MC 101 - Media Composer Fundamentals I

Course Description

This course is the first step in achieving confidence, creativity, and efficiency with Avid Media Composer, the non-linear film/video editing application used in most movie and television productions. Along with its counterpart, MC 110 - Media Composer Fundamentals II, this course provides the foundation for Media Composer User Certification. The Media Composer 101/110 combined class saves you over 20% versus booking the classes separately.

This course leads you through the interface and basic editing techniques before moving on to trimming, fine-tuning the edit, adjusting audio, handling multicamera editing, adding transitions, adding titles, and outputting your finished project. The training is hands-on and features project-based lessons in which you work on real-world projects ranging from extreme sports to dazzling documentary footage. This course is the first step in mastering Avid Media Composer.

Who Should Attend

• Producers
• Editors
• Assistant Editors
• Multimedia Producers

Prerequisites:

• Practical working knowledge of Mac OS X
• A background in editing, production, or post-production is strongly recommended

Course Outline:

Note: The curricula below comprise activities typically covered in a class at this skill level. The instructor may, at his/her discretion, adjust the lesson plan to meet the needs of the class.

Lesson 1: Introduction to Media Composer

• Launching Media Composer
• Understanding the Select Project Window
• Learning the Interface
• Working with Bins
• Creating a New User Profile and Changing User Profiles
• Personalizing the Application

Lesson 2: Getting Started

• Creating a New Project
• Setting Up Your Project
• How to Input Video and Audio Clips
• Importing Media Files
• Preparing to Edit
• Saving Your Work

Lesson 3: Building Your Sequence

• Overview
• Creating a New Sequence
• Working with Tracks
• Locating Audio Cues
• Building Your Sequence with Splice-In
• Editing with Overwrite
• Removing Material from a Sequence
• Essential Tools

Lesson 4: Drag-and-Drop Editing in Segment Mode

• Understanding the Smart Tool
• Building a Montage with Drag-and-Drop
• Adding Narration with Drag-and-Drop Overwrite
• Editing Audio in the Sequence

Lesson 5: Refining the Sequence

• Moving Segments in the Timeline
• Changing Shots in the Sequence
• Deleting from the Timeline
• Changing the Length of Timeline Segments
• Exploring Trim Mode
• Useful Tools

Lesson 6: Introduction to Transition Effects

• Creating Transition Effects
• Modifying Transition Effects in the Timeline
• Accessing Effects from the Effect Palette
• Modifying Effects in Effect Mode
• Creating Audio Crossfades

Lesson 7: Introduction to Segment Effects

• Adding Segment Effects
• Stabilizing Shaky Footage
• Using Automatic Color Correction to Improve the Footage
• Hiding Jump Cuts with FluidMorph
• Resizing a Shot
• Using Standard Keyframes

Lesson 8: Combining Multiple Effects

• Nesting Effects
• Changing the Order of Nested Effects

Lesson 9: Freeze Frames and Motion Effects

• Types of Motion Effects
• Creating Freeze Frames
• Creating Motion Effects

Lesson 10: Creating Titles

• Title Creation Tools
• Quick View: The Avid Title Tool

Lesson 11: Exporting Your Video

• Exporting Your Video

Lesson 12: Technical Fundamentals

• Fixing Technical Problems
• Troubleshooting Missing Media Files
• Recovering Lost Work
• Deleting Media