The DoItYourself Quality Factor

Video editing requires computer equipment with a huge memory; that is, definitely not a typical home or office desktop computer. "Amateur" systems can be as low as $100 for an editing program you can install on your home computer, but it is very limited and without the ancillary items such as input, output modules, audio, and so on. Quality low-end systems begin at about $5,000 but are still quite limited at that level. In 2002, serious studios pay in excess of $60,000 for basic professional systems, $100,000 with ancillary gear. Excellent quality not only costs more, it demands the skills and experience to use it.

For clients with an in-house graphics department, today's media firms use more client-created material than in recent years, though usually not the video. Today there is much less of the "Let's write a script, let's do a video, let's put it on VHS," and so on. Now there is more working with in-house graphics staff, creating and using their materials. Rather than creative competition, there is much more of a partnership.

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