The Avid Handbook: Advanced Techniques, Strategies, and Survival Information for Avid Editing Systems, 5th Edition

I'm a pro multimedia artist, using the Premiere suite for the past 5 years - and loving it. Only thing I don't LOVE about PP is the occasional tendency (increasingly with PPCS4) for bugs and glitches, leading to crashes. In fact I recently downgraded from CS4 to CS3 for that reason. So when I got a gig as a promo producer for a cable TV station late last year I was excited to work on their systems and compare - they use Avid on Mac. Only trouble was, I'd gotten the gig having used lots of NLEs, but not Avid! This book did help me a little, as did the many YouTube videos explaining how to use the interface, but I wish the book had more meat and borrowed a little from the "for dummies" style. As an editor I'm not a dummy and for my new gig I really only need to drive hard cuts and the occasional dissolve - as they have in-house graphics guys I don't even get to test drive the DS which I was excited about having worked with AE for so long - BUT this book really didn't tell me what I needed to know. Sure, it's the "advanced techniques" book, but there's no harm in getting the tardies up to speed in the first few chapters, before unleashing hell in the rest of the book. Also, like many other editors/producers, I'm not remotely averse (or interested) in the technicalities of format: I have someone to do that for me. I really wanted to know how to use the shortcut keys, manipulate and nest timelines, create PIP and other sorts of compositing effects and basically cross over from Adobe without looking like a schmuck. I own lots of adobe and other multimedia related instructional books and videos and this is one of the least helpful. Sorry to be a Negatron, but there it is.

I recently up-graded Xpress DV to Media Composer 5.0. We all know how poor Avid documentation is. So I bought "The Avid Handbook". What a disappointment!!! This book is copyrighted 2009, it's the fifth edition and only covers up to Media Composer 3.0. THAT'S TWO SOFTWARE VERSIONS BACK! I missed the small print on the cover. The example screens look more like Xpress DV than Media Composer. It may be a descent book on editing, but it's way behind the times. Media Composer is a different interface. You'll be scratching your head wondering why the screens are different, the buttons have changed and options are missing.

This was the prescribed text for my editing class that was using Avid and it didn't make me as proficient in the software as I wanted to be. I ended up asking the instructor for help everytime I read the instructions.

Excellent book, killed it. It was very enjoyable and I learned a lot. In the future I will continue this writer, to see what else makes publications. See if you are encouraged to write about real-time graphics inside avid with Brainstorm Studio.Congrats. and sorry my bad englishIsrael D.[...]

Experienced editors in need of more knowledge will find  The Avid Handbook: Advanced Techniques, Strategies, and Survival Information for Avid Editing Systems, 5th Edition  the ideal guide to this particular nonlinear editing system. It is not for rookies or people trying to move over from other systems but rather for those who have had at least some exposure to Avid, a supplement to the company's own guidebooks to the system.The book offers dozens of workflow efficiencies, tips and little tricks that make Media Composer 3.0 work better. Nonlinear editors working on this system will find the book an invaluable tool to improving their skills and make their work go more smoothly.New or updated in this fifth edition is information on:*High-definition and standard definition formats and workflows*Video finishing workflows*Color-Correction and grading capability enhancements*Expanded discussion on editing and trimThere's another really good aspect to this book and that is its formatting. The type is larger than that found in many other handbooks and it's a very easy font to read (Sorry, I don't know what it is.) But when you're frustrated with a technology that you don't understand and are leafing through a book looking for answers, having something that's extremely easy on the eyes can be a huge help.

well my opinion on the avid book from Greg is that the title doesn't specify thats its for version 5, very misleading.

v.good