The Mentoring Room - Ask the Working Pros

Margot, I am holding out for the Visual Quick Pro manual since the
one for Final Cut seemed to be pretty helpful. The Avid one was
supposed to come out by the end of 2002, then got pushed to April
2003, and now I see on Amazon, the release won't be until June.
Crap. My main issue is that my background is all in Media 100 and
Avid doesn't use the same terminology at all, so when I look up in
the manual or online guide something like "split clip," it doesn't
exist and I simply don't have the same sense of logic as whoever
created Avid to figure out its terminology. That said, I have
actually finished one simple piece for my office on the Avid, so I'm
hardly giving up on it yet. If anyone else here has any other
recommendations for good Avid XPress manuals, that would be welcome.
The online Avid User Forum is OK, but the interface is way too
unwieldy for the amount of questions generated there that good
responses are few and far between.

Yes, Robert, we really should have put the plug for your book. It is
essential reading.

Erica, if you have any questions about your XDV, you know where to
ask them... {LINK NOT IMPORTED}.... There's quite a bunch of Avid
editors among D-Worders.

Robert, your book has been on my Amazon wishlist for months. My
birthday is Tuesday. Hint hint. (But does it give translations from
Media 100 to Avid? I'm not using Final Cut.) And, of course, I know
I can always ask questions in the Community. Just didn't want to
come across as the dumb dumb Avid newbie that I am. A pride thing, I
guess. :-)

translations from m100 to Avid included.

super!

Thanks Margo, Erica, Robert et al...Your book is ordered Robert and I
will put off any further exploration until I have had a chance to
read it..thanks again all..

Steve

Hi ! We are an independant group who are making a documentary about
Eva Peron. We almost finished the 48 minutes version and now we are
contacting distributors and networks to sell it around the world.
Many of them just watched the trailer (posting on our web site) and
are asking for us to send them the full version to analyse it and
then send a proposal. My question is regarding of international
rights: We have regustered the documentary here in Argentina, but we
don´t know exactly how it works for the rest of the world, we should
register in every country ? Do we have to get any papel for export
the video ? We are not a company yet, so we have no idea how to
manage the commercial issues...
Thank you very much ! Maria

No need to register elsewhere, Maria. You license your film to
broadcasters on a territory by territory basis. Or you find a
distributor or sales agent who will contact the broadcasters.

Since you are intending to enter into contracts one way or the other,
I suggest that you form a company. Or, at the very least, you need a
lead producer who will sign any contracts on the group's behalf.
Sounds like a company might be better, if only to force your group to
come to terms with the business end of the biz.

and I wouldn't send anyone a tape -ever.
The purpose of a tape is to allow distributors
to say we saw that - it's no good. You
need to take the trailer to a market, show
em that only, and make a deal or not. No
deal no show. The alternative is to take
the completed doc to an A list festival
and win a prize. Then let them approach
you with a deal.

Sending tapes out is the kiss of DEATH!