ot avid free

ushere wrote on 8/11/2006, 4:24 PM
yes i know....

but they are offering a free (limited to 2 tracks, etc) version for free. i teach various groups video production - from high school thru to adults, and have been using win movie maker simply because it too is free. there is NO budget for software in any of my groups, but i would like to use something more than wmm. any suggestions?

and

has anyne tried avid free
and on a computer running vegas as well? (my laptop which i use for instruction)

leslie

Comments

[r]Evolution wrote on 8/12/2006, 8:37 AM
Avid Free is an awesome concept. It never expires and it's... FREE! This is Avid's advertising ploy since people are finding out they can do exactly what Avid does on other (less expensive) NLE's.

Vegas concept is similar but also has its limitations. A Fully Functional trial that will expire after 30 days. This gives you all the benefits... but you'd better be quick because after 30 days... it's gone.

Although I prefer Vegas, I am a Full Time Avid Editor. If your students hope to go on to be Avid Editors... Avid Free is a great way to start. The interface is nearly exactly the same. So once they'e learned Avid Free... theoretically they know Avid editing.

Simply put... everything about Avid Free is Avid. The only difference is only being allowed 2 tracks. I've recommended Avid Free to a few guys that are trying to come from FCP to Avid. Without investing any money... they became familiar enough with the Avid interface and its workflow to give them enough confidence to go after Avid jobs.

On the flip side you can spend $XX+ to get another version of Avid only to find out that it's not all it's cracked up to be. If you can deal with only having 2 tracks... I'd recommend Avid Free. You shouldn't have any conflicts with it being on the same box as Vegas. Although I'm not sure if they can run at the same time. Maybe you'll get some Video/Audio sharing conflicts.
winrockpost wrote on 8/12/2006, 2:41 PM
i may be wrong, but I think I remember when i checked it out ,all video has to be q/t before you can even edit with it.
autopilot wrote on 8/12/2006, 2:50 PM
I'm Avid Free, and I don't mean that I got it for free. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad program. I just think it has a VERY high learning curve. Any Joe Normal I-just-wanna-put-some-pics-together is not going to use Avid. That being said, I use Full Vegas 6, so I consider myself Not A Dummy, and I still thought Avid (Liquid 6 ) was difficult.
busterkeaton wrote on 8/13/2006, 12:15 AM
If you want to teach your students a simple, easy to learn yet powerful NLE, check out the consumer version of Vegas, Sony Vegas Movie Studio. It under $75, easy learning curve, lots of power. Your students can download the demo of it, if your classes are not many sessions.

If you need to teach longer than 30 days, or if really needs to be free, you may want to go with Avid.

If you need budget software and I don't think under $100 is bad for people who can afford a video camera go with Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

ushere wrote on 8/13/2006, 12:28 AM
thanks one and all,

i've looked at mov studio buster, and you're right, it is good value, but my short courses are 3 X 4hrs over a month or more with really remote groups, who use 'community' equipment, ie, one camera among 6 > people - so there really is no budget.

as it is, i played around with avid free (having been an avid editor many years ago with media composer and symphony), and i'd forgotten how awful it is compared to vegas in terms of interface and work flow.

i think i'll stick with m$ movie maker 2 - since it's free, reasonably reliable, and quick to learn. if more is required, then we'll go with studio.

thanks everyone

leslie
JohnnyRoy wrote on 8/13/2006, 7:22 AM
It’s too bad you weren’t teaching a music class because then you could use the free ACID Express which would give students enough understanding of ACID to want to upgrade to the XMS or Music Studio version and make a sale for Sony.

I am in the same predicament as you. I teach an after school video workshop and I use the Sony Studio Series (Vegas Movie Studio, ACID Music Studio, and Sound Forge Audio Studio) because they are affordable for the students. Unfortunately, what I think is affordable and what the parents thing is affordable are two different things and the students come in and show me what they did in... you guessed it... Windows Movie Maker. :(

It would be great if Sony created a Vegas Express just like ACID Express. This would give educators something to use with students and would boost sales for Sony because we all know that students will eventually go out and buy what they learned to use in school.

~jr
MEMelvinFilms wrote on 8/13/2006, 2:12 PM
Send your students to Academicsuperstore.com to buy education versions of Vegas.