American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 76

Post Focus for a new Intel dual-core CPU and monitor. Finally, Avid decided it was time to shake things up. It gave new CEO Gary Greenfield a clear mandate to get things fixed and come up with some “new thinking.” One of the company’s first moves was to cut the price of its software-only version of Media Composer by half. Now, Avid has introduced a speedy and relatively solid version 3.0 of its flagship software. Media Composer 3.0 is noticeably faster than its predecessor — it boots up like a racecar careening around a track — and those fortunate to have the latest dual- and quad-core Intelbased computers will be able to make the most of this. The speed improvements are particularly noticeable when you’re working with Avid’s DNxHD, Sony’s XDCam-EX and Panasonic’s DVCPro HD codecs. Latency, which I found particularly annoying when working in Adrenaline, is almost non-existent. The product now supports the latest versions of Mac OS X, as well as the latest 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Avid has also added support for many of the latest HD codecs, including Panasonic’s AVC-I and JVC’s particular flavor of the HDV codec for 23.98p and 25p frame rates. Sony’s new XDCam-EX format is supported via Sony’s Clip Browser software, which can be downloaded for free from Sony’s XDCam Web site. (A caveat: as of this writing, the Mac version of Sony’s utility software does not provide a way to export in MXF, the required file format for import into Media Composer. Sony has promised an upgrade to the Mac version but has not yet delivered.) Working with the speedy new generation of CPUs, users will also notice significant improvements in Media Composer’s handling of real- Version 3.0 of Avid’s Media Composer boasts such features as MetaFuze (pictured above) for merging DPX and TIFF images into a single media file. The release also offers a timestamp export tool, the SubCap subtitling tool, and support for the ASC CDL. Product Review: Avid Media Composer 3.0 by Lawrence Jordan Avid’s Media Composer, the turnkey software and hardware editing solution that fundamentally changed the craft upon its release in 1989, has taken its knocks over the last several years. The release of Avid’s Adrenaline product line was lacking in feature improvements and problematic in performance. This was compounded by the fact that Avid had given the Mac versions of its software a back seat in its development efforts. But for the company from Tewksbury, Mass., the bad news was just beginning. Avid had been trying to figure out how to respond to the growing excitement surrounding Apple’s Final Cut Pro since that software was released in 1999. Priced at a fraction of Avid’s offerings, providing a means to work with the multitude of QuickTime native applications, and integrating seamlessly with Apple’s then-new OS X, Final Cut was warmly embraced. However, despite Apple’s intense marketing efforts aimed at studio-level filmmakers, the majority of professional editors stuck by their Media Composers. Unfortunately for Avid, many in the professional community avoided the upgrade to the bug-plagued Adrenaline, preferring the security and stability of its forerunner, Meridian, which was wedded to older — and consequently slower — PowerMac-based CPUs. As time passed, Apple continued to squeeze more features into every new release of Final Cut, and, after initially being dismissed as a “toy” by most professional editors, the software was embraced by independents on a budget. Shortly thereafter, several television series and feature films gave Final Cut a go. Avid needed to counteract, and after years of tying its software to its hardware, the company heeded customers’ cries and unbundled its offerings. This was a step in the right direction, but for most users, price was still a problem. For the $5,000 software-only version of Media Composer, editors could purchase a full version of Final Cut (priced at $1,000) and have cash left over 76 November 2008 Images courtesy of Avid Technology.

American Cinematographer - November 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November 2008

American Cinematographer - November 2008
Contents
Editor’s Note
Letters
Short Takes
Production Slate
Forging a Bond
The Making of a President
Thunder Down Under
Habitat for Inhumanity
Saluting Television’s Top Talents
Post Focus
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - American Cinematographer - November 2008
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 1
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 2
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Contents
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 4
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 5
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 6
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 7
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 9
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 10
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 11
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Letters
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 13
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Short Takes
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 15
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Production Slate
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 17
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 18
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 19
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 20
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 21
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 22
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 23
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 24
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 25
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 26
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 27
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Forging a Bond
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 31
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 32
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 29
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 30
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 31
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 32
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 33
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 34
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 35
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 36
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 37
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 38
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 39
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 40
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 41
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - The Making of a President
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 43
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 44
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 45
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 46
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 47
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 48
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 49
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 50
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 51
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 52
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 53
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Thunder Down Under
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 55
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 56
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 57
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 58
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 59
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 60
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 61
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 62
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 63
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Habitat for Inhumanity
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 65
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 66
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 67
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 68
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 69
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 70
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 71
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 72
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 73
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Saluting Television’s Top Talents
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 75
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Post Focus
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 77
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 79
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 80
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 81
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 82
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 83
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 84
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 85
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 86
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 87
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 88
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 89
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 93
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - 95
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - ASC Close-Up
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - November 2008 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/acbest2006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200001
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com