to build that 2 MB file.

FCP X
Thankfully Final Cut Pro X has been good enough to maintain a small bit of FCP 7; this being “project management”. Although it is now called “Duplicate Project”, it does not diminish how weird it is that FCP X actually uses the word “Project” here instead of “Event” after being so adamant about using the word “Event” throughout the rest of the program. Sadly the detail oriented structure of FCP 7 is not carried over with the “Duplicate Project” in FCP X. You get three options for project duplication which begs the question, “can you streamline something to death”? Even though “Duplicate Project” is a little too simplified it does get the job done (and pretty quickly I might add!) You also have the option to choose the basics of project placement and what media to include.

Avid Media Composer 6

There are not many ways to get the desired archiving effect within Avid Media Composer 6 that we look for at Explore Media. Sadly there is not a straight forward archiving option within the program. You have the ability to specifically consolidate chosen media within a given bin (and even though you can adjust media handles) this is a far cry from actually archiving a project. The only true way of archiving an Avid project within the software is to drop your timeline (footage) into a bin and then do the “consolidation” option. Being that this area is somewhat limited there are some 3rd party programs which you can choose, but as far as Avid-based archiving it takes someone with a manual approach to make this work.

Final Cut Pro 7

It’s nice to have options in general and FCP 7 has many of them; archiving is no exception. We here at Explore Media, an Indiana video production house located near Fort Wayne, have been happily using the “Media Manage” tool in FCP 7 for years now. What makes the Media Manage tool so effective is the ability to individually adjust every aspect of your managed project. Along with the option of re-compressing media you can also choose your filename structure, as well as a many other exporting options and tweaks, such as being able to see the pre-optimized size of your project compared to the original. Final Cut Pro 7 definitely has the archiving advantage over the competition in this test.

Final Conclusion

These three programs have their individual perks that make them stand out. However after much evaluation Final Cut Pro 7 still holds the title as best overall professional editing software in my opinion because of it’s ease-of-use and intuitive layout, stable structure, balanced editing environment, and best hands-down color option integrated into the software. Avid Media Composer 6 definitely has it’s strong areas, especially when it comes to detailed footage manipulation, RED support and .r3d editing though AMA, and the industry standard in multi-cam editing. Final Cut Pro X is the fastest when it comes to actually editing footage and laying down your timeline, along with a remarkable footage navigation system.  But if you’re like us and focus on custom storytelling for editorial web video & television commercials which have moderate budgets, Final Cut Pro 7 is hands-down the best solution.

It seems that AMC 6 and FCP X haven’t quite stepped out of FCP 7’s shadow; they are both great attempts at complete editing platforms but they both seem limited when compared the solid FCP 7. AMC 6 rates only slightly ahead of FCP X because of it’s RED support; other than that they are neck and neck. I think the one to watch is FCP X and even though it’s not quite up to par now, just give it time, Apple is definitely going to have some positive updates in the future.

Explore Media are the artisans that bring your story to life using not only the latest but the greatest in production gear. Check out our Fort Wayne Video Productions to see our broad brush strokes.

So back to the Lion upgrade.  I’ll have to say, downloading through the iTunes App store was a pain.  The file is 3GB and took a long, long time.  A tip however, once you download the file, you can save it on a USB drive or network and use it for all your other devices, which was helpful when I upgraded our iMac to Lion.  I did a Time Machine backup and also, just for safety, transferred most of my information over to an external hard drive before upgrading.  Even though I’m sure it’s been downloaded in numerous Apple updates since July 2011, I also installed Migration Assistant for Snow Leopard users just for kicks.  If you’re coming from a PC, well first of all: Welcome! you’ll never look back, and secondly here’s the Migration Assistant for Windows to help transfer your files.  After loading Lion OS X, I think I could’ve avoided the time-wasting backups because (segway) it was very easy to install!
EASE OF INSTALL  After doing all of these steps, once the computer restarted I really was surprised how little looked differently from before; I remember in the old days going from Windows 98 to XP to Vista it felt like you were starting from scratch and had to relink many programs, or simply start anew.  With Lion, this is more like just an update…the computer took about 30 minutes to load the program, I restarted, and voila everything was back just fine.

