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Off The Tracks review
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[Shane Ross] “Release a MacBook Pro that throttled the processor…only fixing it AFTER huge blowback. “
Seems to me there’s been a “big blowback” EVERY single time Apple released anything at all.
Antenna Gate
Trashcan MacPro Gate
Headphone Jack is Gone Gate.
Overheating Gate
Laptop Too Thin Gate
Screwed up Color Correction Gate
EOLed My Favorite Program you Swine Gate
Touchbar SUCKS Gate.
And on and on and on…It’s a wonder they make any money at all.
OR.
As I’ve noted since 2011 when FCP X moved out of boxes and on-line – it’s simply an era where hardware is virtualized for testing and then iterates generation by generation as thebindustry developes – but software is ALWAYS an evolving work in progress – so when functional flaws get discovered when the stuff finally gets its real-world shake out – they get addressed.
And THAT is simply the new normal we all live in.
I bought my Wife a 12” Macbook two years ago – cuz she wanted something basic and super lightweight to carry on location in her shoulder bag. It was an odd compendium of weird design decisions that were worthy of head scratching wonder. I thought at the time that since it was fanless and totally silent -when she was done with it – I might make it a purpose dedicated VO recording hub. And that it’s fanless design might let me record at my desk without messing with soundproofing.
That didn’t work out.
BUT, looking back she got two years of solid general computing service out of it and toted it onto sets where it helped her earn at least 20 times its cost.
So was that machine a success or a failure in that context?
I suppose It depends on what you’re looking for.
And so it goes.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Bill Davis] “I bought my Wife a 12” Macbook two years ago – cuz she wanted something basic and super lightweight to carry on location in her shoulder bag…. looking back she got two years of solid general computing service out of it and toted it onto sets where it helped her earn at least 20 times its cost.
So was that machine a success or a failure in that context?”
Success. MacBook…MacBook Air. PERFECT for her and many others. This is why there are different models. MacBooks and Airs for one purpose, MacBook Pros for another. One that demands more processing power, better GPU, so better fans and cooling. Don’t tell me that you don’t understand this…I know you do. We ate pizza together. because you also said…. “I suppose It depends on what you’re looking for.” EXACTLY!! I would like a Mac Laptop for professional video toolsets…thus I need a fast processor, good GPU, non-throttled…good cooling. Bulk doesn’t matter to me, I prefer it be bulkier to accommodate that.
If people want slim and cool…HEY, they have that with the MacBook and Air. TWO OPTIONS! So give us professionals one option. Too much to ask? Apparently so. They make more money from consumers than professionals. GOBS MORE. Why do I like Avid and Adobe over Apple? Because professional video and audio and graphics is their MAIN FOCUS.
[Bill Davis] “It’s a wonder they make any money at all.”
Because they cater to the majority of their customers…as I stated before. Consumers…who will buy their products despite all this, and one big DRIVING factor is…”cool factor.”
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I reckon this thread has totally gone “off the track”. Hardly unusual if we are too quick to line up behind our partisan flags. Hardly a debate though, just nay-saying.
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[Shane Ross] “I would like a Mac Laptop for professional video toolsets…thus I need a fast processor, good GPU, non-throttled…good cooling. Bulk doesn’t matter to me, I prefer it be bulkier to accommodate that.
“But Shane, that’s EXACTLY what I have and it serves my needs as a Professional Video Producer perfectly. The only difference might be that I rely on a well coded, optimized piece of editing software that doesn’t cause my workflow to choke. I can work with 2K and 4K right now including LOG and ProRes RAW without my laptop missing a beat.
I TOTALLY get that some editors want to cut with AVID or Premier. But it appears that the main problem is that THOSE programs are simply NOT currently powerful enough or optimized enough for Apple Hardware – the same way FCP X currently IS.
SO you’re saying that it’s APPLES requirement to NOT do what they want to do (which is offer solutions that are TUNED to the hardware and software choices they own) and manage to satisfy some of the most demanding users on the planet – in order to accommodate users of OTHER software solutions that they have absolutely no control over?
