Thoughts for Video Pros: Embracing the Amateur

Premiumbeat by Jonny Elwyn

The word amateur refers to someone who does something without getting paid for it….however it has also more commonly been used to define someone doing something not very well. I’m a professional film editor because I get paid to edit and (hopefully) because I’m also good enough to be paid to do it. But the origin of the word amateur is actually from from the Latin word amator meaning ‘lover’. An amateur is someone who does it because they love to do it. They would do what they love even if they didn’t get paid to do it. As an editor I love to edit. I love what I do, getting paid is bonus (just don’t tell me clients that!)

The Rise of the Amateur

Apple is a company that’s often accused of leaving their professional user base behind. “Where is the Mac Pro update” all professionals moan – releasing a powerful tower has come to symbolise their commitment to a pro user base after the fumbling of the FCPX launch.

Interestingly Larry Jordan blogged early in April about a pre-NAB quote from an Apple source:

The week before the 2013 NAB Show, I had an on-the-record comment from Apple saying that they have sold more Final Cut Pro X seats than they sold Final Cut Pro 7, which was part of Final Cut Studio (3). I was not given any more specifics than that.

Why is this interesting?

The bigger a user base gets the more a company has invested in keeping that user base happy. Amateurs like the idea that they’re using the same kind of software that the professionals use, but probably won’t invest the time (or money) it takes to get used to something like Avid Media Composer. By making FCPX more accessible to more people, Apple will need to continue to add features that the pros need for the kudos of a pro product, as well as maintaing a broader sales base. Adobe are also making it easier for amateurs to access their software with their Creative Cloud monthly app rental model. read more...