Re: [AV Media Matters] Converting to non-linear editing

[eleanor@bavc.org]

Dear Irene,

I work at the Bay Area Video Coalition, a training and post
production facility and we have quite a few different suites for
different purposes.  You are right that linear editing is on its way
out, however there will be a place for it for quite some time due to
the prohibitive costs of non-linear editing specifically when it
comes to memory and rendering time for effects and transitions.  A
linear suite is also a cost effective way to log tapes and to do
rough cuts before going into a non-linear suite.

That said, non-linear suites provide flexibility and creativity not
as easily afforded by tape to tape editing.  An editor may
reorganize their edit several times and keep several versions of the
same piece simultaneously. This can be invaluable for getting
feedback on different versions.

The question of what system you go with is a big one.  I imagine
that the group you are serving is students.  If that is so you
should take a great deal of care in picking a system that won't soon
be obsolete.  It makes no sense for you to purchase a cheaper system
or an expensive one that will soon be obsolete and therefore make
their skills worthless.  I was just at NAB and as Jim Lindner stated
it is an ocean of soon to be obsolete technology out there.  Your
best choices are probably systems like the Media 100 or an Avid. The
Avid would be preferable because your students will get skills on a
system that is used industry wide.  The same is true for the Media
100 but less so.   If your objective is to train and for students to
learn you MUST pick wisely and choose a system that will give them
skills after  they leave your institution.

Lastly I would recommend mastering to BetaSP not HI-8 or VHS; 3/4 is
also a fairly good choice.  What formats the projects are mastered
to depends a great deal on what the objective for the pieces are.
VHS is fine for home use but will deteriorate within 5 years.  HI-8
will get drop-out very quickly as it is an extremely delicate
medium.   I would recommend that HI-8 is used for acquisition only
and never is used as a format for finishing a piece on.  Beta SP and
3/4 are good sturdy mediums, of the two BetaSP is superior but can
be too expensive both for you to buy the deck and for tape stock.

Best of luck and please keep the discourse going!!!

Eleanor Harwood
Preservation and Major Accounts
BAVC
415-558-2115
eleanor@bavc.org

irene.upshur@phoenix.marymount.edu wrote:

>Greetings All:
>
>I am about to advocate abandoning  linear tape-based editing at my
>institution. As the
>Director of the our Instructional Media Center, I want my staff, patrons,
>and video
>prodcution students to be intimately aware of  what the future most
>definitely holds for
>image gathering...namely, digits.
>
>Our suite is a Sony 3/4" 5000 series. It has served is well and long. It is
>currently
>being held together with spit and chewing gum. Now I want to get rid of our
>suite and put
>3 or 4 video edit stations in our facility, each with the option to print to
>VHS, U-matic,
>or Hi-8.
>
>It would be very helpful to me if I could start a conversation with someone
>who feels as
>compelled as I do regarding converting to non-linear editing. Would
>appreciate responses
>from anyone who would like to share research/experiences gleaned from
>investigating
>non-linear editing.
>
>Thanks in anticipation,
>Irene Upshur
>Marymount University
>Arlington, Virginia