Training for Avid Editors

Jeff Greenberg

A wide array of Avid-specific sessions offers tips on everythingfrom editing shortcuts to the use of third-party titling tools

Avid users will get ample opportunity to raise their editing skillsto new heights at the NAB Post|Production World Conference. Three ofthe 25 tracks being offered at the conference are devoted toAvid-specific topics—Avid DNA Editing, Type on Avid, and Avid|DSEditing and Compositing.

Jeff Greenberg, the Technical Chair for these three tracks and theprinciple instructor for Future Media Concepts, says the sessions inthese tracks have been carefully constructed to provide attendees witha maximum amount of practical, useful information.

"These are all very concentrated, solution-driven seminars that arefilled with little hints, keyboard tricks, and techniques you wouldn'tnormally come across in a class or tutorial," he says. "These arenuggets of information drawn from experienced users, user groups, andonline forums that can really help you streamline your workflow andenhance your creativity."

At least three Avid sessions will be re-delivered in Spanish duringthe Spanish track.

One of Greenberg's favorite sessions is "We'll Fix it in Post: AnAvid Editor's Guide to Color Correction," scheduled for 11:45 a.m. onSaturday, April 17.

"Every shooter makes mistakes, and color correction is all aboutmaking unusable shots usable," he says. "Every editor needs to know howto do things like fix white balance, fine-tune exposure when pictureslook flat, and do shot-to-shot correction. If you have to color-correctyour own shows but you don't spend five days a week color correcting,you will learn half a dozen little things you never knew before. Evenexperienced editors will find something to help them work faster andsmarter."

Another of Greenberg's favorite sessions is "10 Power Tips: It's AllAbout Speed," scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Saturday. "There are allsorts of little hidden keyboard commands and other things you can do tohelp you tell stories faster," says Greenberg. "Some of the tipscovered in this session are documented and some are not."

One of Greenberg's favorite Avid power tools is the Replace Editfunction. "I find that only 40% of the experienced editors I run intoknow about it," he says. "It's so good it's in the Final Cut Prointerface as well. With Replace Edit, you can build a montage inminutes as opposed to an hour. It's that fast."

Because Avid used the same basic interface for its new DNA productfamily that it used for its Meridian-based line, Greenberg is quick topoint out that this session, as well as many of the others, will beuseful to users of both new and old Avid systems.

And with sessions on everything from audio editing to keying tomanagement of hard-disk space, the Avid tracks touch on virtually everystage of the post-production process. "I'm really blown away by howmuch we are presenting," says Greenberg. "Every area in the workflow isbeing addressed."

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