Avid » Avid 119 Introduction to Avid Xpress Pro Course

Please see our Grants page for information about funding for this course. Skillset offer up to 80% funding for qualifying freelancers and your local screen agency may have funding available too. Screen West Midlands offer up to 100% funding for the course taking place in their region (see dates below).

This three day course is 50% taught and 50% hands-on with no more than two students per editing system. The course can only be provided by an Avid Certified Trainer and students receive a certificate to demonstrate their having taken part.

Students also keep their own copy of the detailed training notes that form the structured content for the 119 certificate as well as some custom-made training notes designed by 123 Training to give a set of reminders to students of what they have covered and more. The course for Xpress DV 3.5 and Xpress Pro is basically the same, so if you are currently using version 3.5, version 3.0 or even version 2.0, you will still find this course useful.

This course assumes that you have a basic understanding of the editing process as an editor, assistant editor, director, producer or have otherwise gained knowledge of the editing process. The course also assumes that you are familiar with the Windows or Macintosh computer system software. Whichever operating system you use, you should be familiar with the user interface and basic navigational tools.

The Avid 119 introduction to Xpress Pro course is usually only provided to groups of no more than 6 students. This means that places are limited, so it is often worth booking well in advance.

Class sizes are so small, so is more time for the trainer to deal with queries from individual students without slowing the class down overly. The inclusion of practical hands-on exercises allows students to really develop confidence applying the techniques they are shown and many users find they can self-train from then on until they are ready for more advanced techniques such as special effects and colour correction.

During the course, subjects often come up that are outside of the intended content but these are usually dealt with at least with enough attention to detail to properly support the students' understanding of the topics being taught.

For example, when dealing with Titles, masks, transparency and graphics resolutions are often also discussed. The exact nature of these additional topics will vary from class to class depending on the needs of the students.

By the end of the Avid 119 Introduction to Avid Xpress Pro course, participants should feel confident to edit a simple film on their own using this powerful system.

The Avid 119 course is modular and covers the following topics:

Module 1 : Avid System Overview

The first step is to understand what you are looking at, so that the interface begins to take shape. The stage of basic familiarity is the first hurdle after which everything else begins to make sense.

Module 2 : Basic Editing

In fact, the act of making an edit really is quite basic and very straightforward. There are a number of ways of doing it, but the principle is always the same.

Module 3 : Fine Tuning

Non-linear editing systems such as Avid provide a wide range of 'tuning' options for making your edits sharper. Trimming is covered as part of this module, which is probably one of the most powerful features non-linear editing systems have to offer.

Module 4 : Additional Editing Tools

These include options for changing the layout and shortcut keys you use as well as changing the way the buttons work inside Avid. Making subclips and storyboard mode are also explained.

Module 5 : Saving Your Work

Very important. Very VERY important. Where your work goes and what it is that you are saving are covered here.

Module 6 : Editing Dialog

Looking at some of the issues of ensuring that Dialogue flows and some tips and techniques for using trimming.

Module 7 : Working in the TimeLine

This section deals with options such as adding and removing whole tracks, using Music and replacing clips on the timeline.

Module 8 : Working with Audio

This module particularly covers the Audio Mix Tool and the Automation Gain Tool. Both are invaluable and with the use of manually created key-frames on the timeline, give you fantastic control over your audio level and panning.

Module 9 : Input

It may seem odd that this section comes so late in the course but it is one of the simplest aspects of using the system. As well as giving an overview of the Record Tool (sometimes called the Digitize tool), this module also explains logging and batch recording.

Module 10 : Preparing your Bin for Editing

Organising, naming, sorting, sifting, renaming and modifying the appearance of your bins (the containers in which everything goes inside your Avid system - bins work very much like folders inside the Windows or Macintosh operating system).

Module 11 : Creating a Digital Cut

This is the final stage of your production. Or nearly. Once you have produced your master tape, you are likely to want to produce a complete back-up of your creative decisions so that you can restore the project if need be in the future. As well as walking through the process for making a master tape and discussing some of the issues connected with product delivery, this module explains what exactly you need to back up when you are done with a project.

The Avid 119 Introduction to Avid Xpress Pro course is a prerequisite for taking the Avid 129 Introduction to Avid Xpress Pro Effects course.

To find out more about this course, contact us at:

123 Training
8 Hall Bank
Buxton
Derbyshire
SK17 6EW

or phone: 0845 226 0182