That makes no sense.
Davinci Makes a track based editing program that handles video perfectly well on current Macs including Laptops. I’d merely ask you why can’t AVID and Adobe do the same?
The answer appears to be that their business model simply doesn’t allow them to do what Apple did and jettison the old stuff and re-create their software to run more efficiently on a more modern hardware and code foundation.
How is that Apple’s fault?
Apple has acknowledged publicly that they are planning for a new (presumably) flame thrower desktop unit.
Their laptops ALREADY approach desktop computational performance. (Hell, I understand even their PHONES, and iPads have managed THAT in terms of pure computational speed!)
So at some point, doesn’t the problem get down to those other NLE software vendors NOT keeping up with THEIR customers needs – rather than it being something to blame Apple for?
Maybe I’m wrong. I’m NOT a hardware guy. But chasing fatter, more power hungry, more horsepower originated hardware might NOT be the ONLY way to get higher speeds. It just might be ONE of the PC industries favored processes.
Heck, maybe we can take a hint from boating. It’s not boat with the largest engine that always goes fastest. If it was, ocean liners would beat everything. It’s the boat that matches a bunch of fluid dynamics, weight to power ratios, hull strength and OPTIMIZED everything – not just ONE thing – that gets those trophies.
Maybe there’s a lesson there.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Bill Davis] “I TOTALLY get that some editors want to cut with AVID or Premier. But it appears that the main problem is that THOSE programs are simply NOT currently powerful enough or optimized enough for Apple Hardware – the same way FCP X currently IS.”
Shows that Apple doesn’t care about any other editing professionals OTHER than the ones who use Apple products. “Hey, it works with OUR software…there must be something wrong with yours.” Closing the ecosystem even more. Nice.
[Bill Davis] “SO you’re saying that it’s APPLES requirement to NOT do what they want to do (which is offer solutions that are TUNED to the hardware and software choices they own) and manage to satisfy some of the most demanding users on the planet – in order to accommodate users of OTHER software solutions that they have absolutely no control over?”
Used to be a time when they made hardware for ALL creative professionals…not just those who use their stuff. We can see that more and more they are only caring about themselves, and not their userbase. Which is, I guess, perfectly capitalistic of them, so makes business sense. But can you now see why many of us who used to be served by Apple, and who now are in that group that Apple could give two shits about, feel a little miffed?
[Bill Davis] “Davinci Makes a track based editing program that handles video perfectly well on current Macs including Laptops. I’d merely ask you why can’t AVID and Adobe do the same?”
Guess you haven’t been using Resolve enough. Yeah, it works, with certain codecs, editing codecs. Throw H.264 at it…10-bit H.264? Maybe Red Raw 4K…and it’ll start to choke. Add two spendy GPUs to it, and it’ll do better.
[Bill Davis] “So at some point, doesn’t the problem get down to those other NLE software vendors NOT keeping up with THEIR customers needs – rather than it being something to blame Apple for?”
Nope. Avid is keeping well in tune with our needs, thank you. But making hardware that’s not ideal for quite a few workflows, thus turning many to PCs…sadly…because Windows still sucks.
Anyway…OFF THE TRACKS was, IMHO, an independent marketing film made for Apple by Apple fans. I know docs need to have a perspective. This one just seemed like a large marketing piece.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Bill Davis] “I’d merely ask you why can’t AVID and Adobe do the same? “
Actually they can. ProRes 4K 4444 or HQ is certainly better under FCPX, but the others can handle it. OTOH, DNxHD/HR or AVC-Intra codecs are better with Premiere or Media Composer than with FCPX.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com
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[Bill Davis] “Davinci Makes a track based editing program that handles video perfectly well on current Macs including Laptops. I’d merely ask you why can’t AVID and Adobe do the same? “
Im curious what makes you think Adobe and Avid don’t work well on Macs? Kind of weird since Davinci notoriously takes significant more juice to run smooth than either of the two apps you mentioned?
Especially quirky statement as I can safely assume you have no first hand experience with either one, especially not in the last 7 years.
