Introduction
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Introduction
The year was 1990. My boss and I were invited into a small room at a hotel in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to see the newest and coolest media-editing system that everyone was talking about. The young man rented a room at the hotel and pushed aside the queen size bed to perform a demonstration on a new editing system called Avid. Quite frankly, the images looked terrible. The system chugged through clips that were so fragmented I could barely see the actor's lips move. I was not very impressed. Not until I understood that the media I was watching was being played back from a hard drive, not a VTR. Similar systems, like D-Vision, were attempting to do the same thing, but Avid's layout just seemed so inviting . The terms and menu items came straight from an editor's world. I was convinced that Avid was the future. I was right! That first Avid system I convinced my boss to buy cost more than what I made in an entire year, actually several years . That was then; this is now. Now, software and hardware is faster and cheaper. Anyone can buy the tools necessary to edit right in their own home. And now is a great time to learn how to edit.
One of Avid's first slogans was "Tools for Storytellers." That's exactly what Avid Xpress Pro is a great tool to tell stories. Whether it's the story of your son's first soapbox derby race, a commercial for your local hardware store, or a feature film. Editing is about rhythm, pace, and timing. The stories you choose to edit may start with a musical montage, contain interviews and several graphics and effects or none at all. Here's your chance to tell a story. A story using sound, pictures, colors, and graphics. But before you begin to tell your story, you must learn the editing techniques. That's why I wrote this book.
This is not a technical book. I'm more interested in sharing editing techniques and shortcuts. Not only do I want to share how a function works, but also why you would use that particular function. You'll also notice that this book does not include a companion CD or DVD. I wanted this book itself to be a companion to your edit suite. I want you to use the techniques I cover with your own footage. I have, however, posted several useful tools, tips, and information on a companion website. Feel free to visit this companion website at www.courseptr.com . At the end of each chapter, I have also included a short review I hope you'll find handy.
As an editor and Avid Certified Instructor, I've had the pleasure of working with and training some of the best editors in the world. When I work on a project as an editor, I love the challenge of assembling the "puzzle," and when I'm teaching I enjoy watching the expression on a student's face when I remove the mystery around the techniques of editing. I tried to cover every aspect I consider important inside this book. I've even included an entire chapter dedicated solely to shortcuts and tips.
As with any software, the more you work with your Avid Xpress Pro, the more you'll begin to understand how powerful a tool it is. You'll begin to understand the subtleties of editing, how shots relate to each other, and finally the art and power of storytelling.
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