Best "real world" training for Avid/Premiere editors?

[Scott Wilkinson]

I'm seeking suggestions, recommendations, and opinions on where I can send our video editors (courses, seminars, classes, whatever) to SIGNIFICANTLY speed up their editing (e.g. dramatically increase their fluency with those two NLE's in particular).

The kind of course/camp/intensive training I'd love to find is the kind where class size is small (so attendees can get some personal attention)...and more importantly, one that's taught by a professional editor who works in film or television at a high level (e.g. not the guy at the local community college).

Further, I'm hoping to find a course where the focus/structure doesn't follow the books at Barnes & Noble...and doesn't follow the order of the interface windows and menus...but is totally focused on how pros get things done FAST (and under pressure) in the real world (even if some of their techniques might not be condoned by the NLE's developer).

Any pro out there reading this knows what I mean: there are the techniques in the books (and the help docs)...and then there are the techniques that aren't documented anywhere—the techniques only learned by editing 8 hours a day, every day.

I realize there is no magic bullet class that will make my editors world-class in 3 days...but I need to find something that's good enough (e.g. taught by someone who comes highly recommended for really knowing their stuff) that I can justify spending thousands to send several editors there. (Again, for both Avid and Premiere.)

I'm not even as concerned about improving my editors' creative skills (though I admit that's important). I just want them to be FAST...so when I'm standing behind them in the edit suite and say "Can you replace that clip with this one, then fade the audio out halfway through," I don't have to go get coffee and check my email while waiting on them to do it.

I don't mean this to sound harsh (I really like all my editors!)...but they simply don't spend 8hrs/day every day on their NLE's. They probably spend more like 10-20hrs/week editing (in a 40hr/week schedule)...and that's only some weeks. Other weeks pass when they don't edit at all...but are doing project management work, planning, sitting in meetings, etc.

It's possible that just ordering everyone to get a decent book on their NLE and devote one hour every day to going through the book might get the same results...but I'm thinking there must be some kind of intensive, multi-day editing bootcamp where they'll come back and immediately be faster and more efficient editors.

Of course I can google courses, but (as you all know) it's time-consuming and I have no idea which are a waste of money and which are really world-class.

Thanks,
Scott

[Brian Drysdale]

You could check out the Media Workshops in Maine, they run one week workshops. Although, I'm not sure about the class sizes. The tutors are experienced professionals.

If you've got enough people you could possibly hire a tutor to run workshops for your staff. Editing workshops tend to come at various levels.

Courses can teach hints and good short cuts, but the speed comes with practise and working on productions that allow the techniques leant to be used.

[Chris Medico]

For the Avid side it would be worth reaching out to Avid directly. Several options listed on their website.

Avid |Avid Worldwide Training

[Scott Wilkinson]

I would love to find some world-class editors (one for Avid and one for Premier Pro) who we could pay to come in and do a day-long clinic (or master class). If anyone has any recommendations, let me know.

It stands to reason that Avid and Adobe would have good instructors...but I've found that sometimes, the people who teach on behalf of the developers aren't actually real-world editors (meaning they didn't just edit a feature film or primetime TV series). I realize not all working pros are great teachers (and vice-versa)...but as I mentioned above, working pros generally have better knowledge of techniques for editing FAST...which is my primary goal.

Scott