With the launch of Media Composer 2019 coming today, we thought we would share with you our favorite new features from this ground-up reimagining of the Film and Television’s most utilized professional editorial toolset. Avid breaks down the Media Composer 2019 refresh into the following features:
- New bin mapping and navigation – helps you find the perfect take
- Task-oriented workspaces for editing, coloring, effects, and audio
- A responsive, paneled interface you can customize for your workflow
- Fluid timeline editing and tools to help you tell stories more quickly
- New intuitive ways to manage massive amounts of media
Avid Technology’s Michael Krulik recently demonstrated the All-New Media Composer 2019 updates at Key Code Media’s Media Composer Post Production event. This was the Key Code team’s first-time getting hands-on with the latest version of Media Composer since NAB 2019. We like what we’re seeing! Instead of glossing over the bullet points, we thought that we would take a more functional approach- clips from the event with Michael Krulik’s demonstrating some of the top features. Let’s jump into it.
1) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: PANEL UI, BINS, BIN CONTAINERS, AND TIMELINE UPDATED
Avid is simplifying the Media Composer UI complexity with a responsive, paneled interface, so you customize the way you want to work. The new interface gives more flexibility and control, so different roles within the post-production process can customize a layout and see the tools they need to use – removing everything else. Hyper Focus.
In the past, Avid had both bins and windows that would clutter a users screen. With the new Media Composer 2019 interface, you can connect your Windows, Bins, Timeline, Source/Record in any way that works for you. An Editor can choose to lock their bin container to the top, bottom, left, or right of the source/record. But a different Editor could just as easily detach the bin container and float it over to their second screen. Your Composer, Your way.
2) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: PROJECTS, BIN LAYOUT UPDATED
In the past, when you accidentally closed a project, it would shut down all your windows, give you the project selector and make you re-open your Composer Project. It was disruptive!
Projects are now hidden, in the background. On the left side of your bin container, you can now click and drag open a list of all your bins related to project.
Bin icons have changed with the all new UI. A bin now either appears to be “open” or “closed.” Simple enough.
3) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: TEXT, FRAME, SCRIPT VIEW MOVED
This part of Media Composer 2019 is pretty straight forward- Text, Frame, and Script View tools have been moved to the top of the bin,
This brings a big feature request from Avid users! Also, when a bin is reduced in size, the view selection collapses into a single drop-down menu option- giving you back valuable monitor real estate.
4) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: THE NEW BIN MAP VIEW
This is one of our favorites! When you are using the “frame view” inside a Media Composer bin, it’s often left many confused- trying to locate all of their clips- The new Bin Map tool provides a landscape view of all the assets in a particular bin. You can then click on a region of interest to quickly locate a specific clip or group of clips. No more missing “hidden” takes off the bottom of your bin window!
5) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: BIN MONITOR, EDIT MONITOR SETUP
Media Composer began as a two monitor User Interface- most still use it that way. Now, when Media Composer editors create a new ‘bin container,’ it opens in a floating window that can move to either monitor. This allows editors to have full control of their bins, no repeated visits to the project window.
6) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: TABBED INTERFACE FOR ORGANIZING BINS, WINDOWS, AND TOOLS
Any window or tool can now be turned into a ‘tab.’ Media Composer is going the way of internet browsers, allowing customers to stack several tools, together into the same window making it easier to access whatever a user finds most important- keeping it at your fingertips. The new Media Composer tabbed interface is really about seeing and using only the tools you need when you need them.
We think experienced and novice editors alike will love this flexibility.
7) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: THE SMART TOOL HAS MOVED
The Avid Smart Tool was controversial in its introduction back in Media Composer Version 5- many editors wished it would just go away. However, over time, people have come to enjoy many of the features- one-touch access to your segment, trim modes, and other features. Avid also has made it easier to cycle through the various options for each smart tool by simply holding down option + click.
If you’re into having your different tools in Media Composer mapped to a keyboard- don’t worry- it’s still possible.
8) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: USING TABS TO STACK EFFECTS PALETTE AND OTHER TOOLS
Ok, this feature is an encore to our earlier video discussing the tabbed interface. Except, this tabbed interface is so cool it’s worth discussing again- but now with a scenario involving the Media Composer Effects Palette. Effects Palette still uses the Command or Control + 8 hotkey, but you might not even need to use it. You can now dock the Effects Palette as a tab within any container.
This is a great example of how Avid Editors can now customize their layout to achieve optimal performance.
9) MEDIA COMPOSER 2019: DELIVERABLES IMF, ACES COLOR SPACE, AVID OP ATOM, OP1A
For Deliverables, Avid worked with the Academy of Motion Pictures to create an ACES-ready color pipeline for editorial and finishing. Also Avid works closely with Netflix to ensure new deliverables meet their new and rapidly standardizing requirements.
What does this mean for You? A host of new output color spaces (PQ, HLG), Source Clip-Color Adapter types (ACES), and Video wrappers will be available to you in this 2019
It’s also worth mentioning that Media Composer 2019 now has full 32-bit float support- allowing you to finish without compromising picture quality.
Are you interested in learning more about Avid Media Composer 2019? Contact us!
Key Code Media not only sells and support media composer-based products, but we can also train staff on how to use is through Key Code Education. Contact us if you need anything.
