AVID Editing Tutorials

Check out These Great Articles!

Dylan Reeve ~ Under the Gun with RED One
David Roth Weiss ~ ILY SpartanPro
Stephen Smith ~ Stack Tracks: Layered Digital Music
Stephen Smith ~ How to Add Video, Photo and Audio Assets to your Digital Toolbox
Ron Lindeboom ~ Avid rolls out lower-priced Media Composer
Bob Zelin ~ Bob Zelin Looks at Dulce Systems Pro EX PCI-Express expander
Vivek Narayan ~ Boris Continuum Complete AVX 5: Unleash Your Avid!
Nick Griffin ~ Inside HBO's The Wire
Ron Lindeboom ~ Avid says No to NAB 2008
Jeremy Garchow ~ The Sonnet D800 RAID: Speed and Safety

	Alex Alexzander view bio AVID Editing ArtFXual Avid Marquee Demystified In this article, Creativecow's Alex Alexzander takes a thorough look at Avid Marquee Demystified from artFXual and hosted by Steve Bayes. Review AVID Editing Inside Avid Xpress Pro In this article, Creativecow's Alex Alexzander takes a thorough look at Inside Avid Xpress Pro hosted by Steve Bayes and published by Digital Media Training Services. Review AVID Editing Avid Xpress Studio, DVD Basics in Avid Xpress Studio The goal of this project by Alex Alexzander is to provide a very simple overview which describes how to go from the Avid Xpress Pro timeline to finished DVD using tools available in Avid Xpress Studio and Adobe's Photoshop. Tutorial AVID Editing Avid XPress Pro & DV by Steve Hullfish, Chris Phrommayon & Bob Donlon In this article, CreativeCOW.net leader Alex Alexzander reviews Avid XPress Pro and DV On the Spot written by Steve Hullfish, Chris Phrommayon & Bob Donlon, and published by CMP Books, 256 pages, September 1, 2004, ISBN: 1-57820-254-X. "As I write this, I have this big grin on my face. You see, you're in a forum reading this review, and the fact that you are in this forum reading this review is exactly what makes this book so perfect for you. Allow me to explain. We all go to forums, like this one, because from time to time we have a question. Sometimes we're not clear on how to accomplish a certain task or achieve a certain goal. Perhaps you're on the other side of this coin, and you arrived here to help others with their questions. No matter where you fit into this forum, you are no doubt someone who likes tips, shortcuts, and learning new techniques." Review AVID Editing Avid Xpress Pro: 15:1s to DV 25 411 Offline editing started as a way to save disk space when hard drive-based storage carried a considerable premium. These days, although fast hard drives are not very expensive, there are still good reasons to use an offline editing workflow, provided certain conditions are met. Perhaps the most common situation is when so many tapes are involved that you simply don't want to devote so much of your storage to a project that will ultimately be cut to a mere fraction of the sources captured. Another reason is the use of a laptop for mobile editing in the field. A laptop's hard drive does not provide the needed bandwidth or capacity to edit more than a few hours of footage in the field if needed. Tutorial back to top

	Dave Anselmi view bio Art of the Edit Ergonomics for COWs The question was asked in the Avid Editing COW: 'After eight years of working on a computer, my wrist hurts within an hour. Anyone else getting carpel tunnel? What can I do to prevent major damage?' Dave Anselmi, a T'ai Ch'i Instructor for over 10 years and whose friend is an Ergonomics Specialist, was quick to the rescue with this great advice. Tutorial back to top

	Rambabu Dhanisetty view bio AVID Editing Arranging video clips to match sound In this article, Avid editor Rambabu Dhanisetty demonstrates arranging clips to the beat. He finds this shortcut helpful while creating promos, etc. Tutorial back to top

