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FCP X and Education
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[John Chay] “Can you just admit that this is a huge flaw right now instead of “I imagine Apple can as well?””
In point of fact, we’ve already seen a glimpse of Apple’s solution: tag clip audio with metadata.
[John Chay] “Why are audio tracks all of a sudden “rigid”?”
Audio tracks aren’t rigid, but having to place specific things on specific tracks is. One example: let’s say effects are supposed to be delivered on tracks 5-6, and I’m creating a soundscape that requires me to overlay three effects. Oops. In practice the solution to this problem is that audio gets edited using a more freeform approach (typically not in the NLE) and then mixed down to meet these deliverables requirements. With metadata, you can put anything anywhere, and still have it go where it needs to go when you output.
Mind you, Apple’s first implementation of this, coming this summer, might not get everything right. But I think the approach is fundamentally sound (no pun intended).
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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“I can also, however, imagine ways of providing this ability without having to rigidly structure audio tracks in the NLE. And I imagine Apple can as well.”
I think you’ve helped me gain clarity. The “creative thinking” approach could be better served by giving the user choices to use tracks or not to use tracks.
The software provider can think of creative innovations in the GUI of every sort, and let the user configure the environment to suit their needs.
The problems begin when the software provider reserves all interface decisions for themselves, and rules out alternatve ways of working.
Way back when, Lightworks allowed clips to just exist in the interface, and not necessarily be in a bin. Avid won out, and everything needed to be connected to a bin. In Lightworks you could put up as many viewers as you needed, in Avid you only got two. In fact, the smart folder way is really a throwback to the thinking in Lightworks with their NoteCard database GUI.
No one wants to stifle creativity. Creativity by a software designer is welcomed. Add all the features you want, just let me customized my favorite way of working with your creative GUI ideas. When the software limits the users to one way of working, then the software designer has not been as creative in their thinking as they could have been.
If the backend metadata and engine are the key, then why can’t that information be interacted with by the user in a myriad of ways?
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Steven –
“If the backend metadata and engine are the key, then why can’t that information be interacted with by the user in a myriad of ways?”
Amen.
I have been blathering on about this idea for days but you have articulated it perfectly.
Thank you.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions -
[Chris Kenny] “[Steven Gonzales] “FCP has definitely lost the higher education market to Avid if feature film editing and post production are the curriculum.”
I feel like a broken record here, but this is basically an insane thing to say a little over a week after FCP X’s release.
“This is NOT insane at all. Please take a moment to step back and look at what Apple has done from a licensing standpoint. They have STOPPED offering an educational discount for Final Cut Pro. You do not need to wait for a dot-release to get the message. The fact that Apple did not already have educational pricing in place ON ITS RELEASE is proof to me that they are not committed to the educational market. They fired this shot on DAY ONE. Even if they offer volume and educational pricing in the future, it will be too late for most. Decisions are being made on a daily basis.
I have much more to say on this, but have already elaborated on a separate topic in this forum (which incidentally is the first Google result when you enter “FCPX educational pricing”).
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/335/6661
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Chris Jacek] “The fact that Apple did not already have educational pricing in place ON ITS RELEASE is proof to me that they are not committed to the educational market.”
These are app store teething issues that people are reading far too much into.
[Chris Jacek] “Even if they offer volume and educational pricing in the future, it will be too late for most. Decisions are being made on a daily basis. “
Really? If it takes Apple a few weeks to work out education pricing, “most” will have already gone elsewhere?
People are seriously exaggerating the time sensitivity of all of this. Educational institutions in particular often run years behind on updates. It’s possible some might jump ship depending on their internal schedules and Apple’s timing, but the idea of some kind of mass exodus occurring because of a matter of weeks is, yes, insane.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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OK… I think I’ll just wait to see what the porn industry does. If they adopt it or move on. Because we all know how much weight they carry in this biz…
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
And you were planning to use a brand new piece of software to do it?
