Time to stop hating Avid Titler+!
By Jennifer P
In this article by Kevin P. McAuliffe for ProVideo Coalition, the author explores the evolution of Avid’s Titler+ tool and makes a case for overcoming the initial negative perceptions surrounding it. McAuliffe begins with a brief history, explaining how Apple’s system architecture changes rendered Avid’s legacy Title Tool and Marquee obsolete for Mac users. This forced Avid to quickly release Titler+, which was initially plagued by usability issues and limitations, leaving many users frustrated. However, the recent 2024.10 update to Media Composer introduces significant improvements to Titler+, making it a much more viable tool for content creators.
McAuliffe highlights key changes that bring Titler+ in line with other popular applications like Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve. Unlike the legacy tools, Titler+ generates titles dynamically rather than creating physical media clips, requiring a shift in workflow for Avid editors. While this change brings advantages, such as cleaner scaling and consistent vector-based text, it also introduces drawbacks, such as the inability to add external effects like those from Continuum or Sapphire directly to titles. The article emphasizes the importance of adapting to this new system and provides practical advice for working effectively with Titler+.
The update includes a redesigned interface, improved functionality, and tools like the Anchor Point, which offers greater flexibility for text placement and animation. However, McAuliffe notes inconsistencies, such as how the Anchor Point behaves differently when adjusted dynamically versus through the Effect Editor. Despite these quirks, features like better text scaling and alignment with Media Composer’s coordinate system make Titler+ a more robust tool for title creation.
McAuliffe also examines the Foreground parameter, a new feature that simplifies animating multiple titles simultaneously. This tool enables editors to adjust opacity, crop titles, and apply uniform effects across all titles in a frame, though it lacks certain refinements like feathering for crop transitions. Additionally, the update introduces improved font support, streamlined rolls and crawls, and better cross-platform compatibility, further enhancing the overall user experience.
In conclusion, McAuliffe acknowledges Avid’s missteps with the initial release of Titler+ but asserts that the latest updates have significantly improved the tool. While not perfect, Titler+ now offers a compelling option for Media Composer users, especially those willing to adapt their workflows to leverage its modern features. McAuliffe encourages editors to set aside their past frustrations and embrace the new capabilities of Titler+.
Read the full article by Kevin P. McAuliffe for ProVideo Coalition HERE
Learn more about Avid Media Composer HERE