PC to MAC? Vegas to FCP? Television station called today..Thoughts? at DVinfo.net

David Ruhland · August 20th, 2009, 10:38 AM

I got a call today from my local community television station. They were wondering if I would be interested in being a Producer for thier station. It seems the station is short of funding and is in dire need of help at a whopping yearly salary of $0.

They are willing to traing me in editing on FCP with a MAC amongst other things, ie studio lighting, field audio, etc... I am thinking this is an excellent oppurtunity for me to learn more about video and editing. They want me to be a producer and shoot some shorts that they can air too! How cool!

The question i have is, I am a very literate PC user having only touched a MAC once in my life. I am slowly learning Vegas Pro. Will the editing foundation be the same for both softwares?

In other words do you foresee a huge learning curve going between the MACS and FCP at the station and Sony Vegas -PC format in my "other life"

OR

IS this gonna wanna make me go out and get a MAC and FCP? lol

Shaun Roemich · August 20th, 2009, 11:32 AM

The biggest issue moving between edit systems is the little things like logic and context. My migration to FCP 1.0.2 from AVID Media Composer (back in the $60k days) was frustrating but now I teach FCP...

I've edited on FCP, AVID (in various incarnations) and Media 100 and STILL cannot be productive on Premiere. I believe that each software suite should be approached as a "new" learning experience rather than trying to "translate" one function to another.

The nice thing about FCP is that there are USUALLY several different ways of doing the same thing: FCP started out as a consumerish piece of software designed to edit DV and has (through usage and innovation) become a power professional tool and therefore tries to "be all things to all people".

Jim Snow · August 20th, 2009, 12:42 PM

Sounds like a great opportunity if that's something you believe will help you move in the direction that you want to go. Don't fret over the platform and application issue. It will be awkward at first because everything is different. Frankly, the more proficient your are with your current environment, the more aggravating it will be. It's a bit like learning a second language; you don't forget your first.

FCP is a good NLE and won't hold you back after you adjust to it. Just reserve judgment about how "good or bad" it is until you develop some proficiency with it. Otherwise you may confuse "different" from "bad."

Michael Wisniewski · August 20th, 2009, 12:54 PM

The learning curve will be in the small details. That's what will drive you nuts. Despite similar features, FCP/Mac has a very different workflow from Vegas/PC. So it's definitely worth it to take a good training class get up and running quickly. As Shaun mentioned, it's a good idea to approach FCP/Mac as a "new" experience.

Shaun Roemich · August 20th, 2009, 01:21 PM

As Michael allude, the small details will be things like:
"But I pressed the key to make <insert action here>, why didn't it?"

Answer: FCP probably did but the "wrong" window was active. Actions if FCP are almost always exclusive to the active window (the exception being some Timeline actions directly affect the Viewer and vice versa)

Dean Sensui · August 20th, 2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Ruhland

I am thinking this is an excellent oppurtunity for me to learn more about video and editing.

It is.

If you have the time, it's often good to take advantage of an opportunity to learn something. Look at it this way: If you took a class on FCP, it would probably cost you something. In this case you're getting it for free.

While I'm not keen on having people work for free, in this case it's a chance to learn something that would prove handy. Try to avoid pre-conceived notions about how it should work, and try to understand how it does work.

The fundamentals are the same. As Michael said, it's the details that will get to you for a while.

David Ruhland · August 20th, 2009, 03:00 PM

Dean,

My thoughts exactly, I have since learned there are two Sony VEgas Gurus at the station that use SONY PRO personally and guess what!!!! One of them works for Sony Creative services Corporate in the Service dept... NETWORKING....Thats what its all about! You can bet that i will be bending his ear!

IF i had taken a class it would have cost money yes, I will learn in exchange for the fruits of my labor! AND i will meet others that can help me remedially too!

Its a win win situation for me.... (if i can handle the politics)

August 20th, 2009, 10:38 AM	#1
David Ruhland Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Madison WI Posts: 340	PC to MAC? Vegas to FCP? Television station called today..Thoughts? I got a call today from my local community television station. They were wondering if I would be interested in being a Producer for thier station. It seems the station is short of funding and is in dire need of help at a whopping yearly salary of $0. They are willing to traing me in editing on FCP with a MAC amongst other things, ie studio lighting, field audio, etc... I am thinking this is an excellent oppurtunity for me to learn more about video and editing. They want me to be a producer and shoot some shorts that they can air too! How cool! The question i have is, I am a very literate PC user having only touched a MAC once in my life. I am slowly learning Vegas Pro. Will the editing foundation be the same for both softwares? In other words do you foresee a huge learning curve going between the MACS and FCP at the station and Sony Vegas -PC format in my "other life" OR IS this gonna wanna make me go out and get a MAC and FCP? lol __________________ Vegas 8.0c (Build 260)-(Upgraded to Sony Vegas 10 pro)Canon GL2, Canon HV30, HF200, HF20-Sony UWP Wirelesss Mic Kit, Intel Core 2 CPU-6600@2.40GHz-3.00GB Ram

August 20th, 2009, 11:32 AM	#2
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	The biggest issue moving between edit systems is the little things like logic and context. My migration to FCP 1.0.2 from AVID Media Composer (back in the $60k days) was frustrating but now I teach FCP... I've edited on FCP, AVID (in various incarnations) and Media 100 and STILL cannot be productive on Premiere. I believe that each software suite should be approached as a "new" learning experience rather than trying to "translate" one function to another. The nice thing about FCP is that there are USUALLY several different ways of doing the same thing: FCP started out as a consumerish piece of software designed to edit DV and has (through usage and innovation) become a power professional tool and therefore tries to "be all things to all people". __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

August 20th, 2009, 12:54 PM	#4
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	The learning curve will be in the small details. That's what will drive you nuts. Despite similar features, FCP/Mac has a very different workflow from Vegas/PC. So it's definitely worth it to take a good training class get up and running quickly. As Shaun mentioned, it's a good idea to approach FCP/Mac as a "new" experience. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

August 20th, 2009, 01:21 PM	#5
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	As Michael allude, the small details will be things like: "But I pressed the key to make <insert action here>, why didn't it?" Answer: FCP probably did but the "wrong" window was active. Actions if FCP are almost always exclusive to the active window (the exception being some Timeline actions directly affect the Viewer and vice versa) __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

August 20th, 2009, 03:00 PM	#7
David Ruhland Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Madison WI Posts: 340	Dean, My thoughts exactly, I have since learned there are two Sony VEgas Gurus at the station that use SONY PRO personally and guess what!!!! One of them works for Sony Creative services Corporate in the Service dept... NETWORKING....Thats what its all about! You can bet that i will be bending his ear! IF i had taken a class it would have cost money yes, I will learn in exchange for the fruits of my labor! AND i will meet others that can help me remedially too! Its a win win situation for me.... (if i can handle the politics) __________________ Vegas 8.0c (Build 260)-(Upgraded to Sony Vegas 10 pro)Canon GL2, Canon HV30, HF200, HF20-Sony UWP Wirelesss Mic Kit, Intel Core 2 CPU-6600@2.40GHz-3.00GB Ram

August 20th, 2009, 12:42 PM	#3
Jim Snow Trustee Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,104	Sounds like a great opportunity if that's something you believe will help you move in the direction that you want to go. Don't fret over the platform and application issue. It will be awkward at first because everything is different. Frankly, the more proficient your are with your current environment, the more aggravating it will be. It's a bit like learning a second language; you don't forget your first. FCP is a good NLE and won't hold you back after you adjust to it. Just reserve judgment about how "good or bad" it is until you develop some proficiency with it. Otherwise you may confuse "different" from "bad."