AESTHETICS The first thing you notice about Lion OS X is how much the interface looks exactly like Snow Leopard.  If you’re a design type, you’ll notice most of the changes in Mac’s core productivity programs:  iCal, Address Book, Mail.  The other additions of iCloud, Mission Control, and Launchpad are modern-looking with a shiny silver surface and silhouetted icon looks.  Other programs like Mail also look sleeker, but some programs like iCal and Address Book look a little more “app-like” and cartoon-ish.  Address Book for some reason has an interface that looks like you are thumbing through a book, albeit a cheesy computer-generated book.  I haven’t yet found a way to turn this off and go back to my minimalist-looking and easier to use Address Book.  The same goes for iCal:  there now is a brown leather graphic top bar which is supposed to look like the old tear-away desk calendars.  Not awful but interesting why in our post-modern age the look needs to go back to cartoon representations.  Again, these are just aesthetics, more on other functions later.

COMPATIBILITY  Let’s face this question head-on; the only real question people care about when upgrading an Operating System (OS) is if all their programs, files, photos, music and networks will work on the new system.  Besides Apple’s decision to make the aforementioned Final Cut Pro 7 not compatible with Lion, everything else…all of my programs, files, folders, networks, emails, photos, music and even my Time Machine settings were exactly as before.  Lion gets an absolute A+ in this category, this couldn’t have worked any better or more seamlessly.
TRACKPAD  First impression of Trackpad when I bought two of them for the office last year: hated it!  Now, with the features available in Lion, I’ve changed my tune.  If iOS 5 is the future of mobile computing, Trackpad is the future of Mousing.  You no longer have to navigate near the amount of real estate (meaning from the bottom of the screen to the top left corner, etc.) that you would with a mouse.  Instead of having to go to the top left corner of your web browser to go back and forward, you simply use two fingers to swipe left or right.  Instead of having to look up a word’s meaning by copying and pasting in a browser or thesaurus, you simply double-tap with three fingers on any word and voila…it’s meaning or thesaurus functions.  Instead of manually zooming in and out, or using keyboard shortcuts, you simply use two-fingers and pinch in to zoom, pinch out to zoom out.  Instead of using your mouse and wrist to go to the bottom of the screen and click on another application window, you simply swipe left or right to go between applications.  These are just the basic Trackpad functions, but the future of mousing is here and I personally am excited to see what new functions will come next!

iCLOUD  In the business of professional digital video production, the decisions on how/where to store video files are ever-changing targets.  Some companies use Digital Tape systems, some are still using old analog (called digital but still analog in reality) tapes, some entirely digital as 0’s and 1’s on hard drives, but all of these solutions require a physical copy or server on location.  Ultimately the future of video storage and what everyone in the high-definition video editing industry is waiting for is a cloud solution available cheaply to the masses.  Large production houses and studios already use these services at a steep, steep price.  But iCloud is what I would consider a free, easy, fun way to experiment and train you to think in terms of off-site storage.  And at a free 5GB for all users, iCloud is coming in the market fairly strong.

To the average retail user, here’s how it works:  say you’re like me and have a laptop, an ipad, and an iphone.  Before you had to use iTunes as the hub to sync and keep all your contacts, calendars, mail, apps and music organized.  Let’s face it though…iTunes is great at music, not so great at being the hub.  The ever-changing licensing, sharing and networking issues when working between machines, Apple IDs, etc. have everyone confused and put-off (hey, it’s MY music library why is Apple telling me I can’t share with my wife…we have joint banking accounts but can’t have a joint Apple account?).  Now, you sign-up for iCloud using your Apple ID (use the same one associated with your iTunes library; trust me), and make sure you sign up for iCloud on all your other devices with the same Apple ID (see below for more on Apple ID).  Next, you have the ability to turn on, or off, programs like Address Book, iCal, Mail, and Reminders.  By doing this, your information is then stored securely and available to your devices (in my case an ipad and my iphone.)  The best part?  You don’t have to even mess with syncing through iTunes anymore…iCloud updates automatically in the background.