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[Shane Ross] “Shows that Apple doesn’t care about any other editing professionals OTHER than the ones who use Apple products. “Hey, it works with OUR software…there must be something wrong with yours.” Closing the ecosystem even more. Nice.
“Well…
In what way does Adobe or AVID “care about editing professionals OTHER than” the ones that use THEIR products?
How is Adobe, with their once you start in Premiere, you MUST keep renting our software to make use of any of your prior effort – ANY different? Nor should it be. It’s their playground. Walling it off is a smart business decision. Shouldn’t that work all ways? AVID will allow what improves AVID. If that includes Cineform but does NOT include ProResRAW – so be it. Business moves on.[Shane Ross] “Nope. Avid is keeping well in tune with our needs, thank you. But making hardware that’s not ideal for quite a few workflows, thus turning many to PCs…sadly…because Windows still sucks.”
Well, then at least THAT apparently isn’t Apples fault! ; )
[Shane Ross] “Anyway…OFF THE TRACKS was, IMHO, an independent marketing film made for Apple by Apple fans. I know docs need to have a perspective. This one just seemed like a large marketing piece.”
THIS I can speak to.
Made FOR Apple? No in any way, shape or form. Utterly NO WAY.
OFF THE TRACKS was made by ONE guy who was sitting in Utah and had an idea for a story that interested him. Period. It started as a purely personal labor of love and grew organically from there.
At the Creative Summit where he shot most of the initial interviews, it was a sleepy Brad by himself with a BlackMagic Production Camera, one lav mic and one light in the corner. The very definition of low budget, personal film making.
As he bootstrapped it and met more and more people in the X community, he CONVINCED lots of folks of his seriousness, but outside of a few mostly EX Apple guys who late in the process helped him connect with interesting players who were there in the early days (Ubillos, Cerf, some of the folks in Europe, etc), this was HIS deal from day one.
And Apple (while I’m SURE they were quite aware of what was happening, cuz I spotted a few in the early screenings) I know from talking personally with Brad that Apple did not editorially touch anything before, during or after.
I got to know Brad pretty well during the process. He would occasionally ask my opinion about things at the screenings and the ONLY advice I ever gave him was simply “this is YOUR story – don’t listen to ANYONE who tries to tell you how to do it, myself included. Trust your gut and tell it the way YOU want to.” And at every turn, that’s exactly what I saw him do. Just Brad, working, learning and putting what HE found interesting on the screen.
Period.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Bill Davis] “Made FOR Apple? No in any way, shape or form. Utterly NO WAY.”
No, it wasn’t funded by Apple or sanctioned by them. That’s not what I meant. it’s like…a “love letter” to Apple about FCP-X.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Bill Davis] “OFF THE TRACKS was made by ONE guy who was sitting in Utah and had an idea for a story that interested him. Period. It started as a purely personal labor of love and grew organically from there. “
Bill it makes perfect sense why you’d be a strong advocate for the film since you’re in it and the film is mainly focused on the theme that FCPX is a revolutionary piece of software that’s simplifying and democratizing the industry.
I salute Brad for getting his idea from a story that interested him to a finished film that can be rented online. I’ve worked on several docs and I know that each and every doc is a herculean task to get made.
I also like FCPX. I had initial issues with the program but the few projects that I’ve worked on in FCPX have left me with a strong liking for the program and the architecture of it.
But I also think the criticism that has been raised in this thread about the film just being a glorified marketing piece is valid. The biggest failure of the film is it’s lack of a diversity of industry perspective. I don’t know if this was a matter of not being able to get access to Adobe or Avid team members to interview or if Brad really just wanted to stay insular to the FCPX world. To not have any post facility owners talking about the complications of signing onto FCPX and how that decision might affect their bottom line is a glaring omission. The film oversimplifies the myriad of reasons why many professionals jumped ship and went to Premiere and to a lesser extent Avid.
The film also suffers from having a lack of actual diversity. It’s nearly wall to wall white males. I’d also argue that a cut-down version of this film (20-30 mins) could get a lot more people to watch it.
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