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One day with Final Cut Pro X and I’m convinced…
In it’s current iteration, I could never use FCP X in a professional environment. I’m not one of the “whiners,” just a facility owner and editor stating a very obvious fact. I’ve been editing with FCP since version 1.25–so 11 years with the software. I know it inside and out. I chose FCP to be the heart and soul of my edit facility, and now I have no idea what to do next.
I think we all have to accept that Apple has effectively abandoned the pro video editing market. I am strongly considering a move to Avid, Premiere, Lightworks, etc. if I plan to continue to make a living through post-production. That much was made clear to me yesterday in a private message I read from a prominent FCP specialist. No names, but trust me, he’s someone who would know.
The biggest problem that I have with the new version of FCP is the negative perception that it has created in the industry. Around 2002-2004, I worked in sales for an Apple Value Added Reseller in L.A. that built and installed FCP systems. I was brought in to sell, install, and most importantly, evangelize the software. I can honestly say that I fought tooth and nail to build respect for the software, not only as a salesperson, but also as an editor, online editor, and colorist.
Back then, we worked closely with Apple, and I noticed that they were very good at promoting their own product. Their reps were extremely well-versed and when a new version would come out there would be tons of demos explaining the new features. They did a great job with their PR and it worked out very well for them (and me)! This time, however, none of that happened. I find it very disconcerting and actually quite upsetting.
Yesterday, I spent eight hours with my pal, “Edit Doctor” Mike Nichols, learning the ins and outs of a program that is buggier than anything I’ve ever used. We struggled and, as expected, were aghast at most of the changes. To be fair, there were some changes that we really liked! Command-6 to go straight to color correction–brilliant! Searching for clips in the timeline and then having the ability to view them or add a color correction to all those clips–WOW, finally! The render engine is leaps and bounds better on SD footage (although, it did strip interlacing from anamorphic DV footage on a 4×3 timeline when exported to QT).
On the flip side, the new color adjustment tool is not so great when looking at a vectorscope to manually balance levels. Lack of a viewer window–nuts. No ability to type in timecode on clips in the “viewer”–crazy nuts. Command-G before adding a fade on a graphic–freaking insane. You can’t mark an in and out on the timeline (only clip-based?)–I’m ready for the madhouse. **Big ol’ disclaimer**: I admit that there is the rather large possibility that I’ve overlooked some features or keystrokes and perhaps there are better ways to do these tasks in FCP X.
That said, FCP 1.25 didn’t crash as much as this, and that was on OS9 and a G4. For the record, I’m using FCP X on a fresh 10.6.8 install on an SSD drive and a Mac Pro 3,1 with 8GB of RAM. Even the effect we all make fun of, the “Ken Burns” effect, crapped out in major ways. Playing a standard text title over DV footage before rendering stuttered and spewed. Strange things are afoot in the timeline, indeed. In FCP 7, I can immediately start making cuts on picture and audio, moving and dragging clips around at my own will. Now, how do I even make 2-frame audio dissolves? I never had a problem keeping anything in sync before, and if clips went out of sync, there is that trusty number with the amount of frames out of sync. Right-click and *poof*… back in sync. I’ve never needed a magnetic timeline, but I can see how it could come in handy with extensive timelines.
Ultimately, I don’t hate that Apple added any of these features. I just wish that they were *options*, not mandates. For me, the “open” timeline in the old FCP is what really made it revolutionary. For me, it solved the bottleneck problems that were inherent to flatbed editing and then adopted in Avid’s timeline. Your sequence is your workspace. Place clips anywhere. It’s up to you–you control what goes where. I’m sure if I knew all of the new version’s intricacies, I’d be pretty fast, but the problem is that Apple never put the time in to giving industry demos before it came out. It was just sort of dropped from the sky with a note that says, “don’t blame us.”
To any FCP X defender (or FCP X hater hater), you have your right to endorse the software. I know I did just that for 11 years because I honestly believed that FCP was a great alternative to Avid. Trust me, I was scoffed at by many an Avid editor and facility engineer for my FCP-geekdom. I never hated Avid; respect from a distance was more like it. I just felt that I could work better and more efficiently in FCP given the workflow of my jobs.