If you turn on “Photo Stream”, a photo you take on your iphone will automatically appear in the photo streams of your ipad, and in iPhoto on your desktop or laptop.  Another great touch is the files are also available for download and editing online at www.icloud.com on any device, even PCs at the airport or hotel, or like me on my wife’s iMac that is associated with another Apple ID.  iCloud does have some issues with being almost too simple, some might say it’s Apple being too controlling, but I’d like to have more editing capabilities…especially with Photo Stream when you want to delete photos they still are online.  You can read more about Photo Stream here, and you can read how to reset your Photo Stream here!
If you’re a creative business with digital storage needs, and someone who might go on location to take photos or video, iCloud is preparing you for an amazingly streamlined future.  Imagine taking photos in a studio, or video on location, and the files you take are immediately sent to the Cloud, and then downloaded instantly to any laptop or editing computer.  Photographers have been doing this for a short while, but video professionals, producers, directors, and DPs would have a process that saves uber-time in the post-production process for editors.  You could even edit footage moments after being shot, where currently you lose at least a day when you have to take footage after a shoot, transfer and backup the digital HD video files, and then load into your editing program.  Right now, video files are too big at 1080p or higher (2K or 4K) to use this solution, but as compression advancements allow for smaller files and bandwidths get bigger, this Cloud storage workflow for video professionals is coming soon!  Overall I’m giving iCloud a thumbs-up.
APPLE ID  A quick note on your Apple ID:  you’ll not only need an Apple ID to use the new Lion, it will need to be an email of some sort.  You’ll have an opportunity to convert your old non-email Apple ID to a new email Apple ID when first starting the new Lion OS, and it does keep all of your itunes associations, purchases, apps, music seamlessly.  However, you might be like me and run into an issue: my Apple ID was not an email, but the email I needed to convert it to already had an Apple ID associated with it.  What I found is that through a weird quirk, Apple cannot (or at least they say they can’t) delete an Apple ID.  I’m sure this is because they don’t want to deal with accidentally deleting anyone’s iTunes purchases and dealing with the nightmare of restoring those.  A quick way around this if you run into the issue is to go to https://appleid.apple.com, login your Apple ID that is associated with an email (but may have never been used, have no purchases associated with it, etc.).  Change your Apple ID to a different email address, freeing up your ideal email address to be used when you convert your old Apple ID to a new one that has to be an email address.  A quick recap:  your old Apple ID is johnsmith.  All of your music, apps, movies, and other iTunes purchases are associated with this Apple ID.  When starting Lion, it says you must convert this old Apple ID (johnsmith) to an email.  In my example, the email I wanted to go to was johnsmith@hotmail.com.  But when I tried this, Apple said that the email was already associated with another Apple ID (a mistake when signing up for Mobile Me or another Apple product in years past).  You simply login to the Apple ID at the website here, and then change the Apple ID of johnsmith@hotmail.com to another email.  This frees up that email to be used now to convert your old Apple ID (johnsmith) to your new Apple ID (johnsmith@hotmail.com) without losing any of your purchases in iTunes.  Confused?  email me…
THINGS I LOVE  Swiping with Trackpad has redefined the mouse, plain and simple, and may redefine your carpal tunnel future.  iCloud is imperfect, but a great start to having your own network, but a better network that is located in the cloud so you don’t have to be at your laptop to access that document or calendar or song; it’s on your phone, your ipad, and your laptop all at once, without you worrying about the sync part.  And it’s available on any device with an internet connection at www.icloud.com.  Launchpad where you can buy apps and navigate them like on an iPad is still a ways away, but will be the future of computing.  Think of all the fun you can now have on your laptop or desktop using those innovative apps made for an iPad or iPhone!  Upgrading from Snow Leopard to Lion OS X was a snap, and the compatibility of most new programs now, seven months after release, is truly a non-issue.

