Digital Video - September 2007 - (Page 44)

Cutter’s Way color correction workflow—but it’s worth it, as the results can be just as good. Apple has made significant progress in adding capabilities, especially in the area of motion graphics, and it has done so while emphasizing its strength in user-interface design. Adventurous users might not even have to crack the manual for the first project (although at some point you will, so you might as well begin there). Though it lacks the paint, illustration, and Web authoring tools of the Adobe suite, Final Cut Studio is a great value. find it to be the most intuitive interface of the three DAWs included in the suites. Avid 3D Though a light 3D package is not something I need regularly for my work, Avid has differentiated itself from the competition by including this derivative of SoftImage|XS in its suite. For those video pros who rely on some 3D animation in their productions, Avid has done a good job of creating a fairly easy to learn and flexible 3D application. Personally, I wish Avid had dropped 3D and added a compression tool, like Squeeze, to the suite. Avid FX This is really Boris Red plus the Boris FX family of plug-ins. FX proves to be a satisfactory standin for After Effects and Motion. Boris has done such a great job at integrating its tools with Avid that, in many ways, working in Avid FX is much more seamless with Xpress Pro than working with the Apple and Adobe motion graphics and effects tools in their respective editors. Many Avid FX effects play in real time in the Avid timeline, and when it comes to archiving the project media, Xpress Pro’s media manager saves all the Red elements as well. Avid DVD by Sonic This is perhaps the easiest to use of the three DVD authoring tools, but not by so much that it should sway your decision. Sonic DVD authoring has one of the best reputations in the field, and the OEM version for Avid is quite good. Avid Xpress Studio Complete Avid takes a very different approach to the desktop postproduction suite. The company sticks to its own core competencies—nonlinear editing (Xpress Pro), digital audio workstations (ProTools LE) and 3D animation (SoftImage)—when packaging the suite. To fill out the offering it has struck OEM deals with two other world class developers: Sonic for DVD authoring and Boris FX for visual effects, motion graphics and compositing. Xpress Pro (version 5.7) Though I prefer Avid’s higher-tier Media Composer, Xpress Pro is my preferred editor in this group. I still depend on Avid’s superior media management, and though the interface is graying at the temples, it’s still the one I can edit most efficiently with—due in large part to its bestin-class trimming capabilities. Digidesign ProTools LE This limited app isn’t a full-blown DAW, but it’s comparable to Soundbooth and Soundtrack Pro for the basic audio sweetening that editors most frequently need. What After Effects is to motion graphics, ProTools is to audio sweetening. I below: Boris FX integrates more seamlessly with Avid Xpress Pro than After Effects does with Premiere Pro, or Motion with Final Cut Pro. Bottom line All three NLE suites are solid packages—there’s enough overlap that it’s likely more than one of these suites could meet your needs. Without a doubt, Adobe’s Production Premium CS3 packs the most bang for the buck. Though it lacks a standalone compression application, the Adobe rendering engine and Flash CS3 Video Encoder will meet most professionals’ needs. Best of all, you’re not limited to one operating system or the other. Since it’s hard for me to imagine living without Photoshop ($649 MSRP) and After Effects ($999 MSRP), the option of adding Encore, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and Soundbooth for another $50 is too attractive to pass up. With such a pricing strategy, Adobe’s done an excellent job of assuring that a huge number of video professionals will be familiar with its complete video toolset. Many will be compelled to give the other components a try even if they previously preferred other NLEs, DVD authoring tools or DAWs. Expect Premiere Pro to gain an even larger following in the coming months. For Mac users who haven’t seen Premiere Pro in action for some time, be prepared to be pleasantly 42 DV SEPTEMBER 2007 WWW.DV.COM http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - September 2007

Contents News AG-HPX500 HD Camcorder First Look: Color V8000HD 8" LCD Monitor Shoulder Mount System Instant Expert Close-Ups Fest Cercuit Q&A Flight Plan Cutter's Way Imagination in Action Motion Graphics Production Diary

Digital Video - September 2007

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