This is Part 2 of the series I call, The Pursuit of Something Better. Last time, I took on a general discussion aimed at anybody who describes themselves as an aspiring videographer. I wrote about some of the skills I think are needed to become successful and well-rounded. Now, I'm going to take a slightly different path; today, I'm in the pursuit of a better computer for video editing!
For anybody in the creative industry, I think I can speak for the majority when I say we creative/tech guys can always use a faster, better, computer. Unfortunately, not every one of us has the money to exactly achieve that. For new videographers, or those still "in training", what exactly is the best hardware specifications to look for when buying or building a computer for video editing?
First, I'd like to admit that I'm biased toward Macs. While PCs can do the job just fine, the field of videography and cinematography is overwhelmingly Mac-centric. There are better tools, software, and discussion groups/clubs/support forums for the Mac. Brand aside, there are some things to look for when shopping for your first video editing computer. The first question to ask is what type of footage do you plan on editing? Will you be editing full-length films, short films, documentaries, or short commercials? The next question to ask is, what's your budget?
Without getting into technical details, some of the first things to look at are processor speed, memory, hard drive space, video card capabilities, and monitor quality. The length of videos you can import into your computer to edit is limited by your hard drive space, so make sure you have a large-enough hard drive to fit all of the footage you just filmed. The speed in which you can actually edit footage using your video-editing program is related to your processor speed, the amount of memory you have, and the capabilities of your existing video card. If you lack any of these, you'll be fiddling your thumbs after every little edit. Lastly, it's difficult to get an accurate representation of how your final edited video will look like to others if you don't have a high-quality monitor to begin with. Make sure the refresh rate on your monitor is high enough so that you don't see ghosting; also, get your monitor color calibrated. While you'll never know with 100% accuracy that what you see on your monitor is the same thing your audience will see, a calibrated monitor helps take the whole debate of inaccurate colors out of the equation.
For a Mac, consider getting an iMac (a mid-level computer, $1200) or a Mac Pro (a professional-level computer, $2400). For a PC, expect to spend about $600-$800 (for a mid-level computer) or $800+ (for a professional-level computer). In my experience (and in my professional opinion) working with both Macs and PCs, Macs are more reliable, stable, and have better software available for video editing, graphic design, and web design.
Images: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
(below: sample Jippidy video shot with an HD video camera, edited on both a Windows and Mac platform)
With a good mix of web design and graphic design knowledge, I bring a technical yet creative spin to Jippidy. Every so often, you'll see blogs about technical-related issues that I try to explain in layman's terms. And other times, you'll see me nitpick about color schemes, graphic design, and print design. If you have questions about embedding videos or web design techniques, I'm probably the best person to ask in the group. So please ask away!
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