FCP X Explained…

[Simon Ubsdell]

I know this question has been asked before, but how often does anyone actually do ripple moves within a day’s editing?

It’s a nice demo-worthy feature, but it’s possibly not at the core of what most editors are doing minute by minute and hour by hour.

If you really are doing ripple moves all the time, then maybe you need to be doing more thinking about what you’re doing and less random moving of stuff around?

Simon Ubsdell
tokyo productions
hawaiki

[Tony West]

I think the discussion of swapping shots and tracks may have gotten us away from his main point in the video.

His real focus seems to be on Apple’s decision to change the default mode on many of the task that have been the opposite for years.

Instead of leaving a hole in the timeline by cutting a section by default, leave it closed by default. (ripple)

Instead of your audio being separate by default, embed the audio with the video by default.

Trim both the audio and the video at the same time by default.

Make what you would choose most often during an edit the default instead of the second option.

I agree with his main point because more times than not it’s defaulting to what I want anyway.

I think he has hit on something in this theme.

[Simon Ubsdell]

[Tony West] “Instead of leaving a hole in the timeline by cutting a section by default, leave it closed by default. (ripple)

Instead of your audio being separate by default, embed the audio with the video by default.

Trim both the audio and the video at the same time by default.

I agree with his main point because more times than not it’s defaulting to what I want anyway.
“

a) I’d almost always sooner leave a hole rather than ripple.

b) I almost always have to un-embed audio in FCP X in order to be able to edit efficiently.

c) I almost always need to trim audio and video separately.

I guess one editor’s preferred defaults can easily be the diametrical opposite of another’s.

Universal claims about what is optimum are always going to run up against this fact of life.

Simon Ubsdell
tokyo productions
hawaiki

[Tony West]

[Simon Ubsdell] “a) I’d almost always sooner leave a hole rather than ripple.”

And I wouldn’t.

If I’m cutting a spot that needs to be a certain length and I tend to replace the shot by dropping the replacement shot on top of it. No hole.

If time is not a factor, like cutting a doc, I just cut the shot out and leave it closed. Why would I want a black hole there?
Nothing is gong there.

[Tony West]

[Simon Ubsdell] “then maybe you need to be doing more thinking about what you’re doing and less random moving of stuff around?
“

Maybe I want to experiment on how things flow with different options.

Now if I’m working for you Simon and you have the clock on me, maybe I have to follow your instructions.

Since I’m not, I guess I’m free to experiment if I want to.

[Herb Sevush]

[Tony West] “Instead of leaving a hole in the timeline by cutting a section by default, leave it closed by default. (ripple)”

There are many previous NLEs that didn’t default to overwrite, and some that didn’t default to anything. It’s not an either or choice, you can have it both ways. Even with Ppro, which does lean towards overwrite in some ways, most ripple edits can be accomplished without modifier keys.

[Tony West] “Instead of your audio being separate by default, embed the audio with the video by default.”

NLEs that I’m aware of have audio sunc to video by default.

[Tony West] “Trim both the audio and the video at the same time by default.”

Again, this was true of FCP7 and is true today for every NLE that I’m aware of, which is why I have to go to the trouble of unsyncing them when I start editing.

[Tony West] “Make what you would choose most often during an edit the default instead of the second option.”

This is the aim of all software, but it’s pretty hard to accomplish given the number of different work flows and editing style out there. The best you can hope for is to find something that works for you — which apparently you have.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin\’ attached to nothin\’
\”Deciding the spine is the process of editing\” F. Bieberkopf

[Tony West]

[Herb Sevush] “[Tony West] “Instead of your audio being separate by default, embed the audio with the video by default.”

NLEs that I’m aware of have audio sunc to video by default.
“

Not really what I was meaning. The audio and the video in X is one clip that you move all at once. Not lassoing the audio along with the video to move it.

[Herb Sevush] “[Tony West] “Trim both the audio and the video at the same time by default.”

Again, this was true of FCP7 and is true today for every NLE that I’m aware of, which is why I have to go to the trouble of unsyncing them when I start editing.”

