He says the company has revolutionized the once-laborious task of editing a finished feature film out of reels and reels of original footage. Avid invented the digital nonlinear editing process, which allows film editors to cut and paste movie frames on the computer in the same way a word processor cuts and pastes words. The editor has to create an even pace throughout the film and generate emotional impact through the cuts between scenes, lighting, and music. It's definitely an art form, and it takes a great deal of talent to do it well. Having professional film editors on staff has been part of Avid's business strategy from the beginning.
Editors really like our products because they can customize the tools to fit their editing style.
The sparkle of Hollywood isn't lost on Avid's employees. Movie posters decorate Avid's work spaces, and everyone snacks on free popcorn from a machine in the cafeteria. And although everyone feels proud when Avid-edited movies like Titanic win awards, it's even more exciting when the employees win the acclaim themselves. To date, they've garnered two Technical Achievement Awards from the Motion Picture Academy as well as two Emmys. The work is interesting, the products are high quality, and the customer base is very exciting.