Product Description

Avid Editing is a comprehensive guide covering Avid Xpress Pro, XPress Pro HD, and Xpress DV. Due to the similarity of Avid's interface across product lines, it is also relevant for Media Composer and other systems. Suitable for beginning editors or experienced editors new to the Avid, the book provides step-by-step instructions for hundreds of editing tasks in jargon-free terms. The chapters guide you through an editing project, while the accompanying DVD provides narrative footage to download for immediate, hands-on practice. The book can be read and studied at home, or while sitting in front of an Avid, following the book's step-by-step instructions.

More than a software manual, this book delves into general editing techniques, principles, and pitfalls. The author is an experienced teacher who will help you master the Avid as well as improve your overall editing skills.

This edition covers working with HD, the 16:9 widescreen, and the powerful Script Integration tool. In addition, there's new coverage of the issues facing indie filmmaker who is trying to decide how to go from the DV stage (shooting on mini-DV or DVCAM formats) to theatrical distribution. As well, there is new material on using Avid in PAL regions.

* Focuses on Avid Xpress Pro, Xpress Pro HD, Xpress DV, and Media Composer but relevant to all Avid systems
* Companion DVD includes footage to edit to provide the hands-on experience you need
* Teaches HD, HDV, and 24P workflows
* Over 500 images and screen captures clearly illustrate principles

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #227163 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Review
"The guide is for beginner and intermediate users who wish to learn to use Avid's editing systems. The book is a textbook, workbook, and user manual rolled into one...The book is aimed at teaching the user so he can begin editing as quickly as possible...This clearly written book provides effective exercises throughout to help users learn the basics of Avid editing and can also be helpful to those who are intermediate users." - HiTech Review, July/Aug. 2006

"Avid Editing is a most comprehensive Avid guide, covering the second act of the digital revolution: the HD, HDV and 24P workflow. An important tool for the new and old generation of Avid editors." Film Ireland July/Aug. 2006

About the Author
Sam Kauffmann is a professor at Boston University's College of Communication, where he teaches digital editing and film production. He is an award-winning video and filmmaker with numerous credits as a cinematographer and editor. His work has aired on network and local television stations throughout America. Included among his credits are Show Your Love, Fire: Countdown to Disaster, Killing Time, Surviving the Family, and South Africa: Building Democracy, about six South Africans who are helping to build a new nation from the rubble of apartheid.

Customer Reviews

Even better than previous editions
I read the first copy of this book when it was in it's first edition. The gap between Media Composer and Avid Xpress has narrowed since then and the present (third) edition is much more accurate if you're an Xpress user.

The level at which this book is pitched is from introductory to intermediate and the author does an excellent job of finding the right balance. An advanced user will be using both experience and Avid's own documentation to reach those dizzying heights. But this book does an excellent job of teaching you everything you need to know from scratch.

Particularly noteworthy are the chapters on Finishing (chapter 18), Finishing on Film (chapter 19), HD and HDV (chapter 16) and using the Script Integration tool (chapter 17). Chapter 16 really helps to clear up the mess of information that abounds about HD and HDV.

At all times, the author is both frank (no shortage of opinions in this edition), informative and well-balanced in his remarks, giving a realistic picture of the job to hand. He's both independent and yet obviously biased towards the Avid software (as opposed to Final Cut Pro) - but he explains his reasons why and they seem good to me.

For PAL countries, the book occasionally slips up and fails to inform the user of the correct options or choices - lazily assuming NTSC. This means that PAL users need to work a bit harder researching the correct settings (e.g. page 325 mentions 29.97 frames per second but not 25 fps; page 273 only discusses NTSC television and not PAL).

The menu options sometimes differ from what the book says - but searching the menus does help (e.g on page 358, the Decompose tool in found in the Bin menu on Avid Xpress Pro HD and not in the Clip menu). When this happens, there's a tendency to think Xpress is a cut-down version of Media Composer. In practice I found Xpress supported everything that's in the book.

The author never fails to tell you what you really need to know to do the job properly and get started. So, in short - a fantastic book with a great CD containing clips from a well made movie for you to edit whilst training to a professional industry standard.

Intermediate? Perhaps not...
As an expereinced video editor (from the days of the CMX3600 to Premiere Pro) I bought this to get a handle on Avid. While the basics are spelled out in detail, and Mr. Kauffman goes into editing theory, this book is not that much help with working out the quirkier aspects of Avid. As it moves into discussion on the more advanced aspects of editing it assumes that we have perfect recall of previous chapters, and leaves out full descriptions or information on what keys activate what comands. Subsequently using the book as a learning tool means much fliping back and forth, and a reliance on a none-too-full index. All in all, fine for the beginner, but once you have finished your first project you'll be looking around for a further, more detailed learning guide.

Amazing - A must buy
I came across this book when I looked up Avid and bought it immediately. I had read all of the previous edition reviews before I purchased this book and bought it without reservation.I really felt like I grasped the concepts for each chapter before moving on. Mr. Kauffmann not only shows you the tools in the AVID system, but with every tool gives you the reason and purpose behind it.