[Kdenlive-devel] What is professional level work?

[Dan Dennedy]

On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 6:30 AM, Oceanwatcher<video at datahverdag.com> wrote:
> I would like to get a little serious talk around the use of the word
> professional.
>
> It seems to have two meanings.
>
> 1. Anyone that get paid to work with video and TV
>
> This is a very popular way of putting it for people that is not in that
> business themselves. And to a certain degree, it is true.

This has been my interpretation. I call #2 artsy, craft, skilled, or
whatever strikes me as appropriate at the time. I also like and agree
with nearly everything you mention below!

> But there is a different way of looking at it, and this is something you will
> frequently meet when you enter the business - you will quickly learn that just
> because you get paid to do it, does not mean you are able!
>
> 2. A professional is someone that can tell a story in such a way that the
> technology get out of the way and into the heart of the viewer. This is based
> on skill, knowledge and the ability to relate to the people in front of the
> camera and in front of the screen.
>
> I have been working in this business for 20 years. And sometimes I have been
> doing demos of editing systems. I could always tell who the amateurs were when
> their first question was "How many effects does this system have?". The correct
> answer (that I could never give them) was "More than you should ever need or
> use!".
>
> I have come here to offer the knowledge I have for free, and I consider myself
> a professional. I also happen to think that what is good for a professional is
> good for the amateur.
>
> Would you ever think about "dumbing down" Word or OpenOffice just because you
> think most people are not professional writers or secretaries? I think that is

I have never advocated for removal of features to dumb it down, but
perhaps on the lingo thing...

> the wrong way to go. I have seen it over and over again - never underestimate
> your audience. If my drinking buddy wants to edit video, it takes him a very
> short time to grow out of the "dumb" stuff. And he is left craving for more.
> But then, as he moves "up", he will have to start learning things all over
> again.
>
> There are two areas of video production that have very simple needs. News and
> documentaries. Most amateur productions would fit very well within those
> boundaries. They usually do not produce fiction, music videos or commercials. A

most definitely, altho music videos is not far behind because people
edit anime and machinima against music not to mention fan videos and
indie band promotion.

> vacation video is basically a documentary. So they need a tool that fits the
> job. And there is nothing wrong about taking what big companies and thousands
> of professionals have spent millions of dollars to learn and develop and apply
> that to a tool that is developed for free. Why waste time inventing the wheel
> again?
>
> A trade lingo, or professional naming, is common in all areas of life. Have
> you ever been to get the oil changed on your car? Or talked to a chef about
> food? Try to pay attention when you are going through the day. How big would
> the confusion be if everyone insisted on developing their own set of rules and
> language for everything we do? Communication would be totally hopeless.

You make a good point, and I agree with you now, but there have been
times when reading media post production rags where things are
mentioned that I just don't know what it is. I know it can be
explained in a verbose manner, but they are being terse so as to not
be tedious to their audience. I have probably reacted to that whereas
perhaps I should realize that in a tool, documentation or tooltips can
accommodate, and the web itself is a wonderland of discovery.

> Eventually (I really hope so), kdenlive will attract more professionals and
> you will get a living community around the art of telling stories. That is
> waht this is about. Kdenlive is a tool to get stories out to the world. No
> matter if you get paid for it or not.

Well, it is also a hobby for many - not just the usage of it, but the
development - not just for developers either but also the project
coordinators (e.g. JMP) and enthusiastic users. I do not want to drive
people away from something they want to feel a part of, and I fear
that I can do that when I express myself. But I do also like to
express myself and feel like it can make things interesting, like this
discussion.

> And here is the BIG thing for me. Most of the people that really need kdenlive
> in the first place are people that can not afford any of the big brands of
> videoediting. All the big, well known TV stations have money enough to buy
> what they need and they will not consider kdenlive at all. The only ones
> inside an organisation like that considering it, would be open source fanatics
> that are working in small test groups to see what is "out there". I know one
> of those groups and when kdenlive is ready for it, I will make sure it gets
> the attention that it should have.
>
> But the main area are people that today are pirating software in the hope that
> it will make them a better storyteller. And instead of having a stable,
> uasable system, they might end up running something that is Windows based and
> full of malware.
>
> I also know a lot of what you can called advanced amateurs. People that are
> passionate about making video, but do it as a hobby. They are also a big group
> for kdenlive. AND they are very concious about getting to know the correct way
> of naming things so they can communicate with the pro's.

Yeah, and that is likely a big source of the friction. Many of these
are borderline professional taking little gigs now and again like I am
with MLT. Maybe I should then be more understanding. I dunno, but I
know we are not up to the level of expectations by this class, and it
may take a while to get there. I will keep this in the  back of my
mind the next time I feel an inflammatory response coming on.

> The pro's that will come to this community will be a huge resource as most of
> them are more than willing to share their knowledge. And in my experience,
> people crave knowledge and they are very attracted to anything that can
> increase it.
>
> What kind of tool is in my opinion needed? A tool that is as basic as
> possible. The focus should be on cutting video, and not on compositing. What
> my drinking buddy needs is not a tool to make the next Matrix, but a tool to
> edit his latest fishing trip to show off how big the fish really was. Compositing
> might be fancy and cool to work on, but face it, it is a real minority that
> will ever need it. On the other hand, what EVERYONE need is good media
> management, fast and efficient cutting, easy adjusting of clips in the timeline
> and as much standard ways of doing things as possible so they can use the
> knowledge they already have.
>
> Have you ever used professional kitchen tools? As you move away from the
> hobbykitchen, flimsy, plastic stuff, you see that you also loose most of the
> fancy stuff, but the tools become more powerful and more sturdy.
>
> For a pro it is not about more features and effects, it is about less. There
> are two words used in the business about the kind of video that uses all
> available effects and fonts in all colors - pizzavideo or porn. If someone use
> that about your production, you might not consider that as a compliment :-D
> And if you actually has read all the way down to this, I thank you for
> listening to these thoughts of mine whether you agree with them or not.
> Because that is your privilege.
>
> --
>
> Regards,
>
> Oceanwatcher