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[Chris Kenny] “Really? If it takes Apple a few weeks to work out education pricing, “most” will have already gone elsewhere?”
YES!
We are in the middle of budgeting season for schools. Any NORMAL software title provides unbroken support of their renewable licenses.
Think about it this way. Every year, the school gets a bill for its ongoing software license. It becomes part of their budgeting process. They set that money aside, knowing that they will always be current on the software. So what happens to the school who’s cycle ended in late June of this year? Instead of getting their annual renewal bill, they get an email telling them that their licensed software has been discontinued (I have one of these emails, and would be happy to post it here if anyone is interested). They are also told that the new version of their software, which their license had guaranteed they’d be able to get for free, will now cost them FULL RETAIL PRICE! Even at FCP’s new lower price point, that same school will be paying $400 from this year’s budget, for something that would have cost them less than $100 two weeks ago.
Furthermore, there is no mechanism in place for them start a new license, so they might have to pay full retail price again when the next version is released. So you say this is probably temporary, and Apple will get it straightened out. Maybe it will get fixed in 2 weeks or two months, but that school decision-maker has to make a decisions about the budget NOW. And Apple is saying NOTHING about their plans, so we don’t even know if there is anything worth waiting for. What do you think that decision-maker is going to do? IF if they could increase their budget at this late state, will they Shell out 4 times their budgeted cost, with no guarantee that it won’t happen again next year?
They might look at Adobe. They might even already have the Production Premium license, as many do who use After Effects. Adobe is well known for their aggressive institutional pricing for education. Or they look at Avid. For the same $299 they would spend on FCPX, they can get a $2500 software editing package that they KNOW is a professional product. They also know that they get free updates for 4 YEARS, and that they can run the software on Mac or PC (both are included in the box, and you can switch your platform at no additional cost) in case they want to change platforms in the future.
Think about the situation in terms of lost opportunity time. Let’s say Apple DOES fix everything with their licensing, and reinstitute a similar mechanism in fairly short order, like 3 weeks from now. That means there is a 5 week period, or 10% of a calendar year, that every single renewable license is not being renewed, and decision makers are facing the dilemma stated above. That’s a really fast way to lose 10% of your market (probably more, since academic licenses are far more likely to expire at this time of year than any other). And this doesn’t even account for the word of mouth that travels rapidly in the world of academics. And what happens if they take 3 months? Six months? A year? Is that unrealistic? Who bleepin’ knows? Because Apple is mum on the topic. This shows poor planning, and whether intentional or it, it proves negligence at best, and blatant disregard at worst.
The first rule of a new product implementation should be the same as choosing a VP running mate in an election…DO NO HARM! Apple just picked Joe Liebermann and Sarah Palin.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
[Chris Jacek] “We are in the middle of budgeting season for schools.”
And every school in the country will switch rather than just not doing anything this year, even the ones that had no particular plan to upgrade editing software any time soon?
I’m sorry, but people are blowing all of these sorts of issues entirely out of proportion. Will Apple lose some sales, as a consequence of the time it takes them to work through volume/education licensing issues? Yes. Will it be more than a drop in the bucket, in the long run? Almost certainly not.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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If you still want the $995 deal, it’s still out there! Promise I don’t work for them but videoguys has it for $975! You still have to do the cross grade thing and put in your serial from FCP to be eligible but I saw it today. I did it through Avid’s site before the 17th only because I saw it as an incredible deal (it’s the bundle / boxed suite) as Sonicfire Pro AND Sorenson 6 would cat that much alone!
I’m still fully involved with FCP 7 because it’s been all I know (well) for around 10 years and my business revolves around it. I do own PP, because I own Production Premium for AE and PD, but I’ve never used it. I’ll be learning it now. I’m also learning Avid! The more tools the better. Will I buy FCP X and learn it? Uh…YEA! Each tool will serve it’s purpose and I’m hoping FCP X will get better.
Just my 2 cents
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