At the risk of sounding presumptuous, another hat in the ring.

[Cliff Stephenson]

A fantastic post Kevin!

My biggest frustration with FCPX is that it works like it was designed by people who have never edited before. Anyone with even a MODICUM of professional editing experienced would never have designed a program (or “app”) with so many glaring and baffling flaws and omissions. I truly believe, as was stated here already, that Apple is trying to “pro” brand an app that they want to appeal to teenagers and iMovie/Final Cut Express users. Realistically, FCPX is Final Cut Xpress. What I don’t think Apple really predicted was the overwhelming vocal backlash. You know something is a serious disaster when a show like Conan is blasting something as “inside” as a professional editing application during their nationally televised show.

And I don’t think Apple could have predicted just how fast Adobe and Avid could pick up the ball and run with it. Offering upgrade deals to former Final Cut users when they did was genius. I’ve already transitioned all my archived FCP7 projects to Premiere and love it more by the day. It’s really the program FCPX should have been. Adobe and Avid really owe a massive thank you to Apple for essentially handing them both the pro market. It’s ironic that back in April, when Apple previewed FCPX, they commented that Avid and Adobe were in a race for second place. Well, after the release of FCPX, Avid and Adobe are still jockeying for second place, but I don’t think Apple intended to be the #3 on that list.

[Chris Kenny]

[Robert Brown] “Well that’s a scary thought I was already worried enough about FCP. But actually not as much as I was a couple of years ago. The entire industry has changed already over the last few years, hopefully FCPX doesn’t make that much of an additional impact. I think the clients get it at some point. Stuff does have to get delivered right. “

Did the widespread availability of laser printers (or, for that matter, pens) de-professionalize writing? Well… yes, in the sense that lots of non-professional writers now write all sorts of things. No, in the sense of eliminating the need for professional writers.

I don’t know why people get worked up about this subject. The writing, so to speak, has been on the wall for years. People can already shoot video with their cell phones that looks better than what broadcast cameras could shoot a decade ago… and edit it right on the phone. The barbarians are already inside the city. If it hasn’t put you out of business yet, it’s probably not going to anytime soon.

[Robert Brown] “But there is a thread above that states Apple is doing some serious back peddling. “

I think the enterprise FCP 7 availability might be Apple responding to criticism. I strongly suspect all these feature enhancements have always been part of the plan. As I’ve been trying to tell people for a couple of weeks now, this kind of aggressively early shipment (before all the important features are implemented) is a common Apple pattern.

[Robert Brown] “I guess all of the never fixed things in FCP and the way they handled the FCPX debacle really turned me off from Apple and I wish they’d get out of broadcast like they promised.”

I know people around here have been treating the idea that Apple was getting out of broadcast as a fact on the basis of flimsy evidence for the last couple of weeks, but saying they “promised” it is even a little sillier than that.

—
Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.

You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.

[David Roth weiss]

[David Lawrence] “I also share your concern about FCP de-professionalizing the industry, but I’d argue it’s not FCP Studio we need to worry about, it’s FCPX.”

Exactly!

With the proper desire and drive, people with no professional skills and no professional knowledge have gained both using FCP as their primary learning vehicle.

As one of the leaders of the FCP Forums, having provided technical assistance, tutoring, mentoring, and problem solving to thousands of FCP users at all levels of skill, I’ve seen it innumerable times. Complete newbies come in knowing absolutely nothing, and they go on to become full-fledged professional editors. In fact, many become so knowledgeable they stay and become valued members of the community, passing on the knowledge they’ve acquired to others.

As it stands now, I don’t see that long-term continuing with FCP X.

[David Lawrence] “X clearly discourages best practices and industry standards. Anyone who thinks mastering it will make them a “Pro” will have big gaps in their knowledge if they ever have to connect with the rest of the industry.”

Yes, this is a huge concern of many educators now, who are uncertain if they should encourage their students to head down the FCP X path.

Schools are doing their best to prepare their students for careers in an industry that Apple suddenly appears it want to disregard.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.com

Don’t miss my new tutorial: Prepare for a seamless transition to FCP X and OS X Lion
https://library.creativecow.net/weiss_roth_david/FCP-10-MAC-Lion/1

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.

[Fredy Schwerdtner]

YES David !
I’m one of those who have been learning (a little) what is editing, in a whole sense of the word, and its complexity by using FCP since number 2 ….

iMac 2.7 GHz Intel 4 Core i5
16 GB memory

MacBook Pro 17″
2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
6GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

OWC RAID 5 with 3TB
(2) External HD LaCieMac (400/800 FW and USB)with 500GB -(2) USB External HD Western Digital (in cases) with 750GB
OS X 10.6.5
Final Cut Studio “3”

[David Roth weiss]

[Fredy Schwerdtner] “YES David !
I’m one of those who have been learning (a little) what is editing, in a whole sense of the word, and its complexity by using FCP since number 2 ….
“

I suspect you’ve learned a boat load on these forums Fredy. It’s always great to see you reaching out for more.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.com

Don’t miss my new tutorial: Prepare for a seamless transition to FCP X and OS X Lion
https://library.creativecow.net/weiss_roth_david/FCP-10-MAC-Lion/1

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.

[Robert Brown]

[Chris Kenny] “Did the widespread availability of laser printers (or, for that matter, pens) de-professionalize writing? Well… yes, in the sense that lots of non-professional writers now write all sorts of things. No, in the sense of eliminating the need for professional writers.”

Uh how is that a useful analogy. Maybe printing?

In any case maybe I exaggerated about Apple “promising” to leave broadcast. They have just given us many “signs” that that’s what’s on their mind. But I happened to talk to people from Turner and Fox yesterday about this very subject and to them FCPX is not in their future while FCP7 is definitely in their present.

But actually I love the timeline in FCP. I will miss it when it’s gone but I’m sure I’ll still be using it for another year or so. And that’s what was a shame to me. They came up with a great editor but just never seemed IMO to acknowledge all of the innovation that came before them and so never took the quality of video processing to the level that had already been achieved. I say that because I worked in linear bays and worked with really amazing tools for their day designed by people who knew what they were doing.

FCP could have evolved into an incredible product. Also IMO the timeline was the last thing that they needed to fix. That was the best part! So you can give me a lecture about resisting change if you want. I don’t resist change in fact I’m not resisting this whole thing at all. I just see it as a missed opportunity but hopefully one of the competitors will pick up the ball and I think they will.

And I do hope this signals the decline of Apple’s penetration into broadcast and the Pro market. I just don’t think they deserve to be there. Their computer are fine and I will continue to buy them but their know it all approach just really annoys me.