FCP X and Education

[Chris Jacek]

[Chris Kenny] “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.”

I don’t think you are understanding the situation well enough from an implementation standpoint. It’s not just a case of waiting. The existing licenses are being cancelled at their expiration date, with no option for renewal. That means that the tech support that goes with those licenses is also being cancelled, which is VERY important to many institutions. Do you really think “wait and see” is an option in that case? It seems like a pretty cavalier attitude if you ask me.

Apple is abandoning a promise that they made to continue offering an ongoing renewable license. And they did it without warning. I literally was sold this license and promise on a Monday, and it was discontinued on Tuesday, with no contingency plan. Reliability is a very important quality in a vendor, and Apple has lost a great deal of credibility in this area.

Aside from the pragmatic aspects that I mentioned, this sends a strong message about the changing corporate culture of Apple. Their are showing themselves to have weak ethics, if only in this very small segment of their operation. Word spreads quickly.

I have already spoken to colleagues at several institutions, and their feelings are the same. One even got a reply to their angry email to Steve Jobs, which basically said, give it a chance, and just keep using it. That’s a fine approach IF you have not corporately forced it to be the only option. By killing the proven application, and its associated support, Apple is forcing the choice.

Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee

[Mike Guidotti]

[Chris Kenny] “And you can also see that it never will?”

That’s irrelevant to his post which you must not understand. It is June – his classes begin in August that is two months from now. If apple adds all that stuff to FCX today he would still only have two months to fully re-integrate his school’s studios (and probably has to put it out through a two-envelope bid process, etc). He can’t teach a class in August on something THAT DOES NOT EXIST YET. He can’t say “OK kids today we are going to learn how to use a program Apple might maybe come out with in two years.”

Teaching FCS3/FCP 7 is not an option because his students can not buy it for use on their own, and it is 4 years out of date compared to Avid/Premiere.

[Mike Guidotti]

I liked new coke but not the same feelings for FCX.

[Chris Kenny]

[Chris Jacek] “I don’t think you are understanding the situation well enough from an implementation standpoint. It’s not just a case of waiting. The existing licenses are being cancelled at their expiration date, with no option for renewal. That means that the tech support that goes with those licenses is also being cancelled, which is VERY important to many institutions. Do you really think “wait and see” is an option in that case? It seems like a pretty cavalier attitude if you ask me.”

I used to be involved with technology procurement at a public university in New York, and nothing moves as quickly as you’re implying here. The idea that some significant fraction of schools are going to be on Premiere Pro come late August if Apple takes a few weeks to deal with the educational licensing situation is just not credible, based on my experience, and for all you know the situation will be resolved by Monday.

This is just another variation of the some old apocalyptic rhetoric. People have lost perspective.

—
Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.

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[Ben Holmes]

[MIke Guidotti] “Most schools have shared edit bays which require multiple user logins as well as SAN storage. That basically rules iMovie X out. oh, sorry FCP X.
“

Whilst I’m a little bored of saying this here (but everyone is forgiven for not seeing useful information in this godawful mess of noise) FCPX can easily be made to be seen on a SAN – my own vendor made it work in a day.

Do people really think these issues with WEEK OLD SOFTWARE are forever problems? Like others here, I look forward to revisiting some of these posts in a year’s time.

Everything in X is new. It will take time to reintegrate EVERYTHING with it. It will take time to learn how to use it.

Like Shane, I’m pissed off Apple junked the goodwill I have with my customers – I differ in believing it’s forever at this point. Value always wins – productivity always wins. FCPX could give us both.

If it doesn’t, I’ll be a switcher too – but not after a week.

Edit Out Ltd
—————————-
FCP Editor/Trainer/System Consultant
EVS/VT Supervisor for live broadcast
RED camera transfer/post
Independent Director/Producer

https://www.blackmagic-design.com/community/communitydetails/?UserStoryId=8757

[Andrew Richards]

[MIke Guidotti] “Most schools have shared edit bays which require multiple user logins as well as SAN storage. That basically rules iMovie X out. oh, sorry FCP X.”

How is FCPX incompatible with either of those?

FCPX won’t let you put Events or Projects on a SAN (yet) since there’d be data collisions from multiple users hitting the same location, but you can edit from SAN-hosted media. Just uncheck the box that copies media to the Event.

And multiple user accounts? You’re going to have to explain why you think those are incompatible with FCPX…

Best,
Andy Richards

VP of Product Development
Keeper Technology

[Mike Guidotti]

It’s true. Most schools and companies won’t let you put vaporware in your budget proposal.

[Jim Townley]

Here is my concern as an educator. I will not move to a new version of any software for at least 6 to 7 months. (probably longer) Let them get all the bugs worked out before committing. I will continue to teach with FCP 7. However, most of my students will go out and buy the software we are teaching. They will not find FCP 7 readily, certainly not from Apple. I just looked. It is not on their site. So they will buy FCP X. Hey it’s Final Cut Pro, isn’t it? It is not compatible with FCP 7. They cannot take their projects home to work on them. They cannot bring projects into the lab that they started at home.

I will send out an email to my students telling them not to buy FCP X when our semester starts in August. $299 is still a lot of money to a student if they cannot use it in class. Since most students have trouble reading instructions and emails, I hope I can get the word out. If Apple gets their act together so I can use the FCP 7 lesson plans already in place by spring semester, I might consider it. I cannot move to any new software now anyway since the fiscal year starts tomorrow, July 1st. And Apple has no educational pricing yet. How do I sell that to the school? Until then, maybe I will now spend more time teaching story telling with sequences using matching and overlapping action.

Jim Townley
Television Production
Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA

[David Roth weiss]

[Jim Townley] “Here is my concern as an educator. I will not move to a new version of any software for at least 6 to 7 months. (probably longer) Let them get all the bugs worked out before committing. I will continue to teach with FCP 7.”

Jim,

The problem you are facing as an educator is no different that the problem we professionals face. You have students and have no idea how to serve them in the future; we have the same issues, only with clients and TV stations and collaborators of all types.

What do we do going forward? How do we insure that we are going forward? What is the right solution? Is there a solution?

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.

[Jim Townley]

David,

I have been in the business for almost 40 years. I was with NBC News for 17 years and in Post Houses for another 15. I have worked with clients. I know your concerns very well.

In the past 10 years as an instructor, I am teaching for the students who will go into the Post or TV field. Only time will tell what the solution will be.

Jim Townley
Television Production
Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA