Meet 2019 Inductee Bill Warner

Meet 2019 NIHF Inductee Bill Warner!

We are honored to have Bill Warner join the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF).

The Invention

In the late 1980s, video editing was severely limited because changes had to be done in sequence – in a linear fashion – making edits extremely difficult. Bill Warner invented the Avid Media Composer®, a digital, nonlinear editor which took over the industry for both video and film. The result was instantaneous editing: the ability to make changes anytime, anywhere in the program. The graphical interface that Warner and his team at Avid Technology created set the standard for the industry.

The Inventor

A self-defined “engineering entrepreneur,” Warner began developing an interest in creating usable products at the start of his career.

“I think the father of invention is frustration. And the father of invention is pain. And the father of invention is deeply caring that something should be different.” Warner said.

Warner’s editing system was developed out of necessity. Tasked with editing his employer’s holiday party video, he found out how difficult and time-consuming linear editing could be.

Inspired, he began to talk with engineers and video editors in the industry to better understand their frustration with current processes, and he released a solution in 1989 — the Avid Media Composer.

After founding Avid Technology, Inc. in 1987, Warner went on to found Wildfire Communications, Inc., FutureBoston, Inc., and Warner Research, LLC, all dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Impact

Avid has won a Grammy, 16 Emmys and two Oscars, and the company’s products have been used to edit blockbuster hits like “Titanic” and “The Matrix.” By 2018 the company’s technology had been used to create 90 percent of the original content developed by leading streaming service providers.

Today, Warner continues to invent and build businesses. He is currently developing a business around personalized maps.

Warner will join the ranks of other global innovators in the National Inventors Hall of Fame during the 2019 Induction Ceremony on May 2.