Why you might want to think about buying Avid Media Composer 6.5

I’ve been a Final Cut Pro editor for my whole working life, which is inching towards a decade which isn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, but its long enough to know FCP7 inside and out, have developed muscle memory and come to learn all its quirks and foibles. But I am still toying with the idea of getting a handle on Avid Media Composer, straddling both NLE’s rather than jumping from one to the other and now seems like a good time to buy in, because of Avid’s $999 cross-grade price which expires on December 14th 2012.

I’m still trying to figure out why the price in the UK is so much higher than in the US. Currently the crossgrade deal is £1300 rather than the $999. Which ‘should be’ £622 or $2085. Although I don’t see what there is to stop you purchasing a US copy and using it in the UK. Its just software right!?

Tips for Editing with Avid Media Composer

Irish editor Cliona Nolan has a couple of great Avid editing tips on her blog cutandsplice that are well worth checking out and its nice to reblog someone from closer to home!

Avid have also posted a nice write up of Alan Edward Bell’s use of Avid Media Composer while editing The Amazing Spiderman.

“We had a total of eight Media Composer stations connected to the Unity system,” explains Vecchiarello. “Each station included an Avid Nitris DX I/O box and either a Marshall 3D monitor, or 2D monitors with converter boxes. Alan had two 27-inch Apple monitors and a Doremi box connected to an Optima HD projector.”

TVTechnology also has a useful review of what its like to edit in the new 6.5 version of Media Composer and a run down of some of the new features.

Oliver Peters has a great explanation of some of the fundamental differences (and similarities) of the two NLE’s presented as tips for Final Cut Pro editor’s switching to Avid for the first time.