The following day, I had a more advanced course put on by the CCE  to show off the latest capabilities of Avid Media Composer 6. The workshop entitled “ What’s new in AVid Media Composer 6 ?” was held at Carbon Computing.

I was there to instruct various editors on the changes, as well as some of the new features within Avid Media Composer 6. This workshop filled up quickly and there was not enough desks for everyone. We also were joined by a few of the York University students who want to learn more about Avid.  I was happy they could make it.

Over the upcoming week I will be returning to Ryerson University to instruct the students there about codecs and advanced compression techniques.  Hopefully if there is time I can also introduce some tips about Avid Media Composer 6 as well.

·         Precision Editing Tools: Avid Studio for iPad is the only app to offer a unique combination of Storyboard and Timeline features, allowing users to arrange clips in the Storyboard, then edit like a pro with the precision of the Timeline, which offers frame-by-frame trimming capability. Avid Studio for iPad also takes full advantage of touch capabilities to offer a fun, easy yet professional level editing experience. For example, with a touch or swipe, users can easily resize and rotate a title directly from the preview window, among other functions.

·         Full Media Access: There are more creative options for editors, with access to all kinds of media—video, audio or photos—in their iPad library as well as access to media from devices via an iPad Camera Connection Kit (sold separately) or from iTunes or other sources. Users can also capture video and photos within the app for use in their projects. The app also automatically recognizes imported media that has been previously organized by albums, events, faces and more—providing fast, easy access.

·         Easy Video and Audio Track Compositing: Users can unleash their creativity by dropping one clip on top of the other in the Storyboard to create a picture-in-picture effect or take advantage of the professionally-designed animated montage themes to layer their photos and videos, all included. Multiple audio tracks also allow for easy layering of music, audio and sound effects to create movie soundtracks.

·         Export to Avid Studio for the PC: Avid Studio for iPad also offers a bridge to the power of the desktop by offering a direct link to Avid Studio software (for PC). Customers who use Avid Studio PC desktop software can continue editing their projects with additional powerful features including sophisticated photo and video correction tools, unlimited timeline tracks, an impressive collection of included content and more.

Download the Avid Studio app HERE

Hollywood filmmaking has always had some of the best gear possible to work with. They general are also use and pioneer many of the technology we use to day. Cameras intrigue us all from small children to hollywood directors. It’s not only the DP that get’s excited about working with them.  There is something of a draw to filmmakers about cameras and seeing the world from a different perspective.  The basic concepts of filmmaking have not changes but the gear has.

Many of the cameras in the past were very large, mainly due to the large film cassettes needed to capture images.  Hollywood films often used large cameras to capture the story or vision of a film.

The first real camera that allowed to bring filmmaking to the independent filmmaker and home was the Bolex. This camera shot on  16mm film was incredibly popular through the 1940 & 50s.  Even up to the late 90’s students were using them to learn the craft of filmmaking. Record times got longer too, anywhere between 2.5 mins to 10mins via Kodak  stock.

In 1983  Sony introduced Betacam these were large over the shoulder type cameras that shot on tape rather than film. This was much cheaper to work with as, there was no negative process. You could see what you shot almost instantly.  Rival VHS may have won the home war for viewing But Betacam became the industry standard for television use. Later Sony would also introduce HD versions known as HDCAM.

In 1995 Sony again revolutionized the industry by bring us MiniDV. A cost effective way to capture video. It set a new standard with the smaller handheld style camera and small tapes This also allowed users to transfer films to PCs or Macs for editing.

2003 -2008 were a boom as we  started to see HD acquisition in the from of HDV.  This was a group of manufactures from the likes of Sony, Canon, and Sharp believe it or not.  We also saw the introduction of tapeless media recording from Panasonic and Sony in the form of the P2 and Sony EX3.

2007 is when hollywood saw the introduction of professional 4K acquisition in the form of RED One. This was a very small camera that record 4K images comparable to the larger cameras used by hollywood. This changed the way technology, editing , and the way we look at filmmaking today.

Canon in 2007 introduced the Canon 5D MKII. Little did they know this little camera would change the way filmmakers and the average consumer shoot films. A still camera that was capable of shooting 1080p video and able to use the large arsenal of still lenses Canon had. What it lacked in audio, and compression in made up in price and image.

