Adobe, Apple and Avid get equal attention at the User-Friendly User Group.

Filmmaker Matthew Mallinson founded the user group ALLCREATIVE NY to help members stay ahead of the curve technically, which often means knowing multiple video editing software systems. The group puts an emphasis on the creative process through presentations at their monthly meetings – the most recent one this past week at Createasphere’s Entertainment Technology Expo. In addition to being the founder of ALLCREATIVE NY, Matthew Mallinson is a filmmaker, working as a director, producer and editor. As an editor, he’s most noted for editing the feature film Chameleon Street, which won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance. Matthew has served as the lead instructor for the Editing Intensive (Avid, Final Cut, After Effects, Pro Tools) at NYU-SCPS.

Createasphere: Why is a group like ALLCREATIVE NY important to the film and video community?

Matthew: There are quite a few user groups that focus on the technical aspects of film, video and the arts. ALLCREATIVE NY strives to mix the aesthetic along with the technical. Our monthly meetings bring together a diverse group of editors, directors, graphic artists, camerapersons, producers and even actors who want to find out what the latest tools can do to help them in their creative endeavors.

Our technical presentations tend to be a bit shorter than people might normally expect. Most of our members may not need to watch an hour and a half on let’s say, compositing. So after a brief overview of tech info, we often use the rest of the time to focus on how these technologies are applied creatively. Recently, we highlighted Jamie Stuart’s “Idiot with a Tripod”, a short film that went viral on YouTube. After we watched the 4 minute film, it sparked a lively conversation between our group and the filmmaker. That’s our focus, to combine the technical and the creative.

Createasphere: With three post-production editing systems competing for the market share, is this good or bad for editors and producers?

Matthew: Here’s why it’s good: competition stimulates innovation. It makes good tools better. I started on Avid Media Composer and segued into the Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Studio. Each application tried to persuade me that they were the best. Truth is, I use them all. And they’re constantly trying to outdo the other guy. There isn’t one approach that satisfies all my needs all the time. I love the rock solid reliability of Avid Media Composer. I rarely, if ever, see the dreaded “Media Offline”. Adobe and Apple offer integrated suites with more of the tools I use. The Adobe Creative Suite has Photoshop, and there’s just nothing like Photoshop, and After Effects. And with the latest version of Premiere Pro, Adobe has great workflow integration with dynamic linking which saves a lot of time.

Createasphere: Can you explain more about dynamic linking and how you are able to go back and forth between the 3 systems?

Matthew: Dynamic linking is an Adobe workflow option that allows you to change an element in your Adobe based project in one of their applications and have it automatically update that file wherever it’s been used in your Adobe workflow. You can turn it on and off as needed. Final Cut Studio 7 offers a similar workflow option for their applications. Going back and forth between Avid, Apple and Adobe systems used to be a challenge. It used to be that the only option, the go-between, was a software program called “Automatic Duck.” Good product, a bit expensive at about $500, but it worked. Now when each application offers a new version, there’s usually a point made from the company about how each can “play nicer” with the other guy. Final Cut to Premiere Pro to Avid Media Composer and back again. That hasn’t seemed to be a big issue lately, until, I hate to say it, Final Cut Pro X. It’s an Apple program that won’t even play nice with its earlier version. But don’t get me wrong. I really like Final Cut. I’ve always worked on Macs. I’ve got to believe Apple is going to iron out all the bugs. People may have to be patient and see what unfolds.

Createasphere: At $299, FCP X is crazy cheap but there’s a lot of controversy. Are people just expecting too much, too soon?

Matthew: I see posts on sites like the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group) and I’m amazed at how upset some people are. It comes down to what I said earlier about competition and innovation. Apple needed to go 64 bit so they rebuilt Final Cut from the ground up. And while they were at it, they said here’s a new way we see the future of computer based editing. Remember, this is the company that said “Think Different”. Hey, when film based editors made the move to computer based workflows there was a lot of resistance until enough editors became accustomed to this new way to do post. And at that time, Avid was especially great at listening to editors, incorporating what editors said they wanted, not what they thought editors wanted. Again, with FCP X, patience is key. It’s interesting to see that Apple’s competitive pricing has Avid and Adobe offering their products at a reduced price, at least for a limited time. It’s a big win for the consumer. We may look back on all this years from now and say remember when Final Cut cost $299. Wow, how could I have ever paid that much for editing software?

Createasphere: Technology is moving at such a breakneck speed, making the process more and more accessible... what’s next? And is faster always better?

Matthew:  Over two years ago, I was teaching an editing class at NYU and I was standing beside a large whiteboard. I asked everyone to imagine a day when we would be doing touchscreen style editing, using the large whiteboard to illustrate my point. They looked at me like I was nuts. Well, look what we have today: iPads with iMovie. When I’m cutting, I love the speed that technology offers, but I also like to sit back and reflect on the project. And when computers were slower and you had to wait for rendering, it gave you a chance to assess your editorial decisions. Being able to discuss things with your creative team would often generate good, practical and better solutions. Now, I work on a lot of these quick turnaround jobs. No time to talk about it, just get it out the door! It gets done, it looks okay and the client is probably happy. But with more time or a bit of reflection, could it have been better? Who would have ever thought you could get nostalgic about rendering? Crazy, huh?

Matthew speaks next at the Post Production Master Class.