Online Editor/Finishing Artist Barry Goch has a string of credits to his name, current and past clients include Sony Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, FOX, New Line, MGM, Paramount, and Warner Bros. In 2011 alone, he’s served on such shows as Charlie’s Angels, Traffic Light, Desperate Housewives, and Modern Family.

If that isn’t enough, Goch makes himself and his experience available to the filmmaking community by contributing to Post Magazine. Additionally, he has also presented two webinars, one on GenArts Sapphire Sparks and one on Davinci Resolve. Considering the caliber of his work and his willingness to share, Barry Goch was a natural choice to talk about Autodesk’s Smoke.

PVC: Can you talk a little bit about your editorial experience — specifically the latest television shows you’ve worked on Heart of Dixie and The Lying Game.

BG: I’m an online editor and Smoke is a great tool to have in the toolbox. For example, although I online Heart of Dixie in Avid Symphony, there are always shots that are impossible to pull off in the Avid that I do in Smoke. The last episode I did, I had to do two iPhone screen inserts that needed complex 4 point tracking and they benefitted from realistic motion blur which I can add in Smoke. I’m onlining The Lying Game in Smoke and the speed of the Smoke interface with its gestural editing is great for getting the show done fast.

PVC: With the myriad of new camera systems used by productions, how does Smoke handle the various file formats?

BG: In the latest Subscription Advantage Pack for Smoke 2012, Smoke now supports RED Epic HDRx footage. The Lying Game is shot on RED and our workflow is to convert the files to DPX frames for the finish because it works great in our finishing pipeline.

PVC: How does Smoke compare to other NLEs on the market?

BG: Smoke has the horsepower for finishing in a time sensitive environment, and it’s all in one system with paint, tracking, and compositing so there is no need to bounce in between different apps to get the job done. It’s one stop shopping. For example, on a recent Heart of Dixie there was a stock shot that identifiable store signs that I painted out in Smoke. The Action compositor works in true 3D space and has advanced relighting and shadow casting comparable to a 3D application. The Modular Keyer has advanced tools and a node based flowgraph environment for nailing the most complex keys.

PVC: Can you talk about a project you’ve completed recently that you just wouldn’t have been able to pull off without Smoke?  

BG: Since I can’t show you unaired TV shows, I can point you to a spec spot I did earlier in the year that features some of the highlights of the system such as compositing using Action, color correcting (including secondaries), tracking, and motion graphics. (see video at the top of this article).

FTC Disclosure: The creation of this article was partially subsidized by Autodesk. Although they approved the general subject, they had no control over its editorial content.