Today we see HD filmmaking everywhere. The average consumer can pick up an small HD camera from their local store, or even shoot 1080p film on their iPhones. All this became capable thanks to previous generations of cameras and gear, and what about hollywood?

Well things are changing there too. Cameras are getting smaller and cheaper.  Both Canon and RED are ready to change the market again. With RED launching a very small Scarlet X  no bigger than a DSLR. On the hand Canon ready to revolutionize the filmmaking industry again with their Canon C300, very similar to a DSLR, but now with proper audio and a much improved compression technique.

This indeed is a great time for filmmaking, as we have all the tools needed.  all we need now is the drive to make our visions come alive.

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Avid has now opened up their I/O support to third party hardware manufactures such as AJA, BlackMagic Design, MOTU, Matrox, and Bluefish444. Avid Media Composer 6 has overhauled the core to support a 64 bit native architecture for performance boost. They have also updated to a modern user interface that looks sleek and helps to accelerate your workflow. On top of all of this Avid Media Composer now supports full stereoscopic 3D editorial toolset. Exciting stuff!

I can assure you that both my AJA Kona card and my  Matrox MXO2 ran perfectly well with Avid Media Composer 6. Just remember to have the latest drivers installed.

New User Interface

Avid Media Composer 6 set up could not be easier, within minutes I was off and cutting in this new application. First, let me tell you that editing with this new 64 bit architecture is very powerful,everything seemed quicker and snappier. Avid Media Composer 6 better utilizing multiple cores and ram for a increased performance boost. You can continue to customize your windows and workspaces to your own personal liking. I don’t think I could go back to 32 bit OS. This is the future.

The new UI looks fantastic. It’s not a complete overhaul, so you don’t feel alienated and have to re-learn a whole new NLE, but it’s new enough to feel brand new, and yet still at home with the interface. The UI looks very sleek and feels much more intuitive.

Avid Marketplace

Avid Media Composer 6 introduces a brand new feature known as the Avid Marketplace built right in. Now if you need a plug-in or you are searching for some stock footage, or even training material, simply jump into the marketplace directly from the app and have immediate access. This works very well especially when searching for stock footage, as I was able to drop stock footage into my timeline and see if I liked it the sequences before I purchased it. The Avid Marketplace has to be one of my favorite features already!

Apple ProRes Support

Avid Media Composer 6 can now capture to Apple ProRes. Not only can it capture to ProRes but it supports ProRes Proxy, ProRes LT, ProRes 422 &422 HQ, and ProRes 4444. All within an MXF wrapper. Avid Media Composer 6 also imports my old Apple ProRes files with no transcodes. Absolutely outstanding!

DNxHD 444

Avid has also introduced DNxHD 444 which supports 4:4:4 HD-RGB space while preserving a smaller file size and maintaining the full quality of color detail. This is a great addition to the DNxHD family, which I have grown to love in my workflows.

Stereoscopic 3D

Now although I did not have any 3D footage to work with at this time. I feel that it’s necessary to mention that Avid Media Composer 6 supports a full set of new 3D tools that allow you to manage a complete 3D end to end workflow. It also allows you to mix and match 2D with stereoscopic 3D clips on the same track. This is a vey powerful feature, and I am excited to get my hands on some 3D footage, so I can dive right in.

Surround Sound Mixing

Now I have to admit, I usually leave this to professional Pro Tool editors. However with today’s systems directors and producers want to hear a more polished sound while in the edit suite. Now if you are one of those editors Avid has got you covered. Avid Media Composer 6 allows you record, edit , mix studio audio in up to 7.1 surround sound. It also allows you to share mixes with Pro Tools editors using AAF.

Artist Control Color Correction

Color correction within Avid Media Composer 6 has been vastly improved. I found it extremely easy to grasp and get a responsive feel as kept my eyes on the picture instead of looking at my interface. I was amazed at how easy it was to change multiple parameters at once while color correcting. Color correcting in Avid Media Composer 6 is faster and more efficient than ever before.

I enjoy color correction, I always felt that the in applications for color correction were effective but not powerful enough. So naturally I gravitated to other applications such as Apple Color or now personal favorite BlackMagic Resolve. However with Avid’s Artist Control color correction, I did not feel it was necessary to export out to another application. Maybe If I had to do some heavy color grading to get a specific look I would jump back into BlackMagic Resolve.But I would take this as testament to how much color correction has been improved with Avid Media Composer 6. I even showed this to my colleague who grades on an Avid DS. She is very talented Colorist, and she too was also very impressed by the Artist Color Control. Avid has outdone themselves here!