I have not used Prp so you would know better than me but at 5 in the video, he selects LINK to trim both audio and video. Is LINK the default mode in Prp? It didn’t look like it was in the video. In X you would not select LINK to trim both.

[Herb Sevush] “This is the aim of all software, but it’s pretty hard to accomplish given the number of different work flows and editing style out there. The best you can hope for is to find something that works for you — which apparently you have.”

Sorry, I wasn’t saying “me” I was saying that Apple was making that guess. That “they” were betting more people would want it to default that way. I’m not really saying that they were right or wrong, I’m saying I believe that’s what “they” were doing.

Of course if they sell enough copies to make them happy then they would feel like they guessed right.

I’m guessing : )

[Herb Sevush]

[Tony West] “Not really what I was meaning. The audio and the video in X is one clip that you move all at once. Not lassoing the audio along with the video to move it.”

Tony – the audio and video in every NLE is one clip that moves as one, unless and until you un-sync them. You only need to lasso things like music and audio efx, sync stays sunc unless you take action to un-sync them.

[Tony West] “I have not used Prp so you would know better than me but at 5 in the video, he selects LINK to trim both audio and video”

There is no need to link anything that is in sync. And this audio/video behavior is true for every NLE that I have ever seen – none of them default to separating the audio from the video. The audio/video clip moves together; if you grab the video in-point and drag it forward 10 frames, then the audio will go forward 10 frames, even if the video and audio in the timeline are of different lengths. Move the clip to a new place in the timeline and both audio and video move together.

Now I know X takes this to another level, but I won’t try to describe the difference because, as a non user, I’m not worthy.

But the crucial thing to understand is that everything you saw as far as Ppro is concerned is bogus; he chose the hardest most convoluted, most ass backward way to do everything, as well as cherry picking the scenario where Ppro is worst in comparison to X. I’m not implying that Ppro is better than X in terms of moving stuff around the timeline, I’m saying he intentionally misled the viewer into thinking Ppro, and by extension all other “tracked” NLEs, was worse than it actually is.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin\’ attached to nothin\’
\”Deciding the spine is the process of editing\” F. Bieberkopf

[Herb Sevush]

[Tony West] ” Why would I want a black hole there?
Nothing is gong there.”

What’s going on there is a blank hole in your timeline, an obvious and visually powerful reminder that something used to be there. It was probably there for a reason, but now it’s gone. Sometimes that’s information worth knowing.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin\’ attached to nothin\’
\”Deciding the spine is the process of editing\” F. Bieberkopf

[Bill Davis]

Awesome response. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

So my thinking…

– The lack of true background rendering/transcoding/export in FCPX
I work with background rendering turned off 95% of the time. X still displays eminently workable screens and near instantly renders screens of anything I stop on in my content so I always know what the final quality of my work will be – By postponing the rendering until the output stage, X can dedicate all it’s processing power to rendering for the master, rather than interrupting for “renders in progress” which tends to annoy me more.

– The inability to read .mts files natively without rewrapping (and other codecs the program doesn’t natively support)
I see those as IP issues. X does fine with all the codecs Apple has licenses to directly support. For those they don’t – they chose not to pay royalties. It’s just business.

– The inability to flatten multicam edits or apply stabilization to them
I stabilize via “open in timeline” as part of prep. I don’t want to extend a scene and have to constantly re-render – which I’d have to do if I wanted to make changes to a “flattened” multi-cam edit in my storylines. I tend to fiddle with them always looking for a better cut until right at the end. If they would do that I’d use it. But it’s not my workflow now.

– Lack of multiple timecode displays
I only use visible timecode for client string-outs. I don’t care what the timecode of anything is – so long as I can find exactly what I need via keywords. X thinking for sure. And I understand editors doing other types of work who live and breath TC – I just don’t anymore.

