Customer Reviews

The Avid Handbook: Basic and Intermediate Techniques for the Media Composer and the Avid Xpress

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book for the beginner or intermediate Avid user. It may fill in pertinent details for those that are stumbling around and trying to understand concepts about technical issues with the Avid and video.

While this book is a good companion and reference book it IS poorly organized and could improve the general layout. No summaries, few headings and sometimes cursory information on points which need exta-clarification. It presents a large amount of information without a clean and thoughtful approach to breaking that information up and making it digestible.

The handbook, however, is the only book which presents a large amount of information on subjects which concern an Avid editor.

I recommend buying it. I learned some things I didn't know and the beginning/intermediate user could benefit from the information on interface and technical issues

This is an always useful, comprehensive, interestingly opinionated and well-written guide to Avid's industry-dominant editing products. Steve Bayes was a venerated Avid editing instructor and is now one of the people closest to Media Composer/MCX/Symphony's design and their future within the company. Bayes gives insider-quality instruction on the applications themselves as well as good rule-of-thumb advice about the editing process. If you buy one Avid book as an editor make it this one.

Note: I have seen this book prove surprising helpful for long-time Avid editors.

Fanstastic book for a learning AVID user who understands the basics involved in how to make the machine work, but is ready to broaden thier understanding of what it is capable of. Easy to look up or index specific issues, and also up to date.

Let's face it, the best thing about this book is the fact that it is one of the only books that talks specifically about the Avid Interface. It sure beats taking the $900 classes Avid offers. However, since they still want you to take the classes, this book has the dificult job of giving information without being educational (the book even says that it should not take the place of the classes).

The result is a book that has all the information dished out in straight, confusing prose without a single bullet list or quick-reference section. I practically had to rewrite the book in my own notes to extract the knowledge.

If there were another book written on the Avid, I'd say buy it, but since the Avid company owns Avid knowledge, I'd say this is the cheapest way to get it.

My first job coming out of art school was working on an Avid system. After realizing that Avid's manuals left much to be desired I searched the net for a book about a non linear editing workflow with the Avid and I found it. Steve's book taught me how to be an Avid editor. I hope he writes more books on the subject but I'd like to see more broadcast technical books from him for those of us who need to fill in those odd gaps when you come into the broadcast field from the creative side of things and not the engineering side of it.

This is not a typical reference. Reading through this enjoyable book has given me valuable techniques I just couldn't learn from reading the Avid manuals. It helped me organize my thinking, unlearn bad habits, and get a glimpse into Avid features that I wouldn't otherwise know exist. One can read it at various levels, from an intro to non-linear editing to an advanced Avid tutorial. It's the kind of book that I think I'll read over and over as my technique improves, and each time I'll gain deeper understanding.

I don't usually give 5 stars but this was a very good book. It was extremely well organized. I have been edited on Avid for 4 years now, and this had some very cool new tricks to try.

I will say that the edition I read (third edition) was a bit out dated. It is tough for print literature to keep up with the rapid changes in technology.

Steve is a long time Avid editor and Avid employee. I worked with him years ago, while he was an online editor, just as this digital technology was maturing and gaining acceptance. His book is well written and is constantly revised to deal with the latest versions of the Avid software when needed.

It's great for beginners and also as a reference for pros.

I thought I knew it all! The Avid is a mystical downward spiral of techniques, shortcuts and quickies. There is no better guide for Avid enthusiasts.

Excellent Book! I have been editing on Avids for over seven years and this book taught me alot! I now make it required reading for all the beginning Avid editors in our company. Not a dry technical manual, just an interesting, informative read. Highly Reccomend it! Congrats to Steve Bayless on a writing a book that helps editors get the most out of an amazing storytelling tool, Avid.