I like Premiere. I really don't think it's all that hard to use. Invest a few hours and you'll be able to do all the basics just fine. After using it for one or two films, the extras will all start making more sense. Also just start posting questions on various online forums (like this one) asking questions. There are tons of tutorials for Premiere too.

Well, I have premiere and I have to reinstall the freakin thing! I like the editing work though. I might look into avid. Since its what the big boys use.

I learned how to edit on the old version of imovie, and it was on the schools computer. This summer I saved up and bought a gl2, and now need some editing software. I downloaded the free avid, and haven’t a **** clue what is going on. Is their a editing software for pc that is just as easy to use as imovie, but with a lot more functions?

You might want to check out Premiere Kyle. It's not TOO hard. I picked it up pretty good.

Now I use Final Cut Pro and I love it. Although I'm thinking about getting that education pack from avid.

What are the differences between FCP and Avid? If I know one, will I be able to pick up the other pretty easy?

From my experience, they've been really different. After using FCP for so many years, I've grown to hate Avid with a passion. Avid is a lot less intuitive and it feels like you need to just do a lot more to accomplish simple tasks that would normally only take a couple clicks in FCP, and the interface feels clunky and lopsided. FCP is simple, intuitive, and streamlined in every way that Avid is not.

It's all a matter of personal preference. Try them both and see which works best for you.

First off, I don't think that avid is any less intuitive than FCP is. I love editing with AVID. Sure, there is a learning curve, but doesn't every program? Once you get past that, avid is an awesome program, and thats what I'm sticking with.

Like JW said, it's a matter of personal preference, so try them both out. I prefer to stick with the industry standard .

I'm not going to turn this into an AVID vs FCP war, so just try them out, and use what you wish. At the end of the day, they both get the job done...

You know what's funny JW, if you just take that exact same paragraph and swap each time you say Avid with Apple then you have my thoughts.

"From my experience, they've been really different. After using Avid for so many years, I've grown to hate Final Cut with a passion. Final Cut is a lot less intuitive and it feels like you need to just do a lot more to accomplish simple tasks that would normally only take a simple keyboard stroke in Avid, and the interface feels clunky and lopsided. Avid is simple, intuitive, and streamlined in every way that Final Cut is not."

Avid for me is much much much more streamlined as an editor than FCP. Of course the learning curve is higher - I'll give you that. But once you know Avid - you can blow away FCP in editing speed.

A simple change like a slip or a simple trim takes me one second (a simple lasso and keyboard command). In FCP it drives me nuts.

That's my viewpoint. If you took my class on Avid you'd see!

Plus, besides - you NEED to know Avid to work as an editor or assistant here in LA.

Of course there are FCP gigs in docs and some trailer houses. But the majority of everything is still done in Avid.

If you're fast at FCP - great. Use whatever works for you. FCP is great for students. But Avid is truly where it is at.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

p.s. - Beyonce and No Doubt beat me out on Sunday! I wasn't expecting my video to win anyways.

Hahaha! Thanks Chris for setting the record straight!
You have pretty much killed the war before it even started!

I'm not too sure how No Doubt won in the Pop video category. I mean, they are a good group, and the video was alright---but that should have went to Jessica (erm, Chris) lol.

And speaking of... Does anyone think the Movie Awards and the VMAs this year were lame? (Maybe because of Janet's "wardrobe" malfunction, MTV had to pay a lot of money, so funding for both events might have been cut short)

That's ok...they cut the No Doubt video where I work.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

I think the "industry standard" argument is irrelevant here. Everybody knows that Avid is the industry standard and that everyone in LA uses it, so enough of that already. The question was about whether they're similar and how hard one is to learn having known the other.

I was very clear that it's a matter of personal preference and everyone should try both and see what works best for them. I was also very clear that my comments were based on my own personal experience. So for those of us here who didn't seem to get it, let me put it into simpler terms; I am in no way stating that one is better than the other. I don't think one is better than the other. If you like Avid, use Avid. If you like FCP, use FCP. It's as simple as that. But what I'm saying is nobody can tell you which one is best for you. You need to use it and figure it out for yourself.

I know it's all personal preference.

Use whatever works best for you. (And whatever's cheapest too! )

-Chris
Studentfilms.com