	Bob Donlon view bio AVID Editing AVID rolls out HD, 10bit and SpectraMatte Creative Cow's Bob Donlon reports with up-to-the-minute news for Avid users who have wondered where the company was going in the world of HD and 10-bit support. In this report, Bob offers Cow members all the news penned within hours of attending Avid's New York City December 8, 2004 press event. While attending, Bob not only watched as Avid not only rolled out their HD plans and their 10-bit support for Media Composer Adrenaline users but Avid had another big surprise up their sleeves -- the just-announced SpectraMatte chroma keyer. Read on for all the latest from the Avid mothership in Tewksbury... Review AVID Editing Using Avid Xpress Pro and Mojo by Bob Donlon Creative Cow's Bob Donlon tears open Avid Xpress Pro and Mojo in this in-depth report. Bob explores Xpress Pro's uncompressed editing options, multi-cam capabilities, the new "DNA" (digital nonlinear accelerator) hardware capabilities found in Mojo and the five streams of realtime available for users working in DV25. Bob also gives readers a look at configuring the system for maximum performance and concludes that the Xpress Pro / Mojo combination is a powerful combination worthy of a 4 Cow rating. Review back to top

	Marisu Fronc view bio Adobe Premiere Pro AAF and MXF: What Is It, Who Has It and Why You Want It Many products that media professionals now use have AAF or will have it in the near future. Some don't have it and some companies have no plans to add it to their product offerings. Why is Advanced Authoring Format important to media pros? Who has it? What tools use it and what does it bring to you and your studio's capabilities? Advanced Authoring Format and/or Media Exchange Format are project interchange formats that are creating the framework by which media professionals will work more collaboratively and productively in the days ahead. It's time for us to contact our manufacturers and providers and let them know why AAF is important to us and why we'll buy it if they add it. In this report, Marisu Fronc looks at the technology and the companies supporting it and why... Editorial, Feature back to top

	Jeremy Garchow view bio Art of the Edit The Sonnet D800 RAID: Speed and Safety Jeremy Garchow's business is growing. So was his storage, and the potential for disaster. SATA array are less expensive, but were they safe, even with redundancy? With the Sonnet D800 he's got a terabyte of uncompressed HD, with full protection, for a great price. Read on to see the details of his set-up, and see if SATA and the Sonnet D800 will work as well for you as it has for Jeremy. Review, Feature back to top

	Nick Griffin view bio Cinematography Inside HBO's The Wire Set in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire will begin its fifth and final season in January 2008 on HBO. As different from standard TV as it gets, the show has received the highest levels of critical acclaim, being referred to by multiple reviewers as ''the best show on television.'' In its last issue of 2006 Time Magazine ranked The Wire first on its list of ''10 Best TV Shows.'' And ''Finally recognized as the best series on TV. Sorry, Tony (Soprano),'' was Newsweek's description. Creative COW's Nick Griffin spent time on set earlier this year and interviewed one of the show's Producers. Here's his inside glimpse into The Wire and its production. Editorial, Feature, People / Interview back to top

	Jim Harvey view bio Compression techniques Jim Harvey reviews "Creating Web Video" A DVD about compression gets an enthusiastic 5 Cow rating? Really? Really! CreativeCOW.net Contributing Editor Jim Harvey takes you inside the new Creative Cow Master Series DVD by Aharon Rabinowitz, "Creating Web Video: Internet Killed the Video Star." See why Jim thinks this is one of the most essential --- and enjoyable -- training DVDs you can buy. Review back to top

	Mark Harvey view bio AVID Editing InvigoMany Vol. 1 -- Sports Objects & More for Broadcast Designers In this article, Mark Harvey, longtime leader in Creative Cow and a noted broadcast designer/editor, gives readers a look at Invigomany, Vol. 1: Sports from Serge Hamad -- the newest release of the Creative Cow master tools. Review AVID Editing Avid Liquid 7 -- a review by broadcast designer Mark Harvey Mark Harvey, longtime leader in Creative Cow and a noted broadcast designer/editor, gives readers a look at the new Avid Liquid 7 -- acquired when Avid bought Pinnacle Systems and given many new features in this latest version now rolling out under the Avid name. Mark gives this system much praise for its powerful background rendering and wide feature set, as well as many new features like its HDV capabilities rolling out for the first time in v7. Review back to top