THINGS I’LL MISS  I do miss the old Address Book, it was easier to navigate and recently I had been using it more and more to keep notes and info about practically anything.  With it’s instantaneous load time and search capability, I can put keywords in the notes of any contact, giving me the ability to find what I need to find much quicker than with a spreadsheet or online CRM.  The new address book takes a step backward in my opinion with it’s cheesy book-like graphical interface, and is a little clunkier to use; still better than spreadsheet or CRM, but I’ll miss the old Address Book.  It’s also going to take me some time to get used to the “Search” function in Mail.  It’s not nearly as easy as the old “Search” in Snow Leopard Mail, where just by typing in part of a name it automatically would pull up any mail that matched those letters.  You can still get there, but you have to take an extra step.

Overall, as an Indiana video production company specializing in custom digital HD productions & television commercials, Lion is a logical upgrade and one which allows our team at Explore Media to use our creativity more freely between all of our devices.  As a director and producer, I’m always on the go between rooms, offices, and locations so iCloud is a game changer.  And as a company who leans heavily on images and words dreamed up, acquired, edited, color-corrected, finished and posted digitally, Mac Lion OS X is the way to go.  Happy directing & producing your next project, contact us to begin the dreaming process!

Think this doesn’t make sense?  2 years ago, I would’ve agreed, but talk to young people and see where they spend their time watching video…it’s online.  Though you can use mobile apps to highjack your cable or satellite TV, to me it’s proven much easier to search and watch YouTube on a mobile device.  The problem is until now the content is very segmented and different than broadcast television (I don’t have much time for cat tricks or jackass stunts…my guilty pleasure is watching musical performances).

Some thoughts others bring up in this article arguing for the benefits of online television distribution are interesting.  Fans can engage with the shows, providing informative and social-bonding opportunities.  A-list actors can use online segmentation to get even more creative with their choices of roles and cameos.  The biggest question I have is this:  once your television signal is the same as your internet signal, the choice becomes do you want to watch a constant stream on NBC or CBS where you don’t have a choice, or do you want to search and find your programming at www.nbc.com?  My guess is that it may come down to where you’re at and what mood you’re in.

The interesting question is what happens to the market for TV commercials?  For marketers and advertisers and the subsequent film and video production community who produce, write, direct, edit, score, color-correct, animate, create motion graphics, shoot, capture audio, grip, mold lighting situations, find talent, locations, style props & backgrounds, craft food, and too many other niches to mention…this could be a seismic shift.  It’s proven people don’t tolerate sitting through more than 1 commercial when viewing online; that seems to point to a huge reduction in video or film-captured commercials; but what happens when television and online become truly one?  This hasn’t happened yet, but certainly not for the lack of technology.  My guess is that with two distinct revenue streams (online and broadcast) there’s no desire for the nbc, cbs, espn, and hbo’s of the world to combine their signals…it’ll be interesting to see as generational shifts happen if shows like YouTube’s “Young Hollywood” cause a serious enough dent in the Jay Leno-Dave Letterman-Jimmy Fallon type of broadcast.

Of course, NBC could always just simulcast The Tonight Show live on YouTube as well, and everyone still wins.  Regardless, the consumer wins!

If you’re a college or university Explore Media produces content for both broadcast and online…and you’ve still got time to produce content for both!  We specialize in storytelling for organizations, and we’d love to help you get the word out! Checkout our work only for universities here, and if you want to gander at our other digital HD videos and TV spots, click here!

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in FCP X is the death of Apple Color. Originally a $25K program, it was a very powerful resource in FCP 7. Apple has simply copied all of the other editing platforms using in-program software plugins. The color matching plugin is a great tool and the grading options are what is to be expected with plugins but there is much lacking in the way of traditional professional coloring options.

