Who's using SpeedEDIT and what are you using it for?

pnelson

pnelson

NewTek Managment
Yes.. I'm an exec at NewTek but I'm also a HUGE fan of SpeedEDIT. :) Said in another thread, the more I use other editors, the more I love SpeedEDIT...


Soooo.. Who is using SpeedEDIT and what kind of projects are you using it on?
 
If it were available...

I would structure at least two classes around it for a school year that would include a live-broadcast for graduation with a TC460.

As it is now, I, and only I use it on the TC460. Students watch me use it and are awed at the speed with which it goes. (They think its me.) But since other apps are available elsewhere and we have access to but the one copy on the TC460, I have been unable to stoke the SpeedEdit fire.

btw, You guys have been rocking with the TC. Kudos.
Robert
 
At the high school we use SpeedEdit to edit news stories (packages, voice-overs and sots), sizzle reels, promotional videos and finalize our TriCaster Live productions. We only use SpeedEdit to edit our projects. We have a mobile lab of 20 computers, along with 4 desktop computers, all running SpeedEdit 2.5 with the last update.

SpeedEdit is also on our 5 TriCaster units. We are still hanging on and haven’t switched programs yet. Truth be told, we don’t want to make a move to a different program.

There are a couple of reasons I chose to introduce SpeedEdit to my students. The first reason is the learning curve. I am able to explain the program’s workflow and students are able to edit a small project within a day or two. Once the students become familiar with the program, they are able to manage several projects at once and use the programs features. Students new to the program dread learning how to edit because they have tried to learn on other software. Once they see how user-friendly SpeedEdit is, their fears go away.

Another reason I chose SpeedEdit over other software available was to keep consistency from editing in the newsroom and in the field. Students don’t have to fumble around in a different program on the TriCaster from what they are used to using in the newsroom.

My hope would be the program would be available again soon for upgrade. We are using HD equipment and would like to have the latest for the students.
 
I use it to edit multi-camera music and dance performances. Also documentaries and other short projects that support the local arts community.
SpeedEdit is the easiest to learn and has it's features laid out in a simple, logical way. It can do a pretty decent job at compositing images and building custom effect sequences.
It also handles most HD file formats that I work with, including ProRez 422.
I have been giving my clients final edits in SpeedHQ format (with the codec pack). When asked for mp4, I create them from the HQ file, with the help of Sony Movie Studio.
 
I still use it for editing, though I don't do as much animation as I used to. It's still really fast, and that's why I love it!
 
I do a lot of documentary work that demands speed and flexibility. Other editors just don't stack up with what SE can do. Very often, I use footage that most other editors (Vegas, Resolve) can't recognize but SE has no trouble with. Vegas is a powerful editor but very often forces me to jump through hoops to get more complicated processes done. I don't have these problems with SE because it's so easy to use. In my work, I also have to reformat and animate stills and use Mirage, TV Paint or HitFilm to do that work. Since NewTek owns Aura, how about combining SE and Aura into one killer edit/paint/animation program. As a former SE beta tester, I'm ready to haul out my NDA and give you a hand again in new testing. Give me a call.
 
I've been editing video for 25 years. I continue to use SpeedEdit. It's my favorite program by far!

I started with Video Toasters (A/B Roll systems using Toaster 1.0 as a switcher). Heck, I even had Digiview prior to that. :)
 
I use it for documentary work. (obviously quick demos and 30 sec spots are a breeze) On the timeline it is so easy to slide clips around and do a lot of "what if's".

Of course, like any workflow, you save versions as you go. I can easily wind up with 60 or 80 versions of any given project. SE doesn't care. I can jump around and it doesn't get mad.

One of the best things about SE is the ability to resurrect past projects that have gone to archive. I can pull in my old footage easily by going to the spreadsheet and pointing to the new location with the first clip, wait a few seconds and the new location is updated on all. Then I'm back in business for a revision or full on re-edit. Its things like that that make SE a powerful tool. It is so simple to use. I put my effort into thinking about the edit without having to stop and figure out the the process.

Please, please bring SE back from the basement and let her shine in the daylight!
 
I <3 this thread! I've been playing around with a few different editors lately and every time I come back to SpeedEDIT it puts me in a good mood.. You can edit like you think... Sure it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of many other editors but 90% of editing is trimming and cutting.. It's funny, I don't even use the 3D transitions since I'm not editing car commercials.. HA!!
 
"You can edit like you think..." <----!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, Philip . . . there's your marketing phrase!

But this is absolutely true. I can do a lot of "what ifs" with SE that I can't do otherwise - Save my version, split a clip, drag the part I don't need off to the side, do a Ripple delete and pull all the parts together, play through, tweak some more . . . season to taste. If I fubar the edit, I can jump back to my previous version very quickly and start again without loosing productivity ( and have the knowledge gained from the what ifs to tighten the edit even more ). And I reiterate - quickly.

I can't think of a better tool for a free flow edit session than SE.

(Did I say Marketing!) Geeze guys, it writes itself!

Oh wait . . . its gets better. A revision comes in and my footage is now on another drive. No worries. Load the original project, go into the Spreadsheet, pick the first clip and point it to the new drive location, and badda boom you're back editing again. No monkeying around with the EDL. WTF? Isn't this how its supposed to be????????
 
I use it mostly for creating Life Stories for people, usually milestone events like 16 th, 40 th, 65th birthdays. Some are serious. Most are humorous. They go over real well at an event when projected on a large screen. Laughter. Tears... lots of emotions. Either way, I can fly using SE. I can stack 10 layers and it is great. I already know in my head what needs to be done and I do it. I struggle with Premiere. I can do it but I dont feel I have control over it. I only need Adobe AE for explosion type effects, particles, motion titles. I would love SE to continue on.
 
I have 8 seats of SE. 5 are used to edit news stories. 1 is used to do commercials. 2 unused at this point. For commercial production, we are moving to Adobe. For News, we are moving to Edius. Once NewTek abandoned the software and no longer provided updates, I was forced to move on. I am sad as I was more "productive" with SE than with these other pieces of software. I think abandoning the software was short sighted. People that I demo the software too are still amazed at what it can do with a few clicks of a mouse.
 
But I think we would have stayed with SE if the software had been further developed. The design of the editing process in SE is still unparalleled.
 
I stay with SE because it's fast, easy to use, and accepts anything thrown at it. I have Vegas and Resolve as well, but rarely use them when work has to get done. Resolve's editor sometimes bogs down making it unusable. I had to do a project that had clips that neither Vegas or Resolve would accept. SE had no problem with the clips. Phil, please do everything you can to convince NewTek to upgrade and bring SE back. We need it!
 
Echo many of the comments made previously. Still editing daily with SE. Have tried Vegas but just don't like the interface. Would love to see SE continue - after 30 years, hard to teach an old dog like me... With the acquisition move to 4K, might be harder and harder to continue to use SE.
 
Just chiming in here. I use SpeedEdit2 for everything. It is my only editor. I've been editing video since the 1980s, and this is by far my favorite method of editing video. Seriously... Newtek should take it to the next level. Do what apple did, and give it away to colleges everywhere, along with a learning curriculum. Have the next wave of graduates well versed in the ways of Newtek's SpeedEdit2 (or 3). Make video production companies invest a small amount into purchasing the new SpeedEdit software for these great new employees. :)
 
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