	Grinner Hester view bio AVID Editing Custom Transitions with AVID Animatte In this tutorial, Grinner Hester demonstrates creating custom transitions using Animatte. Grinner says this is his favorite tool and uses it in every project Tutorial back to top

	Jerry Hofmann view bio Adobe After Effects Jerry Hofmann reviews Digital Film Tool's 55mm Plugin for NLEs There's been a lot of 'hype' surrounding Digital Film Tools' new 55mm Plugins for NLE's. In this article Jerry Hofmann, one of CreativeCOW's Final Cut Pro forum leaders lets COW members know whether the description of the tools is hype or if this set of filters deliver on the promise. Review back to top

	John David Hutton view bio Windows Hardware & Software Evoluent Vertical Mouse It starts as a slight twinge in the shoulder, or a prickle in the wrist, a dime-sized knot in the forearm or a tingling somewhere up and down the arm. Whatever the symptoms, the cause is usually the same - RSI or repetitive strain injury or its widely publicized brother, carpal tunnel syndrome. In this article, John David Hutton takes a look at the new Evoluent Vertical Mouse. It could be the answer to protecting yourself from carpal tunnel and other strains. Review back to top

	Patrick Inhofer view bio Apple Final Cut Pro Avid versus Final Cut Pro: One Editor's Perspective: 2006 Longtime professional editor, Patrick Inhofer -- whose work has included many stints on systems like Smoke, Avid and newer tools like Final Cut -- explores the differences between Avid Composer and Final Cut Pro. With his experience, Patrick explores workflow and feature comparisons of areas where they are both similar and dissimilar. Whether you agree or disagree with Patrick, we guarantee that you will find his perspective to be well thought out and full of information gained from years in the editing booth. This article has been entirely rewritten to reflect where we stand today, the start of 2006. Feature Apple Final Cut Pro Avid versus Final Cut Pro: One Editor's Perspective Longtime professional editor, Patrick Inhofer -- whose work has included many stints on systems like Smoke, Avid and newer tools like Final Cut -- explores the differences between Avid Composer and Final Cut Pro. With his experience, Patrick explores workflow and feature comparisons of areas where they are both similar and dissimilar. Whether you agree or disagree with Patrick, we guarantee that you will find his perspective to be well thought out and full of information gained from years in the editing booth. Feature back to top

	Tim Kolb view bio HDV Format Demystifying HDV Workflows Creative COW Leader Tim Kolb uses his HDV expertise to explore the technology behind HDV, and show how it applies inside Final Cut Pro and other NLEs, with a special focus on longer projects. As Tim notes, this is a modified version of a post he made in the HDV forum responding to a question about FCP, but anyone who wants to know about editing HDV needs to check this out. Tutorial, Feature back to top

	Dennis Kutchera view bio AVID Editing EDL, a tutorial from Dennis Kutchera There are more modern ways of exchanging edit information such as OMF and AAF, but not everyone is going to have this. Media 100 now has OMF export as an extra option in version 8 and Final Cut Pro is supported through an OMF export plug in from Automatic Duck. But the old EDL text file is still with us. If you must use an EDL, you are going to be in for some frustration if you do not follow these procedures that Dennis Kutchera shares with us. Tutorial AVID Editing 3Prong - a review by Dennis Kutchera Dennis Kutchera explores one of his favorite sets of AVX plug-ins from a joint Canadian-Swiss company called 3Prong. The set includes ColorFiX, DirtFiX, FlickerFiX, TwitterFix, WaveScope and SpeedRamP. Dennis finds these plug-ins essential to online editing. Review Adobe Premiere Pro SpiceMaster AVX - Tasty Stuff Indeed - by Dennis Kutchera Dennis Kutchera explores Pixelan Software's SpiceMaster plug-in with special emphasis on what it brings to Avid users who can now add SpiceMaster AVX to their systems. Those using other systems will also benefit from Dennis's exploration as he looks at many of the functions and benefits of the SpiceMaster system. He points out some of his favourite features as well as some tips and work-arournds to get around limitations in the Avid plug-in architecture. Review AVID Editing MediaMover: Adding Power to an Avid Strength Dennis Kutchera looks at MediaMover by Random Video. This third-party utility written by an editor, Tony Black, addresses a need unique to using an Avid. MediaMover greatly expands the powers of Avid's respected Media Management tools -- already an Avid strongpoint -- made even stronger by this powerful utility. With longtime Avid expert Dennis Kutchera as your guide, Avid editors will greatly benefit from this look at an Avid 'must have.' Review back to top

