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REVIEW - Avid’s Media Composer 5

With the inception of file based workflows, such as P2 and XDCam, editors needed a way to edit with these file-based formats natively, without the need for lengthy imports for footage that should be able to be played back with a simple click of the play button.  Enter AMA (Avid Media Access).  Now editors, with a few button clicks, can work with these formats almost instantly.  But, as it always happens, we wanted more.  What we, as editors REALLY needed was the ability to edit natively with, am I allowed to say this out loud,  formats like Apple’s Pro Res, natively, without importing.  This type of workflow had been a “one-way” workflow for the longest time.  With the widespread availability of the Avid Codec, we could use clips that were exported from Media Composer in other applications like After Effects, and Final Cut Pro, but trying to go the other way, back to Media Composer, was always a long and imported road.  Well Avid, with AMA, has built a bridge back to Media Composer, and the AMA “link to” process in nothing short of amazing.  Check out what I mean.

See what I mean.  Truly amazing!

Now, let me talk about the other “big one”, and that is the new Smart Tool.  Avid editors are accustomed to something that is strange for “outside” editors, and that is its rigidness.  What I mean by that is that Media Composer is not a very flexible editing program.  Not in the way that Final Cut Pro is.  In Media Composer, you edit a very specific way, and it has pretty much gone unchanged for seventeen versions (I think that’s what we’re up to now), and it has made the transition for editors who are trying to go from Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro to Media Composer a difficult one, as they are not accustomed to being “told” how to edit.  They (or should I say we, as I do edit in FCP) are accustomed to throwing clips on the timeline, and adjusting them quickly and easily by dragging and dropping them where ever they want.  Media Composer editors are accustomed to in/out point editing, not drag and drop editing.  Now, the great thing about the new smart tool, is that Media Composer editors don’t need to change their style of editing if they don’t want to, but what Avid has done that is exceptionally smart, and that is open the door for Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro Editors to sit down and edit comfortably,  in no time, with little to no learning curve involved.  Now, multi platform (Avid/FCP) post facilities don’t need to look for “Avid freelance editors”, as great FCP editors out there can sit down and start cutting in MC5 right away.  This is a huge step forward for Avid in recognizing that there are editors working on other editing applications, that NEED to be able to work in Media Composer, and don’t have time to take long and expensive courses.

Now again, I have only looked at two new features in MC5, but what I think is most important to look at with its release is that Media Composer 5 is a major step forward, not just for the application but for the company itself, as they still do make the best editing application on the market, and they have finally realized that to stay on top, they need to listen to their user base, and see what is happening out there in the world with editors in general, and make Media Composer not only the big five’s (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and Hollywood) editing application of choice, but everyone’s editing application of choice with not only its flexibility, but it’s ease of use.  Avid’s Media Composer 5 will be on my 2010 top ten list, and it receives my highest recommendation.  Every editor out there editing on platforms other than Avid NEEDS to check out the 30 day free demo of Media Composer 5, when it hits Avid’s website on June 10th.  You won’t be disappointed.  For all you FCP and Premiere Pro editors out there, I’m doing a free webinar over at New Media Webinars on July 6th.  It’s a Media Composer 5 bootcamp for FCP and PP editors.  We’re giving away a free copy of MC5 and Boris Red, so check it out here.  IT’S FREE!

Kevin P McAuliffe is a Senior Editor at MIJO, in Toronto, Canada.  As always, you can send him an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/kpmcauliffe .

FTC Disclosure: I have not been offered any consideration or compensation from AVID for the review of this product.  It was provided to me as a “Not for Retail” version of the software.

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