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In-Action Story on FCPX and Focus
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[Oliver Peters] “The biggest benefits touted in the article are not really FCP X, but rather in using a native workflow”
Well, except for the whole bit about searchable metadata and smart collections to grab clips based on script supervisor info.
Andy
https://plus.google.com/u/0/107277729326633563425/videos
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[Andy Neil] “Well, except for the whole bit about searchable metadata and smart collections to grab clips based on script supervisor info.”
Well, that saves time for the assistant, but not necessarily the editor nor the overall post schedule. Remember that these solutions are a way of giving FCP X what Avid editors have when they use script-based editing (aka ScriptSync). Searchable metadata has existed in Avid and FCP “legacy” for years and years.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Well, that saves time for the assistant, but not necessarily the editor nor the overall post schedule.”
I don’t see how that doesn’t qualify as a benefit. Also, time savings is time savings, and I completely disagree on it not saving time for the editor. If you have detailed smart collections and regular collections of clips that fit the way the editor works, of course it will save the editor time. A big difference is how smart collections don’t require clip moving or duplication like they do in Avid; they’re sorted automatically. And a single clip can appear in multiple places without duplication simple by how the collections are sorting things.
[Oliver Peters] “Remember that these solutions are a way of giving FCP X what Avid editors have when they use script-based editing (aka ScriptSync)”
I don’t think they’re the same thing or even trying to be. ScriptSync is a very specific use and FCPX doesn’t have anything like that. But then again, you have to purchase ScriptSync so it’s not like it’s a part of the base Avid software. And ScriptSync also has a great deal of set up involved. It’s magic when it gets to me, but I do realize that AEs put in a lot of work getting the clips synched to the scripts.
My issue was that, despite this being a puff piece, there were legitimate FCPX features being touted that are beyond the scope of Avid and Premiere. It wasn’t all about native workflow.
Andy
https://plus.google.com/u/0/107277729326633563425/videos
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[Andy Neil] “But then again, you have to purchase ScriptSync so it’s not like it’s a part of the base Avid software. And ScriptSync also has a great deal of set up involved. It’s magic when it gets to me, but I do realize that AEs put in a lot of work getting the clips synched to the scripts”
Yes and no. Script based editing (seeing a lined script as text in a bin with linked clips) is part of Media Composer. The purchased option (currently not available with 8.3 due to contract talks) is the automated alignment of clips based on the audio track. And yes, I agree it takes a lot of assistant time.
Whether of not smart collections and keyword collection are faster than moving clips to bins really boils down to personal preferences. I’ve seen some pretty wacky workflows that people develop because of how they like to work or not.
I agree that time savings is time savings. My point about time is that the overall workflow was more affected by native media and associated workflows than the speed of the editorial side. Most feature films involve an awful lot of media wrangling to support an offline/online style of working.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Andy Neil] “It wasn’t all about native workflow.”
Indeed.
It’s right up front in the article
“Sustaining complex misdirection required an editing tool that was just the opposite — clear, straightforward, and accessible enough that the directors could edit footage along with lead editor Jan Kovac.”
Translation? The director found X so user friendly he could cut right along side the lead editor.
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[tony west] “It’s right up front in the article”
Seriously? This is an Apple marketing piece. C’mon.
[tony west] “Translation? The director found X so user friendly he could cut right along side the lead editor.”
I don’t doubt that for a moment. It’s part of the reason they were able to convince the studio to do this (as well as considerable testing). However, there are plenty of films being co-edited by directors using Media Composer, Premiere and/or FCP legacy. I’m sure these directors all find their choice to be user friendly. So what’s the point?
Examples: Jim Cameron, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, the Coens.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Seriously? This is an Apple marketing piece. C’mon.”
What it is, is reality slapping you upside your head ; )
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Also from the first page: ” It needed to be fast so they could experiment with scores of alternate takes. It had to be flexible so they could easily move between cutting on Mac Pro in the edit suite and working with MacBook Pro on location. And it had to be robust enough to reliably organize and process 2K Apple ProRes 4444 footage from production through multiple stages of post.”
I would point out that the first part is the very essence of feature films editing. Together with the rest of it, every modern NLE can do the same.
Look, I’m not trying to take away from the accomplishment. I’m merely trying to tamp down the irrational exuberance. That article was written for mass consumption and people in the business should be able to take off the rose-colored glasses.
BTW – did you miss the last part? That grading and finishing was done on Quantel Rio at Light Iron. Not your average desktop system.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[tony west] “What it is, is reality slapping you upside your head ; )”
Don’t make me laugh. I was cutting a feature film in FCP X two years ago. I just delivered a different film to theatrical release (which I didn’t cut) that was done with native ProRes 4444 Alexa media in FCP 7. I think I have a pretty good handle on reality.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Look, I’m not trying to take away from the accomplishment. I’m merely trying to tamp down the irrational exuberance. That article was written for mass consumption and people in the business should be able to take off the rose-colored glasses.”
To me all of the marketing testimonials put out by companies (be it Apple, Avid, Adobe, etc.,) are too saccharine to read. Same with any company road shows or demos. It’s the company trying to sell their products so of course everything is going to be awesome if you use their product and horrible if you don’t.
I find reading stories here on the COW (or even Bill’s favorite site, FCP.co 😉 ) tend to be much more revealing to how things actually work (or don’t work).
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