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And the lightbulb goes on…
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[Joseph Owens] “You really only have to unpack an X project in Resolve, which tries to unstack all the decisions that are laying latent to realize just how pell-mell the behind-the-scenes structure is being constructed. Like Lucy stuffing too many pies coming down the assembly line into not enough boxes.”
On the contrary, I find the data structure of the FCPX edit to be very elegant.
It’s hierarchical, so it’s different than traditional, absolute, open timelines, but the parent/child relationships that clips can have to each other encodes a bit of editorial intent in a way that’s not possible when the data structure simply places clips in absolute time.
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 -
[Walter Soyka] ” encodes a bit of editorial intent”
You’ve cracked the code. The “X” in “FCPX” is for “Existential.”
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[Walter Soyka] “It’s hierarchical, so it’s different than traditional, absolute, open timelines, but the parent/child relationships that clips can have to each other encodes a bit of editorial intent in a way that’s not possible when the data structure simply places clips in absolute time.”
Strictly speaking it sometimes encodes actual editorial intent but at other times (many) it encodes accidental relationships created without intention.
I think …
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Simon Ubsdell] ” it encodes accidental relationships created without intention.”
That’s the best part! Keeps you on your toes. 😉
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~ My FCPX Babbling blog ~
~”It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools.”~
~”The function you just attempted is not yet implemented”~ -
[Simon Ubsdell] “Strictly speaking it sometimes encodes actual editorial intent but at other times (many) it encodes accidental relationships created without intention. I think …”
Fair. If you edit intentionally and within the FCPX mental framework, then FCPX’s structure captures some information about your intent.
If you don’t, then magnetic maneuvers must be terribly confusing occurrences.
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 -
[Charlie Austin] “[Simon Ubsdell] ” it encodes accidental relationships created without intention.”
That’s the best part! Keeps you on your toes. ;-)”
Indeed!!
I was just making the point that X’s clip connections encode editor intentions in only quite a mild sense – only some of the clip connections actually relate to conscious decisions on our part.
It’s not yet reading your mind. That comes in the next update 😉
Seriously though, you do sometimes (and sometimes often) have to reassign clip connections because they are actively not reflecting what you you had in mind. Not a criticism, just as observation.
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Simon Ubsdell] “Seriously though, you do sometimes (and sometimes often) have to reassign clip connections because they are actively not reflecting what you you had in mind. Not a criticism, just as observation.”
Agreed. Particularly when copy/pasting clips, or dragging out heads/tails. The original connection point is kept, and not necessarily where you want it to be. Never a dull moment! lol
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~ My FCPX Babbling blog ~
~”It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools.”~
~”The function you just attempted is not yet implemented”~ -
[Simon Ubsdell] “I was just making the point that X’s clip connections encode editor intentions in only quite a mild sense – only some of the clip connections actually relate to conscious decisions on our part.”
As usual, I doubt we disagree much.
The software does exactly what you tell it. Primary, secondary, connection — to whatever extent you consider the role of the clip when you cut it in, and choose how you cut it in accordingly, some intent is captured in a way that cannot be true with traditional timelines.
Also, I think it’s common and even somewhat necessary for the relationship a clip bears to other clips in the storyline to change as the edit evolves.
[Simon Ubsdell] “Seriously though, you do sometimes (and sometimes often) have to reassign clip connections because they are actively not reflecting what you you had in mind. Not a criticism, just as observation.”
I’d agree with that.
Adjusting clip connections is the new track patching.
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 -
[Charlie Austin] “Agreed. Particularly when copy/pasting clips, or dragging out heads/tails. The original connection point is kept, and not necessarily where you want it to be. Never a dull moment! lol”
Actually, much as I like clip connections and all the benefits they bring, they can often work out creating similar orders of complication as you had when you didn’t have the magnetic timeline.
Every NLE is going to have something that slows you down – it’s just in X’s case those things are completely different, indeed frequently opposite, to the things that slowed you down in Media Composer or wherever.
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Walter Soyka] “As usual, I doubt we disagree much.
The software does exactly what you tell it. Primary, secondary, connection — to whatever extent you consider the role of the clip when you cut it in, and choose how you cut it in accordingly, some intent is captured in a way that cannot be true with traditional timelines.”
Indeed, I wasn’t really disagreeing – just riffing a bit on your theme.
My point was actually that the software doesn’t necessarily do exactly what you tell it.
If I add a connected clip at a certain point in time I don’t necessarily want to establish a relationship with the primary storyline, but rather I might well want to be creating a relationship with other connected clips that are congregating in that region.
For example, if I’ve got a connected music track and I want to add a connected sound effect to coincide with a particular musical moment, I’m not choosing to create a relationship with the primary storyline, but rather with the music.
I only mention it because I often run into that sort of situation …
The ability to connect to something other than the primary storyline at will would of course change that completely. But it’s not there at the moment.
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com
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