Book List

SPECS FOR LAPTOPS, HARD DRIVE, HEADPHONES & SD CARD

Required Technology:

It is required that you have your own laptop to use. If you do not presently have a laptop computer and will be purchasing one, the following specs are recommended. If you already have a laptop less than 5 years old, we recommend waiting until school starts to find out how well it will work with the software, rather than rushing out to buy a new one.

Seattle Film Institute uses Adobe Creative Cloud software. Students are required to purchase their own Creative Cloud account for their course work. Students can purchase an educational discount with Adobe by using their school email address. Students should plan to use Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop and AfterEffects while completing their coursework. Below is the suggested minimum operating systems. However this changes often and it is best to visit Adobe’s website for further info. https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html

PC:

Ability to run the latest operating system (OS) Processor: i5 (i7 preferred)

Hard drive: 500gb HD (1 terabyte preferred) RAM: 8gb RAM, more if you can afford it

Graphics: Dedicated graphics card with minimum 2gb RAM

Ports: At least one USB 3.0 port

This is for a basic setup, a computer that will be reliable, but not necessarily the fastest machine. If students want to go for a more powerful setup, they can, but the above specification will get them what they need. More system RAM, and more powerful video cards, and an SSD drive are the best options.

APPLE:

Ability to run the latest operating system (OS)

The standard Macbook PRO is recommended. It comes with a 500 gig hard drive and 8 gigs of RAM.

A 1 TB external drive is helpful, and so is upgrading to 8 gigs of RAM, but if money is tight, the base model of the MacBook Pro will work ok. It’s possible to upgrade the RAM later. The SSD drive option is good, but get at least 256 GB if you go for that.

NOTE:We have found the Macbook Air often overheats running Adobe video applications, so we don’t recommend it.

You can get a student discount through the apple store: http://www.apple.com/education/

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE:

You will need an external hard drive for editing.

It should be a minimum of 1 terabyte in size and 7200 RPM speed, and should have a USB 3.0 interface.

If you already have a drive with different specs, check with the edit instructor to see if it will be ok.

Brands students have had good experiences with in the past are Seagate, Western Digital, and especially G Drive. These are available at most electronics outlets such as Fry’s, Best Buy, etc., in the range of $75 or more. You might also shop online, perhaps at Amazon.com or Macmall.com.

SD MEMORY CARD:

Also required is a “Class 10” SD memory card at least 16 gigs in size, for use in our digital video cameras, if you plan to use SFI camera equipment. Good brands are Lexar and Sandisk. You will probably not need this till the 7^th week of the quarter. Watch for sales, it is usually possible to find a good brand 16 gig or even 32 gig card for under $20 at Amazon, or Fry’s, or Staples, Office Max etc. (To tell if it’s Class 10, look for 10 inside a circle on the card).

HEADPHONES:

A pair of good quality headphones is required.

Headphones that cover the ears work best. We’ve found that the Sennheiser HD 202 (or 201) headphones work well for a reasonable price if you don’t already own a pair. Here’s an Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-202-II-Professional/dp/B003LPTAYI/

If you want a really good pair, Sony MDR 7506 are the industry standard.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

If you already have a quality pair of in-ear headphones, Apple iPod quality or better, those are acceptable.

If you are taking classes through our Low Residency program a USB headset is essential for good audio and to help with hearing lectures and presentations properly. We suggest a USB Logitech Headset. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UXZQ42?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_ab-sx-bia_k0_1_12&crid=2THE2XT2GWQ73&sprefix=usb%20logitech

USB DRIVE:

It is also very useful to have a portable USB “thumb” drive, at least 16 gigs in size, for transferring files, scripts, backing up projects, etc.