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Feedback from a new user
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[Bernard Newnham] “Think of it in another context. You want to buy a new car, so you do some test drives. Most have the accelerator pedal on the right, and the manual gears are laid out in an H pattern with first top left. Some company decides it can do better. Their engine is more efficient, the sat nav more up to date – but they’ve also decided to “re-imagime” the car. They tell you that lights (or Flash) are a thing of the past, so they left them out. The accelerator is on the left foot, and the brake is operated by leaning backwards. Oh, and they didn’t bother to put tyres on the wheels, as third parties will supply later. Going to buy that one? Thought not.”
And history has actually given us a car like this, the Ford Edsel. Among other “innovative” ways they re-imagined the automobile, they decided to implement push-botton automatic transmission controls on the steering wheel. Right in the middle, where the horn would usually be, were buttons for Park, Drive, Reverse, etc.., Cool, eh? The only problem was that people would accidentally throw their cars into another gear at high speeds while turning the steering wheel or trying to honk the horn.
FCPX is the Edsel, and I think the magnetic timeline is the push-botton transmission.
Professor, Producer, Editor
and former Apple Employee -
Yes I do think in this case it takes more than a day of playing with it to understand it. And if you don’t truly understand it you can’t properly evaluate it. If you think I’m a thick idiot, read Oliver Peters review where he spent over two weeks and came up with a much better evaluation than “its junk”
https://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/apple-final-cut-pro-x/
Best,
Geoff -
[Geoff Dills] “Yes I do think in this case it takes more than a day of playing with it to understand it. And if you don’t truly understand it you can’t properly evaluate it. If you think I’m a thick idiot, read Oliver Peters review where he spent over two weeks and came up with a much better evaluation than “its junk””
Geoff,
This product works for some, doesn’t work for others, and the two camps will never see eye to on that because they look at this product through entirely different prisms, because they have different needs. There’s no need to take it personally, and there’s probably nothing you can say that will change anyone’s mind. If you like vanilla and the other guy likes chocolate, that’s life. It’s not a matter of time, it’s a matter of taste.
And BTW, for the record, in the review you site, Oliver Peters’ conclusion does not actually support your argument, he concludes as follows:
“FCP X is a tool intended to be easier to use by people who aren’t necessarily full-time editors – meaning event videographers, video journalists, producer/directors who occasionally edit and corporate presentation professionals. These are users who may not exclusively edit for a living, but expect professional results that can’t be achieved with iMovie. Apple has focused on an architectural design for the coming decade with an eye towards people who are just starting out as video professionals and will grow with the product.”
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comDon’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/1POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.
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Exactly what do you think my argument was? That X should work for everyone? Sorry if I made that impression. I merely was annoyed someone who says he is an expert can espouse his credentials and label this “junk” and we’re supposed to take his word based on one day with the software. If he had listed some reasons for his evaluation I probably would have kept my mouth shut.
I agree this is not for everyone. I’ve spent two weeks with X and am still learning it’s in and outs, or lack thereof 🙂
Apple made many dumb moves introducing this, but I’m trying to separate that from what the software is capable of accomplishing. And so far, from the perspective of someone who has learned to operate more edit systems both linear and nonlinear than most everyone on this forum, I find more to like than dislike.Best,
Geoff -
Geoff –
There are many assessments one can make with just an hour or less with a new software package, especially if one is very experienced with that type of software.
If I had been driving a car for ten years, and someone sold me a brand new car that was a new paradigm, and jaw-dropping, then it had the steering wheel in the back seat, the brake pedal and the accelerator pedals reversed, and the windows didn’t open, I’d know pretty quick that it wasn’t for me. There are basic functions that one expects to be carried forth that ensure that the learning curve is minimal, and that key features are kept intact.
In the book, “Universal Principles of Design”, there’s a chapter on just what has happened to the editing world, entitled “Not Invented Here”, and I quote:
“The not invented here syndrome (NIH) is an organizational phenomenon in which groups resist ideas and inputs from external sources, often resulting in subpar performance and redundant effort (i.e., “reinventing the wheel”). Examples abound….
“Long after market feedback and usability research indicated that the optimum number of buttons on a mouse was two, Apple stubbornly refused to change and maintained its one-button mouse design.”
“Four social dynamics underlie NIH: belief that internal capabilities are superior to external capabilities; fear of losing control; desire for credit and status; and signigicant emotional and financial investment in internal initiatives. NIH resulting from a perception of superiority is often pervasive in organizations with a proud legacy of successful innovation; their past successes effectively sabotage their capacity to consider external sources.”
Need I say more?
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
..from the perspective of someone who has learned to operate more edit systems both linear and nonlinear than most everyone on this forum…
Zounds. That’s quite the challenge! I have a feeling their are quite a few of us who can give you a pretty solid run for the money.
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[Joseph W. Bourke] “”The not invented here syndrome (NIH) is an organizational phenomenon in which groups resist ideas and inputs from external sources, often resulting in subpar performance and redundant effort (i.e., “reinventing the wheel”). Examples abound….”
That sums up my impression of Apple in the “Pro” video world. Any time you ask “why doesn’t it do this” you get “but it does this and it’s really cool!” I talked to a couple of their developers over the years and never got a direct answer as to why something perfected in 1985 wasn’t in their software.
I for one applaud Apple’s move into the prosumer market so now I can focus on companies like Autodesk, Avid and Adobe who have an eye on the future but also some interest and awareness of significant and not necessarily obsolete innovations of the past. Maybe “X” will become a force to be reckoned with but I don’t think anytime soon if ever. And if it does I’ll buy it and learn it.
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