AMA

AMA seems to have a love hate relationship in the post industry ever since it was introduced. However I found AMA to a valuable tool that has only gotten better with each version. Avid Media Composer 6 with AMA works flawlessly. I had no trouble importing various media, from Digi-Beta, HDCAM, XDCAM, AVCHD, H.264 (DSLR), P2, and HDV. AMA continues to be a great addition to Avid Media Composer.

Previously on other NLE’s AVCHD had a ridiculous long import process. AMA has helped to make the import process a whole lot faster. Plus editing the footage mo longer feels difficult.

RED Epic

Now I didn’t have any RED Epic files to try out, but it’s worth mentioning that Avid Media Composer 6 is capable of handling Epic 5K files. Avid has also added RED setting for RED Color2, RED Gamma2, and RED LogFilm & White Balance. I did have some RED One footage that imported easily into Avid Media Composer 6. I did notice that the import was not only easier but faster. This may have to due with it’s very powerful 64 bit architecture rebuilt from the core. Just remember this also depends on your own CPU. Obviously a desktop machine will outperform a laptop.

Final Thoughts

Avid has always been there for the professionals providing editors with the tools they need. Avid has raised the standards with the past releases, and they have done it again with Avid Media Composer 6. I have used many NLE’s over the years, and none of them have even come close to the offerings from Avid.

Avid Media Composer 6 is absolutely the best NLE I have used to date. Avid continues to push the boundaries and set new standards for tools provided to professional editors. If you have done so yet, I highly recommend upgrading, purchasing or running out and getting a copy of Avid Media Composer 6. Avid just raised the bar again ! Great Job Avid!

The best part of this workshop is that its free. Thats right I said FREE so sign up quickly as its going to fill up quickly.

If you are interested in attending please send an email to info@cceditors.ca for registration for this free Avid workshop.

What’s New In Avid MC 6

Date  :  Saturday Feburary 4th 2012

Time :   11am -2pm

Location : Carbon Computing , 772 Queen Street East, Toronto Ontario M4M 1H4

Register by sending an email to : info@cceditors.ca

When the box arrived I was very excited to open it. I was happy to see the box came so neatly packed to prevent damage. Once I opened the box I was amazed at how the glass felt in my hands. It is very sturdy and heavy. The lens felt like it could withstand the harshness of the out doors, or a blow to the head.  The lens came packed with the usual lens cap, Lens hood. and a very nice carrying case to protect it while traveling.

Holding the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II attached to my Canon 7D was quiet heavy. and it only got heavier attached to my Canon 5D MKII.  I am very glad Canon added a tripod mount to help balance the weight of this beast.

I bet you are all wondering how good is this glass really… Well let me tell you the stills I have taken with this lens are outstanding. It’s sharp very sharp. Originally I had been toying with the idea of getting the Sigma 70-200mm lens instead being that it was cheaper. However I am so glad I did not! This lens is worth every penny.  I had previously used the Sigma and I can safely say it’s no where even close to being as sharp, stable, or built as good as the Canon.

I will make sure to have a full review up very soon.  I have been a little swamped.

If you would like to see some thing in my review, or would like to just ask me some question feel free to leave comment below.

However, I am very happy to announce Tej’s Tech Blog has an all new look.  We have been all been hard at work here at AOTG to upgrade the look and provide our readers with a more interactive and user friendly website.  Tej’s Tech Blog will continue to look at the art of editing from a technical point of view, reviewing the latest in post-production gear, software and techniques. But it’s now easier to navigate through.

I am also happy to annouce that our first review on the new site is Avid Media Compser 6. So jump on over to the site and check out the review.

Thanks again to all our readers for your support.

The RED Scarlet – X boast 4k recording (4096 x 2160 ) or 5k stills at 12FPS continuous capture speed.  The body is built like a tank and is priced at $9700 just for the brain and is already backordered.  It also comes available with various mounts for either PL or Canon Ti lenses.