Graphics need to be done within other programs for quality purposes. FCP X does come with a nice set of plugins but for professional work these options will never cut it. FCP X does not yet have XML support which is essential in sending a raw timeline into programs like Adobe After Effects without rendering and losing a certain amount of quality. There are some 3rd party AppleScript programs that will do the job but until Apple gets the XML straightened out (which they are working on) it puts a serious damper on other professional options. At the moment shots need to be rendered out of FCP X and imported into your color/graphics/animation software.

Avid Media Composer 6

For in program color correction AMC 6 uses some 3rd party plugins but for the most part Avid is not trying to appeal to a broad novice market; therefore it is expected that you would use an external resource for color correction. I’ve found that AAF files will open nicely in DaVinci Resolve (the leading software in professional color correction).

AMC 6 is also very smooth when it comes to using EDL and other scripting options for graphic effects. AMC 6 has some graphic plugins, however it is expected that most of this work will be done by a separate professional program.

Final Cut Pro 7

Hands down FCP 7 is still the best option for color/graphics/animation interplay. Originally packaged with Apple Color, FCP 7’s seamless timeline to Apple Color is a very quick and powerful option. Apple Color can still hold its own against DaVinci Resolve (which is a color-force to be reckoned with)! On top of being bundled with Apple Color, FCP 7 also contains color plugins for those less adept.

Using EDL is an easy way of taking the FCP 7 timeline into other programs. FCP 7 also has many graphic plugins as well as some great professional plugins from Red Giant.

Conclusion

Final Cut Pro 7 is hands down the best option when it comes to color correction and professional graphics/animation interplay. Avid Media Composer 6 realizes that the professional is not going to use a plugin for color correction/graphics/animation so it allows for cross-software communication. Final Cut Pro X is still a baby and needs to develop more in the way using external sources. Apple is working on these changes and hopefully we’ll see them within the upcoming versions.

Explore Media brings your story to life with the best in professional editing. Check out our Fort Wayne Video Productions to see our final cuts.

FCP X

For A-roll transcriptions as well as exporting to tape we use bars and tone quite a bit. FCP X does not have a “generate bars and tone” option so one has to import a clip with bars and tone already imbedded. Editing a clip from audio is important when creating a-roll selections. Audio in FCP X is not quite what it used to be; the audio editing is now kept within the sequence tracks which are not as detailed as the FCP 7 audio preview window. The benefit that scares a lot of editors is the magnetic timeline which makes it incredibly difficult to have flash-frames. I found the magnetic timeline to be very intuitive and helpful, and a great way to tweak a sequence. At this moment there is no RED support in FCP X but Apple has announced they are in development.

Editing in FCP X feels smooth and solid. All of the controls and shortcuts one would expect with a professional editing system are all accounted for. There is a very small learning curve with FCP X and the speed at which footage is processed has to be seen to be believed. A-roll can be edited almost the same as FCP 8 it just takes time to get used to using one viewer window for both preview and timeline viewing.  B-roll editing is also very similar to FCP 8 and with the magnetic timeline it is very exact.

AVID 6

There is a nice benefit to cutting a-roll in AMC 6, the interview footage can be organized into a timeline and the timeline can be loaded into the preview window and then pulled down. This is a benefit over FCP because they do not allow you to load sequences into the viewer for editing into your timeline. There are many ways of restricting timeline control with the Smart Tool Controller; this helps with tweak editing and contours the system to an individuals own editing style; however coming from a FCP background, I’ve found myself often leaving this function off. The timeline is more like filmstrip editing where your footage is the only existing material (no open tracks). AMC 6 has a powerful multi-cam function as well as the ability to edit raw RED files using AMA support and manipulate their meta-data. Avid definitely has it’s own method of editing which may feel a bit restrictive at first to a seasoned FCP user  but once you understand the concept it’s actually quite intuitive.

