Digital Editing Course Proves Popular

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.

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