Final Cut Pro – is it right?

[Walter Biscardi]

[frank unger] “Am I giving-in to **fit in** like this? If it means dinero, I suspect yes. Or should I stand strong and say I’m content with what I have (a blazing PC that handles anything along with Premiere)? If I insist on Premiere I could loose the opportunity.

Please share your thoughts.”

This is completely your decision. FCP has become an ‘industry standard’ over the past few years. When I first started out folks insisted I use Avid and I said no, I use Media 100. That cost me a lot of work back in the day, but I knew I had the better video quality and the clients who did work with us, noticed that too.

When I switched to FCP after starting this latest company, my business has grown much faster than anything we ever did with the old Media 100 shop. FCP is very accepted worldwide and with Automatic Duck, I can work with Avid projects no problem.

One thing about Premiere, you can export an OMF or AAF that can be opened in FCP. You might want to let those FCP folks know this as you would be able to work with them. Not as elegant as switching to FCP, but it can be done.

But know that if you switch, you better take the time to learn the FCP workflow and how it operates. Don’t expect it to be like Premiere. A lot of it will be, other things won’t.

One thing I’m really tired of on this very forum are folks who switch from Avid and Premiere and then whine that “I used to be able to do this so easily on the other software, why can’t I do it here like that?” Because FCP is different. It does some things really well, it does other things poorly. For most things in FCP there are 100 ways to do it, for other things there is only the Apple way. You will need to accept how FCP works and work around where it diverts from Premiere in how it works.

If you take the time to learn how the software works and adapt your workflow to the software, it’s easy sailing. It took me 2 weeks to get up to speed on Final Cut Pro from Media 100 and about 6 months to really get comfortable with the workflow to the point where I was much faster on FCP after spending 6 years on Media 100.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[Dan Brockett]

As nice as Premier Pro is, it has really only gained maturity as a professional level app in just the past few years. Fairly or unfairly, in the minds of most pros, Premier is still considered an “amateur app”, used mostly by hobbiests, not by professional post houses and editors.

Strangely, FCP has taken years to shake this same false image. I would say that if you want the work, buy a Mac and learn FCP. If you are wealthy or successful enough to not care, don’t.

I know if what I speak. Years ago, I owned an audio post company. We were based upon the PC Soundscape platform, a great tool, but it was on PC (strike one, at least back then in the days of Windoze ME) and it wasn’t Pro Tools (strike two). After years of fighting the uphill battle, I decided that it wasn’t worth it trying to be an evangelist for Soundscape and making excuses for being PC based when almost everyone else at the time was on Mac. Things have changed, but it is a depressing and frustrating thing trying to fight against what all of your clients consider the industry standard. Just a few short years ago, it was AVID and you had to make excuses for using that “Apple FCP” software instead of real system like AVID. Yes, things have changed.

But as far as the Premier thing, you will lose business.

Dan

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[Bob Zelin]

I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in (to cause trouble). You are comfortable with Premier, and you dont’ want to learn FCP, for whatever reason. Guess what, FCP will not be around forever, neither will Premier, neither will AVID (look at Media 100, look at old CMX linear editing). This is the answer – for the REST OF YOUR LIFE, you will have to continue to learn. You will “give in” and learn FCP, and 6 years from now, the next piece of junk will come out, and “they” will say “oh no, we don’t want to edit in FCP, we want you to use XYZ editing system”. Well, guess what, if you want to get paid, you will have to learn it. And not only XYZ, but other stuff, because 4K is coming, and who knows what else. LEARNING is part of being in the technical side of this business (audio, video, graphics, etc.). Those that say “hey, I’m just a creative guy, I don’t need to know how to push all those buttons” will be unemployed soon – unless you are a writer, or own the production company.

Learn FCP, and be prepared to learn other stuff as well – for how long? – FOREVER !

