FCP 6 any theories?

[Chris Poisson]

Rich,

There are so many great third party plugins out there you can make FCP do quite a bit of compositing. Kevin Monahan’s book lists many of them and has excellent tips.

Then let’s not forget FCP integration with Motion, which is pretty cool.

[Chris Poisson]

Rich,

I would add that Shake is probably way overkill for most of us here.

[Annaël Beauchemin]

I predict that the media manager will be fixed. hihihihhahahhahahhohohoho

but wait… that’s not a feature….

[Walter Biscardi]

[rich tencza] ”
I for one would love to see them incorporate more in the way of a better compositing workflow.”

FCP itself can do some pretty heavy compositing. I’ve done projects with up to 26 tracks of video in FCP and in some ways find it faster than After Effects. Keying, overlays, matting, etc… all in FCP. You can see a sample on my website by looking at the Recruitment piece under Sample Works. That’s a 23 video track project which was built 100% in FCP.

Using the Automatic Duck Pro Importer in After Effects allows me to export Final Cut Pro timelines directly to AE.

So between FCP’s compositing capabilities and direct export of timelines to After Effects, there’s a really good compositing workflow right now.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Rich Tencza]

Walter,
I have no doubt that compositing can be done and the number of layers can be many……
I just wish, as a heavy compositor, editor, and motion graphics artist, that the interaction between layers was better and more flexible. That’s why I just wish the power of an app like Shake could be combined with the fine editing functionality of FCP. I just hate having to jump from app to app to accomplish things that could be accomplished within 1 app. (It’s kind of like the home entertainment system that you need 5 remotes for to get the end result) Lazy? Maybe. Maybe not. It just interrupts the creative flow. Coming from a platform like Avid DS I am just spoiled I guess. I want to make the facility leap to FCP but I don’t feel like I can churn out the same level of work at this point in time….yet. I love what FCP is doing but they’re not there yet……in my humble opinion. (I hope I didn’t just open Pandora’s box with everyone but like I said, that’s just my opinion 🙂

That’s why I wish Apple would have more of a 2 tiered platform (kind of like they do now) but have MORE compositing and effects capabilities within the higher “Pro Version”. I know this is overkill for many users but its the reason that many users don’t take the full leap over to FCP.

Rich

[Misha Aranyshev]

I want multi-seat FCP solution since version 2. I understand this means dumping whatever database engine the app is running now and putting in a much more robust and flexible one. Side-effect – fixed Media Manager. Hopefully.

[Herb Sevush]

FWIW

I read so many of these “feature request” thread’s for FCP on this and other forums and I am constantly amazed at what people are asking for. There are so many BASIC adn essential editing features that are either missing or badly implemented on FCP and yet thread after thread asks for advanced this or that. It’s as though we were dealing with a car manufacturer who only gave you 3 tires with his car and forgot to include headlights adn all anyone asks for is either a better sunroof or more rear speakers.

How about asking for a medai manager that works. how about demanding that you be able to use the “solo” button on a video track without it blowing all your renders away. How about the ability to capture over timecode breaks. How about the ability to output timecode so you can crash record from the timeline with proper code. How about a decent CG, a la Inscriber, that creates simple graphics with alpha channel but with real CG functionality.

These are all essential NLE features that just about every professional (and many semi-pro) editing system has that are lacking in FCP.

How about we get some tires for the car before we ask for a turbo-charger. But this is unlikely to happen Becasue the marketing department loves to add sexy new features but there’s no great hype advantage for simply fixing the basics. I can see the ad now

“The all new FCP 6 – and this time it actually works right.”

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[Walter Biscardi]

[Herb Sevush] “There are so many BASIC adn essential editing features that are either missing or badly implemented on FCP and yet thread after thread asks for advanced this or that.”

[Herb Sevush] “How about asking for a medai manager that works.”

AMEN to that brother! Media Manager either has to go or be fixed once and for all and preferrably before FCP 10.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Samuel Frazier]

No one ever seems to talk about audio when they talk about fcp weak points. This is a huge one for me. Sub frame edits, auto mini fades at cuts to avoid clicks from not cutting at a cross, buses, etc. Haven’t tried out STP yet, but the first 2 requests are definitely something you want to have before you go to a refining program.
I’d also really like to see the ability to use track fx, to be able to name tracks rather than or in addition to a1/ v1 etc, and to be able to save fx as presets and have them in a pulldown rather than messing around with a favorites folder. I’d also like to see more graphic layouts in fx rather than just sliders and the ability to work with the layouts of other programs in fcp. Seriously doubt I’ll see that anytime soon though.
Knock on wood, my limited experience with the media manager has been good so far. All I’ve done is make DV25 copies of 10 bit uncompressed digibeta material for an offline DV25 edit. Switching back and forth b/t the DV25 and digibeta has worked perfectly so far (done it probably 20 times so far).

[Chi-ho Lee]

There is sub frame audio edit. Been there since version 2.

CHL

Chi-Ho Lee
Film & Video Editor
Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer