Different Types of Editing Software – The Pros and Cons of Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer

Video editing is the process of rearranging and manipulating video shots to create a new project. Editing is a key component of the post production process including tasks such as titling, colour correction, sound mixing etc. There are three main different types of editing software for video editing professionals which are Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer.

FINAL CUT PRO

Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing software designed for Mac users which allows users to edit, process and output a range of video formats. These formats include DV, HDV, DVCProHD, XDCAM, 2K, 4K and 5K. The program has a vast range of tools which therefore enable editors to create impeccable videos, smoothly and speedily.

PROS

• Fast and Smooth
• Appealing to the eye
• Seamless video editing
• VR Handling
• Organised assets
• 2D and 3D Titles
• Impeccable sound
• Autosave
• Open more than one project at a time
• Mid-range pricing
• High quality rendering
• Up to 400 shortcuts to increase speed of edit

CONS

• Only runs on Macs
• Limited export settings
• Audio mixing is a little more difficult due to there being no tracks
• Colour correction has no curves
• Interface can look intimidating
• May not work with all work flows in a collaborative post-production process
• Some upgrades may be a hinderance rather than a help as the latest version does not support old file formats

ADOBE PREMIERE PRO

Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software suitable for professionals and enthusiasts that has been around since 2003. It allows users to turn raw footage into stunning cinematic videos. It has access to tools allowing editors to adjust colour, fine-tune audio and much more. It is a common misconception that Premiere is more-suited to domestic use, and certain major productions have used this package such as Netflix programmes ‘Mindhunter’ and ‘Making a Murderer’ and major films ‘Avatar’ and ‘Deadpool 2’ as well as various location ‘off-set’ shoots.

PROS

• The Creative Cloud – Integration with outstanding image software such as Photoshop and After Effects
• Ability to import and export between software without rendering or losing layers
• Good colour correction and audio tools
• Mac and PC compatibility
• Support multiple file formats
• VR Support
• Responsive Interface as you can adjust the brightness of the user interface for contracts with actual footage
• Support for RED, Arri and Canon cinematography cameras
• SpeedGrade now part of the production bundle
• Extensive & efficient online support for customers
• Reasonably-priced for both consumer and professional use

CONS

• You can only rent this product meaning you can never own it
• Expensive but it does include 29 other services
• Clunky and Buggy
• It does not run on 32-bit operating systems as it is a 64-bit application
• GPU acceleration still mostly limited to professional graphic cards
• Lacking 360 degree stitching tools

AVID MEDIA COMPOSER

Avid Media Composer is a film and video editing software suitable to professionals who create TV shows and movies. It was the first non-linear editing system available to professionals and has matured through updates and system add-ons. As a result it now sets the standard for other system distributors. The program is used in major Hollywood productions and hence comes with a steep price tag. Avid is a software designed with unlimited capabilities to tackle any media project with incredibly powerful tools. Avid is very much still considered the industry benchmark for large budget film productions, and is commonly-used by major film production companies.

PROS

• Best for feature films and episodic tv
• Customise your workspace
• Separate source browser to find assets more quickly
• Supports 4k, 8k and 360 degree video editing
• Lots of built in effects
• Suitable for both Mac and PC
• Can generate a negative cut list for matching back to original negative material
• Can be installed on many computers
• Pro Tools-like interface for audio mixing
• No compliance issues when editing for major network distribution  

CONS

• Hard for beginners to learn as it is said to be the least intuitive of the major editing programs
• Only 24 tracks of video can be stored, which limits the number of angles available for multicam editing
• Can only sync video and audio for single takes
• Very expensive
• The operating machine must has at least 250GB spare on the HDD for it to run to its full potential
• Only supports standard broadcast resolutions and frame rates

At Epic Studios we use a combination of all three different types of editing software throughout our post-production phase depending on application in line with the distinct benefits between the different packages. For more information of what’s on at Epic Studios, please visit our Events page.