Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Hi Pete

Thank you for the reply. I hope your family member's son with Autism Spectrum Disorder is able to accomplish great things once he gets his chance.

Besides his very high interest in the subject matter, Mackenzie is not exactly a people person, and that is why I have been proactive in trying to make this quest a reality. If he can just film his subject matter, then go home and in the course of time edit it, copy it, (hopefully we can sell it), package it, and ship it, then we will be in his comfort zone with a minimal of interpersonal communication (and what there is of that, I will take care of). As I have said before, if this does not work, I will move on to the next thing, whatever that may be.

Again, thank you for your post.

Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Noa

As best I can, I am going to roughly guess what my choice of an NLE maybe, and get a machine that I am confidant will handle the workload. I may get more machine than I actually need, but in this case, better to ere on the side of more capability.

I am strongly considering having a computer made instead of buying one off the shelf, and if I thought I would have the time, I would order the components and build one myself.

Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Just be aware you'll get just as strong testimonials from users of their own NLE of choice. Fortunately, you can try each NLE for a trial period, so you can check them out, although the first limiter of choice will be the operating system. If you go with Windows that rules out FCP X, but if you go with Mac, the same applies to Vegas.

I've heard a few people liking Power Director, although the import options are limited, it's more a consumer NLE, than one that supports the higher end codecs used by many professionals. It really depends on the end purpose for the productions.

First question would be does he want to work with a track based editor or a non track based editor? For the latter, the only professional option is FCPX, all the others are track based.

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Brian makes some good points about NLEs. You can download trial versions and test them out for free on your current computer(s). As mentioned, the OS decision narrows the available choices.

I would beware NLEs that are limited to the lower end of the market. A lower-end editor might be attractive at first, but you might run into limits. Changing to a different NLE can then be challenging as we always compare it to that comfortable one that we learned first.

Avid, FCP, and Premiere are probably the main pro NLEs. IMO, Avid is overkill, FCP is a good option, and Premiere is not easy to learn.

The next set includes Vegas, Edius, Resolve and possibly others. Vegas is nice in that it has an inexpensive version with an upgrade path to a pro version. I've never used Edius, but from what I read, many like it and it seems to be very capable. Resolve is quite interesting as it's used professionally and BlackMagic Design is opening it up to the masses. These may all be good choices, depending on which falls to hand most easily.

I would stay far away from iMovie, MovieMaker, and other editors that are for consumers only. They are too limiting and could be hard to leave behind, once learned. (And this is why I recommend avoiding Simple Edit Mode in Vegas.) I don't know if PowerDirector falls in this category or is in the next tier above.

Another consideration is the prospect of long-time development and support of the software. Avid, FCP, and Premiere are on solid ground. Sony just sold Vegas to Magix. Magix seems committed to it, but I don't know about their financials. BlackMagic is solid and seems committed to Resolve. Edius is now owned by Grass Valley, which is owned by Belden, so they have a broader financial base than just software editors. Sometimes companies lose interest in smaller product lines. (Ask me about Tascam's treatment of GigaStudio sometime - or others about Gibson and Opcode.) But each of these software bases seem mature enough that they can be sold and continued, rather than suffocated.

Anyway, FCP, Vegas, Edius, and Resolve would be the ones I would look at. Maybe PowerDirector is in that list as well, but I can't answer that.

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

I would also throw Lightworks into the mix, since it's been around as long as Avid and is now supported by a company who's background is video/digital post production,kit for the broadcast industry, so it's part of a range of products.

Lightworks is used by a number of feature film editors and it's tradition is long form narrative editing for dramas and documentaries . It has a number of advanced features, some of which over the years have been taken up by other manufacturers. .

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Michael,

All of this stuff your considering on the computer and software side of things warrants a call to Videoguys. Building video editing machines is their specialty. They will custom build you one or you can go turnkey. They are the industry experts in knowing which hardware components work the best with which software. You can check them out here: Video Editing and Live Production Hardware and Software - VideoGuys.com

I would encourage you to call them too. There reputation is for first class customer service to taylor a custom machine to meet the needs of the caller.

They are also a DVINFO sponsor and at least for me that matters. If you call please let them know you heard about them here.

Kind Regards,

Steve

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Brian

Thank you for this information. I am going to do my research, and whenever possible try these programs (on a trial basis) with Mackenzie to see if one might be a better fit for him, thank you for the idea/suggestion.

Is there an advantage in regards a track based editor versus a non track based editor ?

Thank you

Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Jon

Thanks for the post and your advice. I am only going to be looking at NLE's that can do the job now and for the future(with upgrades of course). You are very wise stressing the support or lack of when considering any of these.

Thank you

Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Brian

Thank you for reminding me of that, and the additional information !


Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Steve

Thank you for letting me know and the link. It is great that they are sponsors of this wonderful forum.

That is two I owe you, the first was about the audio section of this forum, and now VideoGuys. I will call them, and since they are sponsors, that makes it even better.

Thank You !

Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Hi Everyone

Looks like I have another camera to consider ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/camcorder/ca...log_160824.pdf

I know that I am new to this, but it seems odd that Panasonic would bring out a camera (HC X1) that is due out in December that is so similar to one (UX 180) that was announced earlier, and is due out this fall. Granted, when the final production cameras are released, they may be very different, but as of now, the major difference is that the UX 180 has SDI, while the HC X1 does not, for $800 more.

Michael

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

The HC-X1 looks like an upgrade from the HC-X1000 with a new sensor in the consumer lineup. The UX series is a new 4K series in the pro lineup. Until we see the specs of both we will not really know the differences. Only clear difference so far is SDI but the UX could have timecode on the outputs etc or different codec options and accessories included in the price. I am sure we will get more information at IBC in a week. To me the confusion is with the UX90.

Ron Evans

Re: New and need help for son with Autism
 

Hello Everyone,

I am still around, basically just waiting for the new Panasonic cameras (HC-X1, and UX 180) to come out this November and December. Following the advice of many of you, once they are out, I'll be taking my son into the city to B&H to get a more hands on look at these cameras and the DVX 200. Will keep everyone updated as the process moves forward.

Once again, I wish to thank everyone for the tips, advice, and support I have received during my short time here. I am sure I will have more questions, and will be seeking help and guidance as we move further toward our goal(s).

Thanks Again !

Michael