Canon vs Nikon vs Final Cut vs Avid…

…vs PC vs Mac vs Shake vs Nuke vs Lightroom vs Aperture vs Motion vs After Effects vs Maya vs C4D…

and the list goes on and on!

Sorry, but you can’t get away with learning one application or one piece of equipment and expect to be successful. Yes, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to master multiple pieces of equipment and software applications as more products are launched each and every year from a wide variety of manufacturers.

However this is your challenge, otherwise you’ll be left behind by increasingly tech-savy high school and college students who are learning all aspects of the industry at a very young age including shooting, editing, graphics, web design, VFX, producing, and directing.  Moreover, with new cameras like the D90 and 5D MK II, photographers and videographers must begin to learn one another’s crafts.  In other words, you must be a master of all and an expert of few.  One good thing about all this madness is the FUNDAMENTALS never change. A node is a node, a frame is a frame, a timeline is a timeline, and a photo is a photo.

Now I’m not suggesting that you must become an “expert” in every software application and every camera known to man.  You would never get any work done…  What I am recommending is to at least familiarize yourself with a variety of interfaces and buttons.  In those regards, you can’t learn enough.

Here are my top 10 tips in order to stay creatively and technically proficient:

1. Ask multiple questions to multiple professionals
2. Surround yourself with people who are SMARTER than you
3. Watch free online tutorials (Video Copilot, AETUTS, FreshDV, CreativeCow, etc.)
4. Watch Demo Reels and Portfolios for creative and technical inspiration (Motionographer, FXGUIDE, ProLost, Abduzeedo)
4. Invest in online training (Lynda and FXPHD are invaluable and they’re usually a better investment than the actual software/hardware itself)
5. Download free trials of applications and get a whole MONTH to play around
6. Visit your local camera store and get your hands on the latest gear just to see where the buttons are located and what they can do
7. Master one piece of hardware and software within each toolset that you can operate with your eyes closed.  HOWEVER, learn alternative cameras and applications after you master your primary
8. Learn the technical jargon of your craft and how it applies to your equipment
9. Learn your KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS! Not only in your applications but also in your operating system
10. Last but not least, go make a SUBWAY SHORT!!! Stop waiting for the latest and greatest equipment and use whatever it is you have right in front of you!

I think number 10 is something we often tend to overlook… There will always be bigger and better equipment out there but what can you do with the tools sitting right there in front of your face?  There was a big Twitter argument the other day about Final Cut vs Avid and the best line thrown out there came from Director Paul Del Vecchio.  ”Someone could come along that uses Windows Movie Maker and have great content and make us all look stupid.”

With that said, tools are nothing more than an empty canvas.  You are the paint to fill it up with creativity.  Use what canvas you are accustomed to but never get too comfortable and “FEAR” the other parchments out there.  You never know when that additional knowledge is going to save your… 

As always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!

-Tyler
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” -Steve Prefontaine

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