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An Interesting observation
This past week I have been inundated with calls from a number of directors that Ive worked with in the past, now working on other productions, asking technical questions about editing in FCPX. It appears some have started sync pulls and small edit preparations in X before handing the job over to their craft editors. I had a call from one director, who is about to start post in a matter of weeks and has been himself cutting and reviewing rushes in FCPX in preparation before his edit begins. He asked if I was available to cut the program in FCPX, I had to say no a). because the gig was in Scotland and b). because Im booked solid. On thursday, the young director for my next 1/2 hr called to say she had started using FCPX and would I mind if she created some smart folders and favorites before we started the edit? Absolutely I said, you go for it!
I find this interesting because, although staff have had access to both FCP7 and Premier Pro on their laptops or workstations in the past, and have been encouraged to use either platform in prep for their edit. Until now, Ive not seen directors attempt anything more than a paper edit.
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23 Replies
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Perhaps it’s because most directors are editing-ignorant. As an ex-broadcast director I can say that of the dozens of directors I knew, not one had any technical editing skills, whatsoever. In that respect the magnetic timeline, leading to an assembly cut, makes some sense…as it does for print journalists being forced to shoot and edit some online video content. A related question is will this lead them to further their editing skills? In most cases, as I knew them and their interests, probably not.
David
https://AllinOneFilms.com -
They’d be better off using Premiere, and doing this first assembly in Prelude. That way transferring it over to the editor would be much, much easier.
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“Up until here, we still have enough track to stop the locomotive before it plunges into the ravine… But after this windmill it’s the future or bust.” -
By using FCPX the director assembles his rough, gives the event and project to an editor who continues working in X.
We use this method at Promiflash in Berlin, our producers assemble their stories during the day, in the evening the editor shows up and opens the rough cut projects. X is a very powerful software that is very easy to learn. It took our producers a few hours to get accustomed to the basics. I trained one of our editors one day before she started. They had hard time finding fast mtv style editors with X experience.
So far using FCPX has payed off very well for me.
“Always look on the bright side of life” – Monty Python
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Been there…
When FCP Legacy came out.
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[Greg Andonian] “That way transferring it over to the editor would be much, much easier.”
I don’t think Craig was making the point that it was difficult, he was making the point that it was actually happening
Steve Connor
There’s nothing we can’t argue about on the FCPX COW Forum
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[David Cherniack] “A related question is will this lead them to further their editing skills? In most cases, as I knew them and their interests, probably not.” I totally agree, One of the surprising things about cutting in FCPX in my experience, has been just how quickly directors and producers get to grips with the concept of cutting in X. Visually they understand it almost from the get go. One guy said to me last week. ‘Often I sit next to the editor and think, what the hell is he doing? but this is quite clear’.
Its not about them becoming editors but I think removing a level of mystery definitely encourages positive creative collaborations. -
[Steve Connor] “I don’t think Craig was making the point that it was difficult, he was making the point that it was actually happening”
Exactly
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It’s interesting in a way is that one of its sweet spots is rough first assembly by people other than editors doing footage review.
Given that’s what became X was originally pitched to jobs as – by ubillos when he wanted to put it out as first cut – footage organisation companion for FCP.
Its definitely a valid role.
https://vimeo.com/user1590967/videos http://www.ogallchoir.net promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics
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Actually it was iMovie pitched as First Cut in the stories I’ve read. It may very well have to do with iMovie import into FCPX. Rough cut in iMovie (First Cut) and into FCPX (Final Cut).
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[David Cherniack] “is will this lead them to further their editing skills? In most cases, as I knew them and their interests, probably not.”
Over a decade ago I was tasked to train a group of producers who had virtually no editing experience, to become their own editors for network broadcast, on Avid.
With FCPX I think many will go much further with editing skills than they would otherwise. I think may will become editors. I think the industry economy is moving in that direction. I think this is the “attrition” battle Apple will lead in. That you currently discern these people as not primarily editors is, in fact, misplaced as time goes on. They may not be primarily editors (in you estimation) but many of them will be. I saw that movement over a decade ago and I think it’s going to accelerate. I suspect it’ll hit the corporate and low budget broadcast market primarily (at first) but that’s a very large market.
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