With that, I would love to have an FCP X / FCP 7 shootout. And by that, I mean just a comparison of brass-tacks editing, which includes logging the footage, editing it, and adding a color correction pass with a producer or director sitting behind you. I would want to compare footage on a project that uses timecode intensively, some basic JPG moves, basic lower 3rds–essentially a real world challenge. I’d stay away from comparing any of the special new features and would not consider an output to tape or traditional online part of the shootout. I’m talking about a comparison between basic timeline editing, which I feel is the true heart of the software and what we do as editors. As soon as there are people out there who know the software inside and out, please let me know and let’s do some tests.
If I’m wrong about FCP X then I’ll be happy to take my lumps. If I’m not wrong about it… well, that will be another story. Highlight text graphic, “Sincerely, Michael Garber” on non-connected second storyline layer. Command-G. Command-T. Fade to black.
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20 Replies
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Thanks! 🙂
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Well said. They ripped out the heart, gave us a lump of coal and stuck a pace maker on it and said – you’ll like this better…
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Excellent points!
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Excellent post!
When I read that Randy Ubilos (correct spelling?) had the idea how to organise footage when he came back with his holiday footage sums it up…
2 things I just can’t get my head around:
why did they bother to show up at the NAB supermeet with all execs in tow?
did they really think that in the moment professional editors and post-houses see the whole software nobody would notice…and what is actually the revolutionary thing about FCPx?
so far I only see restrictions (haven’t bought it as I don’t easily spent $300 for something I don’t need) compared the the previous version. And all this metadata talk is just that: talk. If I can only apply keywords and one note to a clip or section thereof I don’t see metadata at work…Cheers
Carsten -
Great perspective without being a hater or promoter. Thanks. I’ve been a bit embarrassed by many of the comments from my fellow editors who’ve been acting like AVID folks when FCP came on the scene and progressed.
Also, I have yet to crash. I installed my FCPX on a MacBook Pro 2009 (one of the last that still had a PC Express slot) on a non-clean drive, right along side FCP 7, editing content pulled from a Panasonic AG-AF100 and a GH1. It’s working quite well. Everyone’s setup is different I guess.
Tangier
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I have crashed once, force quit once, and completely lost all connection to media that wasn’t in the Event folder. That’s just today. BTW, the lost connection to media was not related to a crash or after a crash.
All the best,
Tom
Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop” -
[Carsten Orlt] “why did they bother to show up at the NAB supermeet with all execs in tow?”
This is the whole – emperor has no clothes – thing going on. I think a lot of us built an expectation and feel duped. They unveiled this (to the world of professionals) at an event called the National Association of Broadcasters…
They should have done this as a stand alone Apple only event and while promoting it’s upcoming released features, unveiled the truth of it’s future…
This was a Trojan Horse way of doing things…Bad Apple! Rotted to the core…
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[Jamie Franklin] “They unveiled this (to the world of professionals) at an event called the National Association of Broadcasters …”
So I am a little confused here. I saw the video and read the reports. There was a standing ovation; what was that for? I understand that the room was full of professionals. Really? Were they ‘ovating’ the way the folks on stage presented? Were they ‘ovating’ the quality of the overhead projector?
Well as The Who once wrote “We won’t get fooled again”
Sam Cole
On line Mastering Facility
FCP, Avid, Adobe
Sydney, Australia -
[Sam Cole] “So I am a little confused here. I saw the video and read the reports. There was a standing ovation; what was that for? I understand that the room was full of professionals. Really? Were they ‘ovating’ the way the folks on stage presented? Were they ‘ovating’ the quality of the overhead projector?”
Oh brother…
It really has been like banging your head against a wall here the last couple of days…the cherry picking (just for the sake of arguing) has been astounding…
I’m sure you’ll figure it out…maybe start from the beginning of my post…
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Well Jamie – I understand your post(s).
What I am having trouble coming to terms with is WHY over 1000 professional editors in a room with FCPX as a ‘sneak peek’ would give a ‘standing ovation’ to something that most people NOW say is a ‘consumer product’.
It seems to have brought false hope to many.
Sam Cole
On line Mastering Facility
FCP, Avid, Adobe
Sydney, Australia
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