– Lack of keyboard control when working with connected clips and secondary storylines
More would always be nice. But I use them mostly for cutaways – not complex construction. So it’s not a big deal. If I find I have too many secondaries, I’ll Snapshot and drop them into my primary, knowing that I can always go back and “rescue” my prior storyline construction if need be. It keeps me making “iterations” which I often find useful if I make U-turns in my storyline thinking. Charlie Austin figured out a neat trick for near instant Auto Archiving Snapshots via Smart Collections – and that’s my go to modality now.

– Inability to mix proxy and original/optimized media in an edit
You may be working with extreme resolutions – and this might be important because of that – but for me, if the shot footage resolution demands a Proxy workflow – I’m totally content to stay there right up until Mastering. X’s proxies ROCK. Horses for courses.

– Poor relinking
Disappears as an issue with proper library management. I still largely rely on Sparse Disk Bundles or dedicated clone drives when I use Referenced Media as my default footage storage mode. With bundles, no matter which clone you launch, X “sees” it as original media and everything re-links. Same with Libraries created and mounted on a single external Volume. Learn VOLUME management and mounting – and it’s not a big deal – at least the way I work. For facilities guys, it’s probably a bigger deal. But it’s just not an issue for me.

– Lack of layout customization
This could be improved. But I also kinda like knowing I have one adaptable arrangement for multiple screen work, and a couple for working laptop single screen – and I’ll typically be in one of those modes. I learned X on a laptop. So I’m a single screen, trackpad oriented guy now. Moving pallets and panes around to accommodate different tasks isn’t something I miss at the moment. Maybe that will change soon. Who knows?

– No CDL or custom LUT support (without a third party program – I want batch, source side custom LUT/CDL application)
That’s the X way of things. Make the program as good as possible at the core, then let 3rd parties add the things smaller constituencies need. I need color correction a LOT for some shoots – and don’t touch it for others. Oddly, the cheaper the cameras where my footage comes from, the less I seem to need to correct it. I’m working with some iPhone 7+ footage right now on a small project – and it’s positively gold as shot. Looks awesome. The C-300 stuff I get is all over the place. And Raw is Raw. I shot projects for 20 years without much camera shading and things were fine. White balance in the field was a religion. And all light was tungsten or daylight. Simple. Now, without tweeking every scene and shot, it’s a mess. That’s kinda weird to me. Oh well.

– No ability to apply roles in the event, after an edit has started, and update a sequence with the new roles
Yep. Metadata flow Discipline is a VALUABLE skill to learn in X. I will not argue that at all.

– Lack of roles based audio effects (to act like a track based effect in other NLEs)
Not touching this other than to say editors weened on traditional systems have had what I feel is a quite rationally hard time mentally releasing “tracks” for ever now. I found it easy. Keep your hopes up. ; )

– Sync indicators when detaching audio.
Again, I think about audio differently now. I detach it with great reluctance. I often find ways to not have to. When I DO have to – it’s a big red flag for me and I feel I have aliens running around my storylines hell bent on hurting me later. Oh well.

Michael,

Your points were well described, cogent, and I know they’ll resonate with a LOT of editors.

All I can say is that everything you’re asking for seems to me to fall into a large category of “things I know I want and don’t have.” That’s TOTALLY fair. It’s what a LOT of the X debate has been about. Editors with experience with other programs, wanting those very useful things in X. I get that.

BUT…

I’ve always said the things about X that attract me to is are generally NOT the things that have been part of the canon of NLE language for decades. Those things are nice, but not important. What IS important (to me at least) are the things that have been largely UNIMAGINED to this point. X had a major dusting of that when it was released. I want more of THAT.

As EXCELLENT as your list is, I think it’s perhaps, kinda that. Great “wants,” but nearly all already well known and hoped for.

I remember saying basically. I want Apple to SURPRISE me with things I haven’t dreamed about yet.

Still my hope.

(Well, I do have some ideas about the Voiceover Tool and audio recording workflows in X, because that’s something I do a LOT. Maybe someday I’ll gently poke my friends in Cupertino about that!)

But overall, I want to just keep having what I have right now. A tool that I sit at most days – and at the end of the day – I’ve effectively moved my work really well forward.

Loved the post tho. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Lets do more!

: )

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.