The Canon C300 seems inspired by the Canon 5D MKII and with images that promise to amaze you even more than DSLRs have done. The C300 has a Super 35mm CMOS sensor shoots 1080p. The camera is also available in with either a PL mount or EF mount for Canon’s full range of lenses.  Both configurations will include a dual CF card slots for simultaneous recording. The Canon C300 is priced at $20,000

With the introduction of these new cameras we can see some fantastic new ways and images for story telling to be shown across the globe. Reviews of both these cameras are starting to appear. A good friend of mine Nino Leitner along with Mario Feil were lucky enough to have a prototype of the Canon C300 and they shot a short film on it.  Nino and Mario were kind enough to allow me to see some of the footage from a post-production point of view. I will have my thoughts on that up soon. But If you are really curious to see how good the Canon C300 is …. check out Nino Leitner’s full review here.

The Red Scarlet – X is also showing some beautiful images.

As you can see both of these cameras have stunning images that force us re-think and and unlock some of our potential as filmmakers. 2012 will show us plenty of beautiful images that I look forward to seeing from both of these cameras. There is also the Sony F3 and the yet to be announced Canon 5D MKIII Which one are you most excited about ?

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Smart Phones

With more powerful smart phones, and higher picture and video capabilities. Many of us will be using these to share with our friends and loved ones this season.  However there are 2 apps that stand out for me in for helping share those moments.

The first is Instagram for the iPhone with its easy to use interface. The app makes sharing pictures on Twitter and Facebook or any where on the web, easy and beautiful.  A great way to reach out others during the holiday season, and it’s free. Apple has named it one the best apps of the year.

The second is Splice. This app allows me to edit the videos I make on the iPhone quickly and easy. It’s also a free app that allows you to add transitions, titles, and minor effects to your videos, all on your iPhone.

Widi

This season we will also be sitting down in front of the television to share some of our favorite holiday videos and pictures. this year it will be even easier to share some of these moments thanks to Intel’s Widi.

Widi will allow you to share virtually any media from your laptop to you big screen TV wirelessly. This is a great way to view pictures and videos of the kids and share them with the rest of the family.

These are just few ways I shall be using technology over the holidays to enrich and share with my family and friends. How will you be using technology over the holidays? Let me know.

Get a great tech gift for the holidays? Drop by the Intel Canada website for ideas, tips and tricks on how to get the most out of it.

Using DSLR for Video

DSLR’s have become really popular with their ability to shoot amazing stills, and HD video. The most popular in use right now are the Canon 5DMKII, and the Canon 7D. I personally own both, and use them on a constant basis.  They give me the flexibility to carry around a still camera, and yet be able to shoot video immediately if my children start to do something outrageous.  They give you a fantastic depth of field and a nice film like look. Their only real draw back is they tend to over heat in approximately 11mins, and they don’t record the greatest audio with additional add-ons.   They really were not designed to be full-fledged video cameras. Thus, if are covering a live event, such as a school play, or a birthday party, a camcorder may be the better route.

Camcorders

A few years ago I purchased the Sony A1U, and it has proved to be invaluable while shooting my kids.  It shoots HD directly on to minidv tapes I can then store on my shelf or transfer them to digital. However, mini DV as a format has pretty much disappeared. That’s why if you are in the market for a camera these days it’s a good idea to look at the ones that either shoots to a hard drive or to internal flash cards. Such as the Panasonic HDC-SD90 or Canon VIXIA HF M400. Just keep in mid if you are after one with a hard drive. Bigger is better! Video fills up drive space unbelievable fast!

Getting a Different Perspective

When shooting Children, the most important thing you can do is have plenty of batteries, because you never know what they are going to do. But to make the shot more interesting and appealing to view, get down to their level, that means crouch down to their height. Not only can you get a better idea of their world, but your are more likely to get better sound from the more shy ones, unless your children are like mine, loud all the time.

Better Audio

Remember children’s voices are small, and therefore it may be a good idea to pick up an entry level shotgun mic such as the Rode. This mic can be mounted to your camera and will out perform the mic situated internally on your camcorder.  You will soon realize these inexpensive mics can save you a great deal of headache trying to pick up children’s voices, especially during parties with all the other background noises drowning them out.

Last Tip

I would like to leave you with one last tip for getting the best out of your holiday video. Do not be afraid to experiment. Experimentation is the spice of a good film; try different angles, different frames, and lighting techniques. It may be the shot that makes that special moment into a memorable film for the holidays.

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