New video editing choices
I saw demos of two new editing programs last night that are pretty exciting.
First off is the new CS6 version of Adobe Premiere. This is an all-new version and it looks so much better than the previous one. It looks elegant and you mostly see your media now, instead of the program interface. It will take most any media and it has some cool features like skimming and live correction during playback, and great new trimming tools. This is where the old Final Cut desktop market will go, I think.
The other editing program is Autodesk Smoke 2013, which is targeted at the pro Final Cut market. It looks and acts like Final Cut when you’re in the editing mode but of course has the Smoke special effects engine behind it so you can make the film of your dreams – or nightmares, if you’re into horror. This makes After Effects look like a toy. Smoke used to be $15,000, but the new editing version will be much less – $3500. If you’re a pro editor it will be a bargain.
Avid, the broadcast standard, is running a special now to cross-grade from FCP to Avid Symphony 6 for $995. This too is a great bargain if you’re working in a collaborative environment. It’s normally $6,000. Just be prepared for the sticker shock for the next version upgrade.
The pro editing crowd is definitely not embracing Final Cut X and these new alternatives look good.
