What editing program do you use? Why do you like it? What do you hate about it? Do you ever just wish that you could take components from several different programs and combine them into your own, perfect, personalized video editing software program? Yeah, me too!
I have always used Final Cut Pro 7 and I love it. One of the main reasons I love it so much may very well be that I am comfortable with it and don’t really have to think twice anymore about exactly what I am doing, but I’m also a fan of a lot of the features it has. However, just last week, I started using Final Cut Pro X. I had heard a lot of mixed reviews about this program, but I ended up really liking it. There are a lot of aspects that are very similar to FCP7, but I almost feel like it is a lot easier to be more creative on. I love the option to view the effects on your clip before you actually apply them, and also the fact that X renders for you, automatically.
The one thing that I don’t like about X is that you can’t mark in and out points on the timeline. That doesn’t really make much sense to me, because it’s a great feature on FCP7 and, honestly, I miss it. But, on the other hand, it hasn’t really been an issue.
I have also started to learn Avid, which is quite different from Final Cut Pro. I still have mixed feelings about it, but I am still getting used to it. The same goes for Premiere; even though it is more similar to FCP than Avid, it still has a lot of differences.
So, what’s the point of knowing more than one, or even two, video editing programs? The main reason is just breaking into the industry itself. Right now, the industry standards are Avid, Premiere, and FCP. You don’t have to know all of them but, if you do, you will be able to work almost anywhere. And who doesn’t want options, right?
It’s hard to say that one program is better than another, or that you should use one over the other. It’s all about which you are most comfortable with and the type of career you want to have.
~Alli
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