Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/5315
users in their area of expertise. But by the time our second training video is complete for any vertical market, the 'thank you' letters start coming in from the very same people who led the opposition." OPPORTUNITIES: "One oppor tunity is teaching jobs. We offer jobs to anyone who shows an interest in training and has the tech- nical merit to deliver the highest quality to our customers. Some of the greatest ar tists in the world can make great pictures, but they cannot teach to save their lives. This opens up a new ver tical market for highly technical people with great communication skills. We can prosper from talent around the entire globe and generate more revenue." THREATS: "Laziness.This is hard work, and our biggest threat is laziness. If you cannot work 80 hours a week, then you might want to try something different. "Traditional threats exist as well, such as intellectual proper ty theft, piracy, global economic issues, political views abroad and, of cour se, the increase of competition. The only defense is a good offense!" OUTLOOK 2010: "Our formerly scattered global user base is now robust and still growing. Our projections for the next year have doubled from two years ago.The expansion into new ver tical markets and the increase in labor times have added to our projec- tions. Our inventiveness keeps competitors at bay by our creating innovative, high-quality learning materials. It may be hard work, but it ensures that any mistakes we make are only our fault and this makes fixing mistakes much easier. While this doesn't always trans- late to sales directly and continuously, it does assure us a solid po- sition in the market." JOSH APTER Owner/Founder Manhattan Edit Workshop New York City (www.mewshop.com) Seven-year-old Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEW- Shop) offers a full range of certified classes in the art and technique of film editing, including Final Cut Studio, Avid and Adobe. Customized classes are designed to provide top-tier training to professionals and as- piring editors. STRENGTHS: "Where someone with a working knowledge of Avid or Apple Final Cut Pro may not see the need to take a re- fresher course, especially in this economic environment, we feel if we can offer something unique, be it an aesthetics of editing course, or a targeted low-cost class like the 'Filmmaker's Guide' se- ries [that focuses the technical aspects of After Effects to the spe- cific needs of the filmmaker/film editor] we can appeal to a variety of student needs." WEAKNESSES: "There will always be a need for the basic 'brick and mor tar' instructor-led training, as the potential for a diminished experience through online and DVD-based training always exists.The endless variables when teaching online — bandwidth problems, soft- ware requirements and media installation — make the ideal of a con- sistent training experience for each student nearly impossible. That said, we are expanding our offerings to online training and are testing different solutions to mitigate as many of these variables as possible. "If a student can come into a classroom and devote the time to learn with a certified instructor, we can guarantee that the software is configured, that the media is online and, most importantly, that the ex- perience fits the student's skill level. Our classes are small enough and the situations controlled enough that, beyond the certified curriculum, we can accommodate a variation in skill level by offering individual at- tention as well as alternate and additional exercises. "DVD training and classrooms-in-a-book are a completely different animal. For self-starters, its great, but for students with attention-span issues (and I'm in that category) it's a potential disaster." OPPORTUNITIES: "We, backed with tech experts and working filmmakers, understands that the delivery model is changing and will continue to. Mobile content, 3D and immersive environments are par t of the creative deliverables, and we've adapted to address those with our training. "We offer a six-week intensive course that covers Avid, Final Cut Pro and After Effects. There's a components of film theory class al- most every day, and students can create a reel with the guidance of a prominent film editor through our ar tist-in-residence program [Ready to Wear and Short Cuts editor Suzy Elmiger is coming to work with our December group]. These students are clearly willing to make a serious commitment to the craft, and we've had amazing success with our graduates finding work, and we now find employ- ers coming back to us when they need new hires." THREATS: "With the barrier to entry so low today, everyone is a filmmaker (and an exper t).This does not change the fact that the cream still rises, and my money is on those with brilliant ideas backed up with the foundation of a developed skill-set and strict discipline. Education, whether instructor-led or self-paced, will al- ways be the base from which the success of tomorrow's creators will be built." OUTLOOK 2010: "Ten years ago, Mini DV and FCP put three chips into the hands of any filmmaker and an editing system on the desk (and soon ever y lap) of any editor willing to invest a few thousand dollars in their craft. In 10 shor t years we see HD cameras for a fraction of that price, and a culture commit- ted to expressing itself through visual media. That expression requires the organization, distillation and the technical ar tisan- ship of editing. As long as people shoot, there will be the need to cut and providing training that keeps pace with this evolu- tion has always been the goal of MEWshop. I look forward to ever ything 2010 and the next 10 years bring to the industr y and culture of visual storytelling." 44 Post • December 2009 www.postmagazine.com OUTLOOK Training MEWshop students Katie Ainslie (standing) and Michelle Kim.