Which Platform Dilemma

[Anonymous]

I’m going to being shooting short segments for our Web video channel, plus pickup footage for a show that is professionally produced. (I’m the talent. These will be little woman-on-the-street pieces. Short and sweet, and some small pieces from my studio, little how-to’s and messages to our viewers.)

Currently I have a PC and am going to buy a new desktop for the light editing I’ll be doing. My videographer uses Final Cut Pro.

My question is, shouldI go the Mac route so I can use FC Express? Will that make it easier on Ivan, my editor? I was told that it doesn’t matter sinceI have to save the files as quick time anyway, thatI could go the PCm Adobe route. But another reputable source said life will by much easier for both of usifI go the Mac route.

I have to substantiate this to those who hold the purse strings. Help!

[EarlC]

Generally speaking it is better if everyone in a “same studio” or on a “same project” basis is working with mutually compatible hardware, software and equipment. Although there are plenty of workarounds, simple or complex, it is always better if these issues don’t have to be, er, uh, “issues.”

Outside that, whatever works. There are literally hundreds of arguments for and against any particular hardware/software/equipment approah – all of them worthy of debate. Believe me, the debates have been going on since time immemorial.

Common sense says, if it doesn’t matter THAT much to you, go with what the rest of your production people are already invested in.

[composite1]

If you’ve got the time and cash to spend on getting and learning a new platform from scratch (also remember you’ll have to get new mac compatible software to run on your new unit) then by all means get one and go with FCP.

But, if you are like so many of us who are working unimpeded by platform save your money and time. All pro grade NLE software is more than capable of outputting footage to quicktime whether cross-platform or not. Adobe Premeire CS3+ can export a project’s EDL (edit decision list) to FCP without much difficulty. With cross-platform software you can do your ‘offline edit’ on a mac or pc and then export your EDL and media clips to a ‘finishing’ NLE on a mac or pc. It gets done like that constantly and is not hard. ‘Pipelining’ can be less stressful, but what happens when you change camera people or editors and they use something else? Are you going to freeze up because they don’t use exactly what you do?

With the amount of software compatiblity these days, there should not be any ‘er, uh, issues.’ If you plan to collaborate with someone who suddenly falls into ‘er, uh’ mode, run like hell ’cause they don’t know what they are doing.

[EarlC]

Cute.

[Author]

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