	John Lafauce Jr. view bio Boris FX Using Boris Red 4 Library Browser Effect to Create Broadcast-Worthy News Stories This tutorial by John Lafauce demonstrates how to apply and customize a new, pre-made lower third graphic from Boris  extensive selection of Keyframe Library Effects. Tutorial Boris FX Exploring Boris Reds new Motion Path filter This tutorial by John Lafauce demonstrates how to easily animate and fly a computer generated navy jet using the Boris Red 4.0 Motion Path filter. Tutorial AVID Editing Keeping Corner Pin Compositing inside Avid with the help of Boris Continuum Complete AVX 4 This all-encompassing tutorial from CreativeCOW contributing editor, John Lafauce introduces you to the new Corner Pin filter in version 4.0 of Boris Continuum Complete AVX (BCC AVX4). Several of Corner Pin's powerful features will be demonstrated, and other BCC AVX filters will be used to help create an integrated, realistic composite. This compositing primer will place emphasis on workflow and techniques. Tutorial back to top

	Ron Lindeboom view bio AVID Editing Avid rolls out lower-priced Media Composer When most people think of Avid, low cost is not a term likely to be used in connection with the venerable leader in broadcast and film editing systems. But with today's announcements, Avid has both increased their lead in the education sector and has radically dropped the price of its flagship Media Composer software. In this article, Creative COW's Ron Lindeboom explores why we find this great news for both existing Avid customers and those who thought that they could never afford an Avid. Editorial, Feature N.A.B. Expo Avid says No to NAB 2008 We at The COW asked Graham Sharp, the VP and General Manager of Avid Video for some more details about Avid's recent announcement that they're skipping NAB in 2008. “Meeting people directly, where they live and work, without distractions, is the right thing to do, he told us. We agree, which is why we're making a similar choice. Read on for details. Editorial Indie Film & Documentary Formats, Color Bit-Depths, Data Rates and Storage Requirements In this article, Creative Cows Ron Lindeboom examines how much hard drive space is needed when using the most commonly used formats, data rates, color bit-depths and formats. Tutorial back to top

	Josh Mrtin view bio AVID Editing Avid Xpress Pro for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickPro Guide) In this article, CreativeCOW.net contributing editor Josh Martin reviews Avid Xpress Pro for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickPro Guide) by James Monohan and published by Peachpit Press, 712 pages, Published 2003, Copyright 2004, ISBN: 0321145976. Josh explains why the sub-title, Visual QuickPro Guide works so well with this book, "Coming into this review, I had absolutely no AVID experience. I had done some very minor non-linear editing in Adobe Premiere, but that's where my "knowledge base" ended. I'm happy to report that thanks largely in part to James Monohan's book, I am happily editing on our AVID setup...." Review back to top

	Vivek Narayan view bio AVID Editing Boris Continuum Complete AVX 5: Unleash Your Avid! Emmy Award-winning editor Vivek Narayan takes a closer look at the latest version of Boris Continuum Complete, a comprehensive set of filters and effects for leading NLEs as well as After Effects. Although it works largely the same in all hosts, Vik digs deepest into BCC operating inside Avid. He finds that the 180 filters here more than give others a run for their money: it beats out some of the industry's favorites. See why he calls buying BCC AVX 5 "a no-brainer." Review back to top

	Dylan Reeve view bio RED Camera Under the Gun with RED One Dylan Reeve and a small team of New Zealand filmmakers had 48 hours to get their assignment, write a script, direct, shoot and post their film, then hand in the finished show...oh yeah, and refine their RED shooting and editing skills under the gun while trying to beat out 230 other teams! Sound wild? You have no idea.... Feature back to top