Bob Zelin

[Bob Flood]

hey walter

when i used to use 2 bvu 800’s i could hit a button marked preroll, and the tape would back up 5 seconds before the edit. How Come Final Cut Pro Doesnt Do THat! 🙂

we had the same deal with media 100. we would be like “hey its yuv not rgb” and clients would be like “its not an avid” and we would be like “look how fast i can jump into after effects” and clients would be like “its still not an avid” and when we got d vision and edit it was the same thing.

and frank:

it took me 6 months to get proficienat w FCP, and I know now that when a training course or book or tutorial, of which there are a lot, said “DO it this way”, but the FCP manual said “you can do this” the trainer had tried waht the manual said but it did not work, so the trainer found a workaround
capiche?

once you know FCP’s plus and minuses, its not too bad

“I like video because its so fast!”

Bob Flood
Greer & Associates, Inc.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Bob Flood] “when i used to use 2 bvu 800’s i could hit a button marked preroll, and the tape would back up 5 seconds before the edit. How Come Final Cut Pro Doesnt Do THat! :)”

That’s because you’re looking for the wrong button. Look for “Boat Anchor”, it should be around the middle right of the keyboard………..

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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[Frank Unger]

Thank you for all of the input – I do appreciate it much.

The purpose of my posting was to reaffirm my gut feelings that I should go ahead with FCP.
From what I’m hearing the learning curve won’t be tremendous, but it exists. A studio was promising me some work later this week on FCP, when all I have done is dabbled on the laptop with it. Yikes. Advice = learn FAST.

Frank

[Walter Biscardi]

[frank unger] “Advice = learn FAST.”

Pick up Shane Ross’ Getting Organized in Final Cut Pro. The biggest key to working efficiently in FCP is Project Management. Definitely this DVD should be a part of your library and training.

I learned a LOT from it and I’ve been using the app for many years.

https://store.creativecow.net/p/63/getting_organized_in_final_cut_pro

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!

[David Roth weiss]

[walter biscardi] “Pick up Shane Ross’ Getting Organized in Final Cut Pro. The biggest key to working efficiently in FCP is Project Management. Definitely this DVD should be a part of your library and training.”

However, before studying Shane’s DVD, you absolutely, without fail, must watch Walter’s free tutorial https://library.creativecow.net/articles/biscardi_walter/realtime_sequences.php , which will show you how to start a new project using the proper method (which apparently only 3% of all users ever read in the manual until their third year of doing it all wrong).

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Frank Unger]

Well, it’s come to the critical decision and I must admit I’m a touch worried. Why? Because I’ve been on the Premiere/PC side for many years.

It’s clear beyond a doubt that I would enjoy the transition – and from a mere 15 minutes with FCP on my outdated laptop, I can see the intuitive nature of FCP over Premiere. Some things are thrilling when I discover them.

My apprehension lies with the unknown; will I encounter errors that are entirely new? Will I be able to over come them like I’ve over come PC/Premiere problems?
A quick (and slightly embarrassing) example; a recent trip to the Mac Store showed me that the base model MacPro was showing rendering errors in FCP when adding blurs to HD footage. It said the graphics card was not sufficient for the clip. It’s obvious to me that it needs a professional card, but I haven’t seen errors like this with Premiere. Perhaps I’m accustomed to the lack of intelligence with the system. At least FCP was telling me the problem?

Any calm notions for the transition are greatly appreciated.

(And I’m aware that down-the-line I’ll have to invest in professional hardware upgrades for the video card.)

Frank

[David Roth weiss]

[frank unger] “My apprehension lies with the unknown; will I encounter errors that are entirely new? Will I be able to over come them like I’ve over come PC/Premiere problems?”

Its only natural. You are like everyone else whose ever made a jump from the familiar to something else, and if there’s any comfort consider there are over one million FCP users who made the leap before you. As has been often said, “you have only to fear “fear itself.” We’re here 24/7/365 to help you weather the storm.

BTW, you will see post after post after post all over the Internet about problems, because most people never bother to write about the good stuff… Its just like the news. So, read everything, but take any individual complaint with a grain of salt, as you will find there is an awful lot of “pilot error” and lots of people who never bother to crack the user manual.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.