After a year has perception of FCPX changed?

[Richard Herd]

My opinion is it hasn’t changed.
My opinion is also that if folks actually take the time (but hopefully they are too busy with paying clients to learn new software) to cut a project, they will like it too.

[Andrew Kimery]

I don’t think the perception will change until FCPX spends a few years being used on very high profile projects like ‘Hollywood’ feature films and big, network TV shows. I’m saying this just based on what it took for FCP classic to be viewed as a serious Avid contender on a wide scale as to the NLE people who couldn’t afford an Avid used. Productions like Scrubs and Cold Mountain were the first ‘big’ projects to cut a path starting w/FCP 3 & 4 and I don’t feel like it was until FCP 6 that the program stopped getting scoffed at left and right.

Apps like Premiere and Vegas are used by a ton of people but they are rarely, if ever, used on high end projects which is a big reason they are typically considered second class programs even if they are capable NLEs w/unique features.

-Andrew

[John Davidson]

We’ve changed our position on it since 10.0.4. Actually a little excited about all the metadata uses we’ll get out of it.

Probably going to have to preemptively unsubscribe to this post :).

John Davidson | President / Creative Director | Magic Feather Inc.

[Clint Wardlow]

What I find odd is the resistence by people who aren’t really pros, like this DSLR shooter. I myself still use FC7 and have been gravitating towards PPRO but am waiting for the PPRO 6 to work out its bugs before I upgrade from 5.5. I am purchasing a new camera which may finally force me out of FC7. FCPX doesn’t feel right for my particular workflow.

However, what I find kind of interesting is resistence from folks for whom I feel FCPX would work well. DSLR shooters with simple audio needs, little or no compositing, and not that much experience with NLEs. They are not really looking at the product itself, but more at the perception of “pros” they interact with.

These folks want to use the same thing the “pros” use, whether such a thing fits their needs or not. And they don’t see FCPX as professional. Oddly they will look at Premiere (which isn’t used that much at all by the hollywood establishment). It just seems that Apple shot itself in the foot with the way they released FCPX, and because of the backlash, people that might really get good use from it may be staying away.

I wonder if Apple and FCPX will ever get beyond this. I mean, its been a year and the negative label still seems to be sticking.

[Michael Garber]

I’ve purposefully jumped into FCPX full-force on certain projects to see what works and what breaks. At an industry event I went to the other night, I was telling people what was working for me and what wasn’t. The general consensus among facility managers, editors, etc… that I spoke to was that they had no real use for FCPX right now. Most have gone back to Avid and are waiting for Premiere to mature a bit more.

I see great potential in X, but also I experience harsh realities every time I use it. I would still label X as too buggy and unreliable. But that is not stopping me from using it on some projects.

What stops me from using it is that most of my production clients don’t have FCPX and don’t want it – or have no editors trained in it. So, when I use FCPX, I’m basically on an island. The production co’s don’t want me to use it because they can’t get back into the projects to do future work.

I’ve been diving into Premiere, as well. Again, great potential here. My general feeling is 6.5 will be the “killer app.”

At the last LAFCPUG event, Michael Horton felt that FCPX would bounce back within 36 months. I think given the negative feelings about X and the amount of work still needed on it, that’s about right.

Michael Garber
5th Wall – a post production company

[Andrew Kimery]

[Clint Wardlow] “What I find odd is the resistence by people who aren’t really pros, like this DSLR shooter.

I think Michael answers to this pretty well.

[Michael Garber] “What stops me from using it is that most of my production clients don’t have FCPX and don’t want it – or have no editors trained in it. So, when I use FCPX, I’m basically on an island. The production co’s don’t want me to use it because they can’t get back into the projects to do future work.”

There are also many people that make gear decisions to help legitimize themselves in their own eyes as well as in the eyes of a client and if the ‘pros’ they follow discount FCPX odds are they will too. It’s a ripple effect.

FCP classic ran into the same issue and it took years of people that could afford Avid, that knew Avid, to choose FCP over Avid before the perception shifted. It took people like Shane Ross, Walter Biscardi, Mark Raudonis, Walter Murch, the Coen Brothers, Digital Film Tree, etc., talking about how they successfully use FCP for big projects before the perception changed and FCP was seen a legit alternative to Avid.

There can be a ‘grass roots’ FCPX movement, just like there was for FCP, but until it becomes more widely used on higher end projects it will always be seen as a less program than Avid or FCP.

[Walter Soyka]

I think one thing that hasn’t changed since last June is that a lot of people are still making up their minds about FCPX without really using it. There’s really a lot there to like, but it’s not for everyone.

FCP had became nearly universal before its EOL, sometimes irrespective of whether it was the right tool for the job or not. I don’t see that happening with FCPX any time soon. All the NLEs’ different strengths, weaknesses, and preferred workflows are being evaluated now.

If Apple had launched with 10.0.3 or 10.0.4, we might all be having a different conversation.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Bret Williams]

If you’re doing a multicam era canon shoot, FCP X is it. CS6 can’t sync up via audio, and FCP 7 is dead. Well, it’s by no means dead, but unless you want to run a dual boot or older system, it’s getting there.

The power of X is amazing on a nice new iMac. Just wish it would add a few more features back in to play nice with others, add back audio tracks, and make a switch to turn on/off ripple mode (magnetics).

Still waiting for smoke to blow me away. CS6 on a Mac does not. And I just don’t want to go back to Avid. What’s the fun in that?

[Tony West]

[Clint Wardlow] “what I find kind of interesting is resistence from folks for whom I feel FCPX would work well.”

I think that has a lot to do with the feedback they get.

My neighbor is not in the biz, but knows I am. He recently bought a D7 and asked me to give him some tips on it. ( I was surpassed he bought a camera like that)

While I was at his house he said “I have fc express”

I was like……..really? (WTH? is there anyone left in the world who is NOT editing video ; ) He was in the computer biz but as a hobby races cars and wants to put his races on YT.

He opened up his fc express and I could see where he had started to do a video and stopped.

He said he was confused by it. I started to go over some things and then I just said “you need to get X

I agree with the post though, that people want to use what the pros use even if they are not pros themselves.

He had not heard anything good about X, but after about a 10 minute conversation he is ready to buy it.
I told him to come over to my house and I would demo it for him then he could decide.

I think he will have it before he even gets my demo tour : )

[David Powell]

I think people need to remember why FCP became so popular. It was cheaper than all the other alternatives for what it could do. Avid priced itself out of the market that built the grassroots movement with FCP. That is not the case today. FCPX basically tried to repeat the same plan at $300 vs $2500. But anyone who makes a living off of editing will pay $2500 to use what is considered the “gold standard” in professional editing, a title that’s always been held by MC. Today there are no barriers, accept for those who were using cracked versions of FCP, and want a pro NLE for sub $500.

People want to use what they think the pros are using. They want to know that if an opportunity arises, to make a significant jump in their careers, they are not held back by their lack of experience on the software being most used in the industry.