Video Editing with Avid: Media Composer, Symphony, Xpress

Introduction

Avid Technology was one of the pioneers of the wave of digital non-linear editing systems that have transformed the video post-production world. I had been a film editor for a number of years before I first sat in front of an Avid system (version 3, I recall), in 1992. I had read about computer-based editing and seen a few systems at trade shows but nothing prepared me for the speed and flexibility of this new toy. From that day on, I hardly touched film again and have spent the subsequent years editing with Avid, writing about Avid and teaching editors, journalists, directors and producers how to use Avid systems.

Why another book about Avid? There are other books – some strong on the film side, some excellent on advanced features ...