Avid today announced a brand new software called Media Composer | First and it's said to be a free and trimmed down version of the incredibly powerful full version Media Composer. The idea is to make Media Composer | First simple to learn and simple to use so that aspiring editors can get a feel for Avid's editorial process (keyboard-driven three point editing and trimming and such) without the overwhelming interface and array of options in the full software. Then, when they're ready for bigger, more complex projects, Media Composer | First users will have no problem moving up to the full version.

It would have been great if Avid had released more information on the new NLE, but unfortunately all we have thus far is a vague FAQ section that only sheds a little light on the specifics of what will and will not be included in Media Composer | First. What most of us are wondering is just how limited Media Composer | First will be compared to the full version. Here's the answer from the FAQ:

Avid Media Composer | First

At this time we aren’t releasing detailed information on the feature set, as Media Composer | First is still in development, and won’t be available until later in 2015. However you can expect a limited feature set that makes Media Composer | First less intimidating to new users, but also less appealing to power users. You can expect fewer settings, menus, timeline tracks, monitor features, bin features, titling features, effects and other features than the full Media Composer. You can also expect that Media Composer | First won’t work with Avid Interplay Production, Interplay MAM, or MediaCentral UX, and that shared projects won’t be supported on ISIS storage systems. In addition, all projects will be stored in the cloud, and you’ll get a limited number of projects and a limited amount of cloud storage space. There will be options to expand Media Composer | First, from additional project and storage capacity to plug-ins, options, and additional applications to stock footage and music to upgrades to the full Media Composer.

We will keep you updated as we learn more specifics about the limitations of Media Composer | First, as well as when it's expected to be released.

No Film School's complete coverage of NAB 2015 is brought to you by Color Grading Central, Shutterstock, Blackmagic Design, and Bigstock.

No Film School's coverage of NAB is brought to you by Color Grading Central, Shutterstock, Blackmagic Design, and Bigstock

Source: Avid Media Composer | First

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Editing & Post-Production