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FCPX meant for newly rumored iPad HD PRO?
So I was messing around with the Garageband App for the iPad, and I was struck by the similarity of Garageband’s “magnetic” timeline-esque track editing UI to FCPX’s “magnetic timeline”. I don’t know how many of you have played around with Garageband’s app on the iPad, but the flexibility of the touchscreen interface and the ability to literally touch tracks with your fingers and move them around the screen was very intuitive.
Granted, Garageband iPad app is still very elementary and limiting compared to ProTools and Soundtrack Pro (for example, no cross fading and no ability to output anything other than Garageband project files and m4a), it was still a very intuitive process.
I got to thinking of the possibility of editing in this similar touchscreen manner. What if there were iPad-esque touchscreen keyboards that would allow me to load my editing timeline onto a touchscreen interface keyboard, and allow me to edit with the touch of my fingers in the same manner as the Garageband iPad app?
Then I saw this CNN article that talks about a rumor that Apple is going to release an iPad HD Pro version for professional use that would be capable enough to allow video editing and photography:
https://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/07/08/apple.ipad.rumor/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7And when you look at all the ‘dumbed down’ features that FCPX has compared to FCP7, you can’t help but see the possibility that FCPX wasn’t built for Macbook Pros and MacPro towers, but perhaps FCPX was built for a more powerful iPad HD Pro?
The “Magnetic timeline” might be a scourge for professional editors due to the lack of precision, but for a touchscreen interface that requires the broad contact-point of your finger tip versus the pixel-precision of a mouse, the magnetic timeline might actually be more helpful for a touchscreen interface. And the confinement of FCPX program as a single-windowed application might make dual-monitoring difficult on a MacPro tower set-up, but it makes sense on a single-screened, fullscreen app on an iPad.
As a matter of fact, the iPad, like the iPhones – are required to synch and operate via iTunes and the AppStore — which makes sense with FCPX’s Appstore-only downloads and UI that automatically incorporates iTunes. And the toned down features of FCPX as an island software instead of being incorporated into a professional workflow also make sense since Apple’s iOS is walled off intentionally (some argue to improve functionality, others argue so Apple can retain sales through iTunes/Appstore).
Although FCPX on an iPad HD Pro still wouldn’t satisfy the needs of higher-end professionals, I can’t help but wonder how much fun editing might be if I could literally ‘touch’ my edits with my bare fingers…
Link to the CNN article:
https://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/07/08/apple.ipad.rumor/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7 -
16 Replies
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I could see Apple doing this. Watching videos on iPad always made sense. Editing using a tiny screen and your fingers is just stupid! Its fine for maybe home videos or quick views of raw footage.
The only thing that I could see its useful for, is an on set monitor or to show a client things but to editing on it but come on! I have a hard time editing on a 17″ MBP without a second screen.
Our company was really looking forward to replacing our aging Macs but FCPX botched release and Lion as digital download killed us from doing it.
Apple just needs to kill off their computers and be done with the computer market.
Since HP bought Palm they now have rights to BeOS and Webos they could turn one of them into a Windows/OSX replacement if they were smart enough!
For now Windows 7 and Adobe Suite is stable and works with older FCP projects that’s what were switching to. The only thing that we’re going to be using from Apple is an iPad for a Teleprompter!
NIADA
Technical Director -
Did you see the Jobs interview/announcement in the thread below called “where it started with iMovie ’08?”
This makes sense.
Here’s what we know about Jobs and Randy.1) A 5 minute vacation movie is a . . . movie.
2) If it takes more than 30 minutes to make a 5 minute movie, then someone is wasting their time.
3) Editing should be as easy as dragging tracks around with your fingers, since anyone devoted enough to telling stories with camera and sound shouldn’t be burdened with outboard gear and a keyboard. How are all those young budding geniuses going to express themselves otherwise?
Ease is the essence of success, don’tcha know.
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Or you could read about how the genesis of iMovie ’08 was as a logging tool called First Cut.
Best,
Andy -
If (a big IF) FCPX were to come to a yet to be released iPad HD Pro, then it would be a completely dumbed down version of the current iteration of FCPX. This in my humble opinion would be even more useless to some of the other veteran editors than FCPX. So why worry or even discuss a non existent app for a non existent piece of hardware.
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You have interesting observations about Garageband. It’s similar when one also looks at iMovie for the iPad/iPhone/iPod touch in the iTunes App Store and compared it to the iMovie for the desktop in the Mac App Store, there are many similarities in both versions but also many differences, particularly as relate to the different displays the applications are designed to support. I don’t see that having FCP X on an iPad would mean Apple is abandoning the desktop; it’s more mobile on the iPad and that could be used to one’s advantage as has been described elsewhere. And it might only cost $49… who knows?
They would not be a replacement for serious NLE work, but still might be useful even for serious NLE editors and producers I would imagine, especially when it could interface to the desktop version. It certainly would not mean Apple is abandoning the desktop but augmenting how you can work and remain connected to your work wherever you are.
Obviously many people are not afraid of or insulted by the possibilities and if some products on some platforms are not useful for others, that’s fine too. I’m sure you’ve noticed over the years consumer products like Garageband have become increasingly powerful and likely will continue to do so. As mobile processors and graphics ‘cards’ also increase in their speeds and capabilities, it may be quite surprising in a few years to see what can be accomplished as you lie on the couch on your day off from work. Certainly this vision of being connected always is even removing the concept of a day off work—you are still free to leave everything behind and head to the beach with the family, but if inspiration strikes, it could be nice to explore it on your iPad before you return to the office.
Rick Lang
iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB
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For anyone who has had to deal with client selects as time code numbers on paper or rough cuts in which you have to go through to pull burn in timecode numbers from, being able to pull in iMovie projects means it’s now easier to recommend to the client to pull selects and do their rough in iMovie sine we can pull that in directly. First Cut would have a much more complimentary name.
Rather than having animus towards iMovie, we’d have a tool to recommend for client selects and roughs.
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That might work for certain workflows with certain cameras, but iMovie doesn’t have as broad codec support as FCPX and also doesn’t handle timecode (AFAIK). Maybe iMovie will inherit some new features like that via AVFoundation whenever it goes 64 bit (iMovie ’12?).
Best,
Andy -
Already read it.
Just amazed at how much Jobs gushes over it. Watch it again if you missed it the first time. It’s practically the 2nd coming to editing – and it’s iMovie 08.
What’s more is that its very inception was driven by the need to make a “5 minute movie” in 30 minutes. Maybe their idea of a movie is synonymous with iPhoto’s ability to make photo montages that automagically fit the length of a soundtrack.
Not once have I seen anyone from Apple’s upper management express any insight on editing that reflected a deeper awareness of what’s involved in story-telling – other than: one must get rid of the bad stuff and keep the “cool stuff.” -
Scary, no? 8^)
Thanks. Marcus.
Rick Lang
iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB
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[Rick Lang]It certainly would not mean Apple is abandoning the desktop
But it most certainly could mean that. Do you know what Apple’s roadmap is any better than anyone else?
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