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Editing Course Proves Popular
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Sitting in front of two
computer monitors, Dina Saad, instructor at the Adham Center for Television Journalism,
explains to five students the steps that should be followed by a professional
editor to edit TV footage digitally.
This scene occurs in the
context of an intensive video-editing course offered by the Center to students
who want to acquire the basic skills needed in various fields, including advertising,
TV news, video-clip production, documentaries, and TV feature films.
In a period of six weeks,
the student learns how to edit narrative video on the Sony linear editing system,
the computer driven AVID non-linear system, and the more advanced non-linear Sony
Edit Station ES3 system.
The course is offered
to anyone with computer literacy and a basic knowledge of the English language.
"The course does not need any background in the field
.The requirements of the
course are really nothing," said Saad, who received her master's degree in TV
journalism at the Adham Center in 1996.
Dina's experience in the
field is impressive: she worked as editor and producer for three years at the
World Television News, later renamed Associated Press Television News (APTN) and
also spent two years with German television's ZDF.
The Center offers two
sessions during the summer and one session in the winter. According to Saad, only
five students are allowed to enroll in each session so that students can have
enough time to practice what they learn.
Since the Center started
offering the course in 1990, it has attracted a large number of TV reporters working
for international news organizations.
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According to Sandy Abou
Al-Magd, a CNN freelance reporter and producer who received the course certificate
a few years ago, "The course is really beneficial. I learned a lot. I really enjoyed
it." Abou Al-Magd recalls that she decided to take the course on arriving in the
Middle East since, as a reporter, she has to edit her stories herself. "I heard
people talking about it (the course) and I heard about it from my husband, who
is a freelance camera man.
It is very good to know how to do it myself."
Simon Apiku, a Sudanese
reporter working for the German News Agency and currently taking the course, has
decided recently to work as both a wire reporter and TV journalist.
A few months ago, he received
an e-mail from the American University in Cairo about this course. "I am contemplating
a career in TV journalism so I thought it would be a good place to start."
"The course is interesting.
We cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time," added Apiku, who
also plans to get enrolled in studio production courses offered at the Adam Center.
The course also has a
wide constituency among Egyptians who have an urge to become professional editors
but do not find such courses offered at the Egyptian universities where they receive
their bachelor's degrees.
"Editing courses are
not available at my university," said Saher Naeem, who graduated from the School
of Photography and Television at Helwan University. "I heard about it from my
friends and I asked cameramen about the best place to learn editing. They told
me this was it."
Amira Mohamed, a Mass
Communication junior at Cairo University, had also been looking for editing courses
everywhere till she finally found them at the Adham Center.
"The machines, the equipment,
and the studio are impeccable," she said. Although at the beginning of the course
she thought she would not be able to learn much during "a short period of month
and a half," she acknowledges that she is now well acquainted with the machines
and the editing process, though she still needs to find time to practice more.
"We are allowed to come
and practice on our own in the studio from 10 am to 10 pm," says Mohamed.
By
Noha El-Hennawi
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