FCP 8

The abandoned (by Apple) gold standard of editing. Final Cut Pro 8 is still a force in the editing world and most likely will be until Apple gets FCP X ironed out. Both b-roll and a-roll are a breeze in FCP 8 which offers a variety of ways to achieve that final edit. My biggest qualm with FCP 8 is the ease at which you can relay on mouse editing; which is ok for beginners but the speed will always be in the keystroke. The structure of the FCP 8 system is very straightforward and uses the traditional viewer to timeline editing. RED/7D/5D footage cannot be handled in their native format with FCP 8. There are also transcoding issues with some footage types which has led us to use 3rd party transcoding software (aka. MPEG Streamclip).

Conclusion

In their own way all three of these editing systems have even benefits when it comes to a-roll/b-roll editing. The most intuitive system would have to be FCP X which makes editing super streamlined, quick and almost ridiculously easy. AMC 6 has perhaps the most controllable means of editing along with a more detailed structure and a bit of a learning curve. FCP 8 feels solid and finished and is perhaps at a half-way point between the other two systems usability. I would have to weight in that all three systems are equal when it comes to getting the edit done. All three can be equally as fast with the only variance being their individual learning curves.

Explore Media edits using the latest in video editing software. Check out our Fort Wayne Video Productions to see our edits in action!

Final Cut Pro X

Final Cut Pro X has perhaps the most interesting method of handling footage. At fist glance an editor might freakout at the lack of traditional bins or even a footage viewer for that matter. However the bins do exist but they now are now called “keywords” which are much more overarching and functional than standard bins. With FCP X sub-clips are a thing of the past; by being able to apply multiple keywords, “favoriting” in and out points within your shot and naming the shot, your footage is accessible on a much more complex level. Viewing your footage is what really makes this program sleeker than the competition; simply scroll your curser over the footage thumbs and it will jog, hit spacebar and it will play. This system is a true visually based way of knowing your footage with an organizational structure that goes way beyond just  clip and bin.

Avid Media Composer 6

Avid Media Composer 6 uses a much more traditional approach to footage organization and maintains a clean bin structure. The bin master folder can only hold bins (no drop-down reveal) and folders; that may sound restrictive, but to a FCP 7 user this restriction cuts the clutter, and if there are multiple editors working on a project this is a good benefit. The viewer is limited to viewing only items from the bin/folder area; a clip cannot be loaded into the viewer by double-clicking it in the timeline (this is a prominent FCP 7 function). My favorite bin function in Avid 6 is the footage “script view” which allows you attach a comment or script info onto each shot; I could see this working nicely for a-roll logging. Sub-clipping is also possible within Avid 6 along with a color coding option.

Final Cut Pro 7

Final Cut Pro 7 has very logical and straightforward bins. In FCP 7 the bins are simply folders unlike Avid 6 where there is a difference in appearance and operation. Sub-clipping is available in FCP 7. Color coding is a big part of the bin structure but I’ve found that a lot of editors don’t even use this function and if they do they don’t use it as suggested (green = broll, orange = good take). The beautiful part of the FCP 7 bins is it’s loose structure that give the editor many different ways of logging and organizing footage.

Conclusion

All three of these editing programs have their strengths when is comes to footage organization and execution. FCP 7 is like an old friend that seems more open to folder and sub-folder manipulation. Avid 6 had a structure very similar to FCP 7 with a couple of organization restrictions such as the bins/folders only master folder; however Avid makes up for it in level of detail, footage information and the ability to script each shot. FCP X is a whole other animal with accelerated viewing and a visual interface that may actually be faster when it comes to finding that illusive shot; however it only allots for one way of doing things (it might be the best way though). I would rank FCP 7 and FCP X nose and nose with Avid 6 slightly ahead do to it’s comfortable in-depth file structure and scripting/comment system.

Explore Media tests the latest in video editing innovation to deliver the best possible product. Check out our Fort Wayne Video Productions to see innovation in action.

Explore Media searches out the latest and greatest when it comes to all aspects of video production. Check out our Fort Wayne Video Productions to see our creative edge.