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Is the name clouding our judgement?
It’s been said a number of times by a number of folks, but would we be trying so hard to make FCP X work for everything, if Apple had, in fact, named it “iMovie Pro”? (I’m not meaning this as a pejorative.) Or if they had released it as an “editing assistant” application? Sort of a good “pre-editor” or maybe even just a “rough cut editor”?
FCP X is a good tool for SOME things, but not all. Because it is called Final Cut Pro, I think a lot of us are trying to MAKE it work, when often it isn’t the right choice. Hence, a lot of frustration. Thoughts?
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
69 Replies
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In other words if Apple didn’t try to pass FCPX for something it is not would it generate as much forum traffic? Discussing FCPX itself, probably. On the other hand issues like “Where the hell is FCP8?” and “Do I go Avid or Adobe?” would surely make up for it.
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[Oliver Peters] “Or if they had released it as an “editing assistant” application? Sort of a good “pre-editor” or maybe even just a “rough cut editor”?”
Why would they have done that? for a lot of us it’s a full featured editor, better in most ways than FC7. I get that there’s stuff missing for the heavy lifters out there but not everyone needs those things.
I get what you are saying though, it might have taken the edge off if to had a different name
Steve Connor
“FCPX Agitator”
Adrenalin Television -
Good point…. the entire roll out was OTT, and not in a good way – the name iMoviePro has really stuck, even with agency creative directors who would be a perfect target market will not be caught dead with it – it’s just so vastly uncool a thing to admit to haveing installed.
Given Steve Bayes background and the pre-release hype – i was thinking it might give DS & Smack a run for their money. The glowing quotes from TrailerPark is a prime example of this…
But the lost source code for Shake & Color did not re-appear, and with that loss, goes the hopes for a powerhouse FCX, and yea the OTT hype and FCX name are not helping much.Oh well
They got my $300… and it’s been worth the minimal cost – if only to be able to tell my clients to stay far away for now with – some real world iMoviePro chops in my back pocket as proof.
As a side note, every single client of mine who were on FC7 last year are now on PP or MC, maybe 30-40% of the projects i finished last year were cut on FC7, it’s now zero, and looking ahead no projects i’m finishing up to the end of the year are on either FC7 or iMoviePro
Will wait and see what 2013 brings
Dermot
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Hi Oliver
As a senior FCP user I expected Apple to improve a very nice and professional tool (FCP7) instead of bringing something completely different (FCP X). Means recoding and some GUI redesign.
Keeping the proven concept and tool and, maybe, in parallel publishing something else: iMovie Pro for all the people always looking for something new. Would have been the much better way for most of us, including Apple’s reputation within the video pro community.
A soon as iMovie Pro would have reached a certain quality, we could have jumped to the other ship, leaving nice but older FCP7 behind…
Will Apple ever learn how to treat pros?Roland
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Science journalist, cameraman, video editor. 30 years of science communication for Swiss National TV. Awarded Prix Media by Swiss Academy of Science. Nominee Descartes Prize for Science Communication European Union.
> Mac Pro 8 core, MacBook Pro. AJA ioHD. FCP 7. -
would we be trying so hard to make FCP X work for everything, if Apple had, in fact, named it “iMovie Pro”?
A rose by any other name is still a rose.
Either a new product iMovie Pro or perhaps a more fitting upgrade to Final Cut Express would still generate a lot of questions albeit less initial anger or frustration from many FCP7 professionals. The other posts to the topic are correct in my opinion. Things would be calm until version 10.0.3 when all hell would break loose that Apple was providing more capable tools to Express users than the pros! Given FCP7 saw no more updates, many would be apoplectic! By then it would be obvious that Apple had forsaken FCP.
Certainly it would seem the pros would be forced to look elsewhere without a glimmer of hope for something thrown their way. The path Apple took however likely does give assurance to the pros that the FCPX product is intended for them and will be improved going forward. As has been documented, FCPX has had many problems beginning with the launch strategy and timing and the retirement of FCP7 when obviously FCPX was not a replacement for all FCP7 users. In spite of the rough start, the pros now have a direction and a choice to make between Apple and other vendors. With iMovie Pro or FC Express X, Apple would not be in the pro game at all in the minds of most.
Rick Lang
iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB
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I think the main mistake they made was putting some of the new cool tools (like the precession tool) in Imovie first.
They rebuilt imovie and made it stronger before they rebuilt fcp.
Then when people saw X after Imovie they just said imovie pro.
Apple had the order wrong.
It had no effect on me, because I hadn’t seen imovie for years, I just saw a faster 64 bit program with cool new tools.
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Naw.
At first I thought of it as Final Cut Pro Ex
then as Final Cut X
Now I think of it as Final Cut Pro Eventually
It’s getting better and better, and little by little everything is starting to line up.
It’s been enough for me to start using it with 10.0.0, and never stop.
It’s only getting better.I think they should have labelled it as a beta, just like the external monitor function.
They should have NEVER taken FCS3 off the market, and still shouldn’t, as long as it’s still selling any copies at all.In fact, I think they should either severly discount FCS3, or give it away for free with the purchase of FCPX.
Meanwhile I’m going to continue to exercise my Q, W, E and D fingers with great delight, and look forward to the next release.
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Don’t live your life in a secondary storyline.Mark Morache
FCPX/FCP7/Xpri/Avid
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com -
[Steve Connor] “for a lot of us it’s a full featured editor, better in most ways than FC7.”
With his “age related” shortcomings, FC was a full feature editor no just for a lot of us but almost for everybody.[Steve Connor] “I get that there’s stuff missing for the heavy lifters out there but not everyone needs those things.”
For me Is not about “heavy lifters”, I’m not one of them.
What I don’t like in FCPX Is the lack of intuitiveness and the lack of a GUI where I can see every single element of my editing at a glance and move it in time and space at my will.
rafael -
[Oliver Peters] “if Apple had, in fact, named it “iMovie Pro”? (I’m not meaning this as a pejorative.) Or if they had released it as an “editing assistant” application? Sort of a good “pre-editor” or maybe even just a “rough cut editor”?”
Sure there are still a lot of shortcomings with this software and the launch was similar to that of the Titanic, however with each update more editors are taking a second look.
The fact that the interface looked similar to iMovie, that many actually called it “iMovie Pro” alone will have ensured that many ‘pro’ editors would not be seen dead operating FCPX.
Image and association are powerful drivers in life and FCPX has been well tarred and feathered. However beneath it’s tarnished exterior there is a lot to be said for this new kid on the block.
Give it more than a cursory glance, spend time with it on real projects, look beyond the magnetic debate and many would be reluctant to return to the more conventional editing packages.
I’m 7 months in now and, whilst I sometimes howl with frustration at the lack of maturity that FCPX frequently displays, I’m confident that this much more than an ‘editing assistant’ and Apple for all its faults are starting to open up as witnessed by the recent access to 10.0.3 release that has resulted in 7toX.
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[dermot shane] “Good point…. the entire roll out was OTT, and not in a good way – the name iMoviePro has really stuck, even with agency creative directors who would be a perfect target market will not be caught dead with it – it’s just so vastly uncool a thing to admit to haveing installed.”
Actually, I think looking back from where I am today, I think the big hue and cry was the very BEST part of the rollout.
Every day I’m more and more delighted that it’s being largely dismissed by lots of people who are so busy that they have no time to really learn what’s actually underneath the hood.
Because that’s giving me precious time to build expertise. Each editor who dismisses it makes my skill set slightly more rare.
If X evolves as I suspect it will, I have a nice head start. And every passing month, it appears that it’s growing quite nicely, thank you.
I find that very comforting.
“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Connor
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