May 2007 — News

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Know Your NLEs

by Dave Nagel

Avid Free DV is an exception to this. Although it lacks a whole lot of functionality, it does give students a free head start on learning the Avid interface, which is a plus (and pretty much the only value of this software).

So for career or college-prep courses, consumer NLEs aren't a good option unless there is literally no money in the budget for something else.

Semi-Pro
On the semi-pro side of things ("prosumer"), there is a diminishing reservoir of viable applications out there. They are more affordable than the pro systems, and there is some continuity between the semi-pro NLEs and the fully professional ones. Final Cut Express HD, for example, can help prepare students to work in Final Cut Pro. But, again, the options are limited as developers bump their offerings up to the pro level and the gap between semi-pro and pro widens.

At this point in the history of video editing, I don't see a lot in the semi-pro category that's worth considering. The divide between pro and prosumer is widening, while the price points aren't all that different, especially when you consider the kinds of bundles that come with the pro-level systems.

Pro-Level NLEs
Then, finally, there are the fully professional systems--the ones that, unquestionably, will be valuable for students looking to make a career of video editing. Here there is a much broader choice, though few stand out as being truly valuable in terms of the direction in which the industry is heading. This is not to say, at all, that somebody who knows the ins and outs of one particular piece of software will be any good at editing; but learning the professional tools can help students get over the initial technical hurdles and focus on what's important: the art.

Apple's Final Cut Pro should, generally, be the first consideration. Not only is it one of the most popular systems out there with professionals, but it ships with Final Cut Studio, which includes DVD Studio Pro, the de facto standard for DVD authoring, as well as some other useful tools for creative production. The new version will be out this month. On the downside, Final Cut Pro s Mac-only, so, for some schools, implementation would require a bit of capital outlay. (Keep in mind, though, that in stark contrast to the real world, the creative market as a whole is more than 50 percent Mac-based.) Apple does offer education and volume discounts for schools. (As of this writing, the latest version of Final Cut Studio had not yet shipped; but is is due very soon.)

Next up--and I never thought I'd put this one in second place--is Adobe Premiere Pro. The old Premiere used to be considered semi-pro. But Adobe put a lot of effort into building up this NLE into a serious piece of creative software, and that effort has paid off. Premiere Pro is gaining in popularity. And, once the CS3 version is released, it will once again be dual-platform (Mac OS X and Windows). In terms of education pricing, Adobe as a distinct advantage in K-12 now that it's changed its licensing programs. Site licenses of the Adobe Master Collection can be purchased for about $15,000, which includes school and home seats for every single application in the suite (Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Encore DVD, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash Pro, etc.). Considering what you get, along with a very relevant NLE, that's a tough offer to pass up.