Digital video industry standards, Final Cut and such.

[Djinn36]

So, basically I was recently laid off, the job market it a pretty terrible so I have some time on my hands.

I was really thinking about trying to parlay my technical background (IT stuff, Developer, DBA, Sys Admin, etc.) into the digital video movie industry and was wanting your guys opinions.

My apologies for any extremely noobish questions here. But I'm wondering, what's considered the industry standard software packages after the footage is shot?
For example, Oakley's Red One camera looks pretty awesome. What happens after you have all this video? Do you typically dump it in Final Cut? Does that take care of editing and special effects? Or is there better software out there?
If you guys could point in the right direction, that would be awesome. Maybe some good books too?

Thanks.

 

[jetjaguar]

well I am also doing this as well. I have a background working with cisco routers and networks .. etc But my love has always been movies and I am currently learning final cut pro

basically for software .. i know the show leverage on TNT .. shoots with the RED camera and then the harddrives are taken and dumped straight into Final Cut Pro .. they do the whole show with Final Cut Studio

I would think it would be best to just learn the whole fcp studio .. that is a great start .. there is also AVID .. but it seems that the industry is moving to FCS

 

[LethalWolfe]

If you want to get into this industry get a PA (production assistant) gig. Even if it just a weekend here or there on a local production or even volunteering at your local PBS affiliate you'll learn a lot more being 'out there' than from reading books. Working also puts into contact w/people in the industry and its those relationships that you will get you your next job.

As far as tools go, Avid is still top dog when it comes to editing. FCP is becoming more accepted at the top end but it's much more widely used the farther down the totem pole you go. Any 3D effects would be made in a 3D program and composited into the footage using software like After Effects, Combustion or Shake (2D visual effects would be made in programs like those as well). For finishing work there is Apple's Color, Da Vinci, Scratch, etc.,.

Some good industry websites are:
dvxuser.com
dvinfo.net
creativecow.net
provideocoalition.com
studiodaily.com


Lethal

 

[Djinn36]

@jetjaguar, How are you going about learning FCP, taking classes or just download it and go from there?

@LethalWolfe, Thanks for the info. about getting a PA gig, that's what someone else told me too. I'm definitely going to check those sites out.

 

[jetjaguar]

@jetjaguar, How are you going about learning FCP, taking classes or just download it and go from there?

@LethalWolfe, Thanks for the info. about getting a PA gig, that's what someone else told me too. I'm definitely going to check those sites out.

well im back in school for film .. so currently my editing class makes us just watch videos on lynda.com and then he gives us footage to edit following scripts and such. So its mostly self teaching

but im looking for an internship in a post production house or something but im trying to learn as much as possible in class and on my own .. but nothing is as good as working in a production or getting an internship

 

[puckhead193]

its a tough business to break into... it took me a little over a year after graduating college (BA degree in Comm. with a concentration in TV) to find a job. If your in school now, you MUST do internships. Every semester you can. do one even its at the local station you still meet people. I think when i was in school having done an internship at the small local station before I got into a regional station, got me my first job because of my experience with HS sports at the small local station. Ask questions and you can do anything they ask you to do.
Watch youtube videos some are really great, find members that go into detail.

Avid is still king in our world but more and more work is being done on Final Cut. I think you need to focus what in the post production you want to do, if you want to do finishing, 3-d graphics, editing, sound etc.