Having worked my way up to High Band U-matic and then 1" C format I worked as a freelance multi machine VT editor in London's Soho, the heart of the UK post production industry.
I have edited commercials, documentaries, drama, news, corporate videos and even interactive Laser discs! (I still have a Laser disc player, when I think about how much it cost I can't bring myself to throw it away!)
At the end of the 80's the first "off-line" edit suites were being used to make the editing decisions using VHS tapes with burnt in time-code.
Then in 1992 I saw my first computer based non-linear editing system and my world changed. I was impressed with D-Vision, didn't like the pushy Avid sales guy and then was bowled over by the fledgling Lightworks system.
I persuaded a post-production company I knew to buy one and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
I set up a production company in London's Covent Garden based completely around Lightworks edit systems. We started out with two and two years later we had seven systems. I was also working with Lightworks as a tester and consultant, training other editors and doing demos for them at trade shows like IBC in Amsterdam and NAB in Las Vegas.
A programme I appeared in about the new non-linear editors. (part 1)
(part 2)
In 1995 Lightworks made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I joined them as a demo artist and trainer. I spent the next 4 years travelling the world, demoing Lightworks systems and training editors from Film and TV backgrounds. In 1998 I was part of the team that was awarded a technical emmy for developing the "Heavyworks" multi camera version of the Lightworks system.
During this period Lightworks was bought by a large American company (who shall remain nameless) In 1999 they decided to shut Lightworks down. Two weeks before IBC ( the biggest broadcast trade show in Europe.)
I went to IBC and made good use of my time eventually being offered jobs by Sony, Avid, Quantel, Pinnacle and a little Canadian company called Discreet Logic. They had a system called "Flame" which was making huge waves in high end post production (there probably wasn't a commercial or pop video in existence that didn't go through flame somewhere in it's creation) They also had a new editing system called "Smoke" and they needed someone to demo it and train the users. I took the job.
So now I was travelling the world again but this time with high end kit from Silicon graphics and Discreet. What could go wrong?
In 2000 Discreet Logic was bought by Autodesk, a company that mainly dealt with CAD systems with a little 3D thrown in for a laugh.
Discreet became "Autodesk Media and Entertainment" and for the first few years I don't think Autodesk really knew what to do with it, but to give them their due they have turned it around and now have a very impressive range of products. (including Smoke on Mac) More about Smoke here.
Meanwhile some friends of mine (Phil O'Brien, Simon Mannes and Martin Goulding) had a company in the UK making stunning content for corporate events (concisegroup) They also had a branch in Amsterdam.
It was here that I first started using Watchout, an amazing piece of software that lets you link multiple projectors or displays and create huge screens for events and exhibitions. More about Watchout here.
I also learnt how to drive their Virtual Character System, which allows an actor to become an on screen animated character and interact with the audience in real time! (I've also been the actor on a couple of occasions!)
For the past 5 years I have been using Sony Vegas Pro for editing and I am a Sony Certified Vegas Trainer and an Independent Certified Expert for Sony, appearing at Trade shows and seminars extolling the virtues of Vegas. More about Vegas here.
One of the things that always seems to be present at corporate events is the dreaded PowerPoint presentation. C-two do great things with PowerPoint but we have also created a seminar on how to use PowerPoint more effectively. More here (in Dutch) I present the technical/scientific half of that and have also co-written a book which is available on the Amazon website.
If you've made it this far, congratulations! I'm sorry to have gone on so long about myself :-)
If you have any questions about anything (my nickname at Discreet was "The Oracle") please send me a mail: neil@smokeonthewater.nl Thanks for reading.
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