	Shane Ross view bio CalDigit CalDigit HDPro: RAID 5 and Beyond! Creative Cow Leader Shane Ross shares the great news: both performance and protection with CalDigit's new HDPro RAID! Supporting RAID 0, 1, 5, and 6, the HDPro even works with your laptop. It's the answer to Shane's prayers. He thinks it might be the answer to yours too. Review back to top

	Ra-ey Saleh view bio AVID Editing Difference Matting within the Avid In this tutorial, Ra-ey Saleh will show you how even without shooting Green Screen you can replace the background of a shot whilst keeping the moving foreground undamaged. He'll use a technique called 'Difference Matting' and do it all within the Avid! Tutorial back to top

	Aanarav Sareen view bio Corporate Video MediaFiler 2.0 MediaFiler 2.0 is a professional database software designed for the video production industry. It's an easy way to catalog, track, label, and organize your whole library of tapes and disks. In this article, Creative Cow Leader Aanarav Sareen takes a look at the software for use in his own production environment and determines that it is everything they say it is. Review back to top

	Stephen Smith view bio Event Videographers Stack Tracks: Layered Digital Music In need of some high-end royalty free music that can fit any media professionals budget? Creative Cow Contributing Editor Stephen Smith explains why Digital Juices StackTraxx layered music library can be the perfect solution for your next project. Review Event Videographers How to Add Video, Photo and Audio Assets to your Digital Toolbox Who doesnt love high quality free stuff? Let Creative Cow Contributing Editor Stephen Smith be your maitre D. Hell provide a menu that will show you some of the best places to get free video, photo and audio assets that will benefit every media professional. Feature back to top

	Marco Solorio view bio Adobe After Effects Interlacing Progressive Footage We've all heard of de-interlacing footage, but what about re-interlacing? Marco Solorio of OneRiver Media shows us how -- and why -- to create interlaced footage from a progressive source. The results are picture perfect! Tutorial Adobe Premiere Pro TBC Crossfire X-K3 Non-linear Editing Console DESCRIPTIONWith people continually asking, "what edit desk do you use?" here at the COW forums, Creative Cow forum leader, Marco Solorio hopes to settle this question once and for all with his in-depth review of TBC's Crossfire X-K3 edit console. If you're in the market for a new editor's console or are just curious to know what's "out there", this should give you all the information you need to base your own judgment. Review back to top

	David Roth Weiss view bio DVD Authoring ILY SpartanPro Recently, CreativeCOW leader, David Roth Weiss purchased his very first CD and DVD duplicator. After a lot of research he chose the ILY SpartanPro, and it did not take him long to realize that he should not have gone so long without one. Review back to top

	Bob Zelin view bio Apple Final Cut Pro Bob Zelin Looks at Dulce Systems Pro EX PCI-Express expander WELL, it happened again. Today, I installed the new Dulce Systems Pro EX PCI-Express expander. This product is amazing, and this review will be very short, as it's such a simple product, that has been LONG OVERDUE. Review AJA Kona Bob Zelin Looks at The AJA GEN10 The AJA GEN10 is a cost effective and flexible Blackburst and Tri-level Sync Generator. While reminding you of why blackburst and sync are very, very good ideas, Creative Cow leader Bob Zelin takes you through the GEN10's ins and 7 outs. Review AJA Kona Cal Digit S2VRHD CreativeCOW's Bob Zelin tests a Cal Digit S2VRHD with a host card for a PCI-X computer, and a PCI-E computer. He used the incredible AJA Kona System Test, to evaluate the drive speeds. He was determined to 'break it.' Did he? No. He determined that...''If you want to do uncompressed HD, for a fraction of the price of an Apple Xserve RAID, or other hi end SCSI or Fibre Channel drive arrays, THIS IS YOUR BOX.'' Read the rest to find out why. Review AJA Kona AJA HD10AVA Converter CreativeCOW's Bob Zelin discusses how to turn your HDV VTR into a professional product using the amazing AJA HD10AVA converter. It takes the analog component HD signal from your Sony or JVC HDV VTR, and converts it to an HD-SDI signal that can go right into the HD-SDI input of your capture card. Review