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Switched…then switched back?
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What really bugs me is the inconsistency in the development of this software from version to version whereby entire workflows, maybe around importing media or how the event browser works are totally reinvented. These new structures then come with a fresh set of bugs, things that don’t work properly such as trying unsuccessfully to re-link files because the way that the system work has changed. Very similar to Oliver Peters experience.
[Oliver Peters] “I haven’t switched back yet, but pretty much on the verge. The program is still too buggy to be trusted. I’m working on a 10 min. short with X due to the RED workflow. Yesterday, X simply refused to import one set of files. If I created a new event and imported them there, all was good. Just not in the original event for out camera footage.”
So 3 years in and overall FCPX works fine for someone in my position running a small production company producing documentary styled productions to broadcast specifications and drawing on mixed format archives. I think from what I’ve heard that Premiere Pro is probably more advanced than FCP7 used to be but I couldn’t bare going through the retro learning curve to start using it. I never open FCP7 anymore and would have difficult operating it if I did.
[Tim Wilson] “Given how many people haven’t substantially moved AT ALL beyond some experimentation, I’m probably asking this a couple of years to early…or am I?”
In a recent blog Larry Jordan reported that it is still possible to buy new boxed sets of Final Cut Studio and who know it might work really well on these new macs we have all got now.
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[Marcus Moore] “What’s wrong with the white dot? I love that thing! 70% of the time what I want in the inspector is automatically there whiteout having to manually select a clip.”
+1 on this.
I love that white dot. Saves clicks and time. One of my favorite features added.
Another thing that just gets down to style and preference.
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[Marcus Moore] “What’s wrong with the white dot? I love that thing! 70% of the time what I want in the inspector is automatically there whiteout having to manually select a clip. If you need to select something else then you do, but law of averages for me is that it’s saved LOADS of manual selection clicks and mouse moves.
“I can’t wait until a keystroke (like shift up or down) can select a different layer and move the white dot. This would make keyboard selecting layers so much easier.
I already like what X offers in terms of keyboard editing. I can do a whole hell of a lot without touching a mouse/track pad.
If anyone is familiar with Autodesk Smoke, you’d know the white dot has a lot of potential.
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[Mark Dobson] “What really bugs me is the inconsistency in the development of this software from version to version “
Im not sure what you mean? There has been one major change of late.
Before that Events/Projects were barely touched. -
I’ve been wary about suggestions of trying to turn it into a “manual” selection tool; but yes I suppose if you could use a command key to go up or down the stack it would save you having to move your mouse from the keyboard. Though depending on what is it you want to select, let’s say an audio clip 20 layers down, a mouse move and manual selection would be just as efficient.
Sounds like a feature request!
Honestly, after having it since 10.1, I’m STILL training myself that I no longer need to manually select clips to bring them up in the inspector anymore- so most of the inefficiency is still on my part at this point.
What I would like to see is the white dots capabilities expanded. You still need to manually select a clip to do a copy/paste or paste attributes- that’s one I’d like to see.
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So here’s my twopennorth. I’ve decided to become an agnostic editor. It’s easier for me as I tend toward ob doc work, that is largely cuts only. Every once in a while I’ll treat myself to a dissolve.
X – well I really enjoy cutting on it. And directors I’ve worked with, once they’ve got over their initial fear (you mean it’s not an Avid?) love it too – they seem to have much more of a handle on the UI in terms of understanding what I’m doing, and the organisational power seems to mean they have a better handle on the footage. 7, Avid and Premiere all seem very opaque in comparison – their UI’s work against understanding for non-editors.
Avid – now the tool I do most paid work on. And it does work – even though it can be hideously clunky (AMA I’m looking at you…) it seems to have solidity. I can understand how post houses feel comfortable with that. It’s not too bad for my type of editing – the mode and smart tools work well enough and trimming is fine – but I like a more tactile timeline so X and 7 still win here for me. There are still many many things that MC does well, and I can’t see it being replaced anytime soon. But god help me if I have to do any heavy graphics-based work on it – the whole nesting effects thing still brings me out in a cold sweat and I realise how much of a paradigm shift FCPs effects handling was when it launched.
Premiere I’m going to have to learn, if only because quite a few people over here are turning to it as far as in-house units are going, presumably because of no need to ditch hardware. The limited amount I have played with PP7 it was impressive but not immediately slick – but again I don’t have the experience on it to really comment.
FCP7 still ticks many of the boxes – responsive timeline, easily accessible tools – so I still cut on that if I have the choice between that and Avid. It’ll be fine for some time to come for many of the projects I do.
So working across many NLEs seem to be the way of the world for us freelancers, though I have a sneaking suspicion that if they can fix issues around sluggishness and some of the odd UI stuff in X it’s metadata capabilities will turn a few heads towards it in years to come, and with the advent of proper XML support there may be many more using it as a logging/first rough cut tool before moving on to something like Resolve for a polish.
So I do switch, back and forth as the job entails. Where I can I’ll use X – if it’s the right tool for the job – and if not, one of the others will suffice. Aside from the annoyance of muscle memory errors, I don’t find switching that troublesome any more…
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Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes.
Then when you do criticise him, you’ll be a mile away. And have his shoes. -
[Jeremy Garchow] “If anyone is familiar with Autodesk Smoke, you’d know the white dot has a lot of potential.”
It just needs a better name! Smoke’s “Positioner” has a bit more cachet than FCP X’s “white dot.”
SGO Mistika has a similar concept in its timeline, too. Making the playhead work vertically as well as horizontally is smart design.
Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive | RenderBreak [blog] | Profile [LinkedIn] -
[Eric Santiago] “Im not sure what you mean? There has been one major change of late.
Before that Events/Projects were barely touched.”I was referring to the options when importing media between versions10.1 and 10.1.2 – the option to view and set storage locations for each of the libraries using the Library Properties inspector.
I think the the key development in FCPX came with 10.1 when the big division between the Event Library and Project Library was unified.
Don’t get me wrong FCPX has improved exponentially since 2011 when it was a sticky, buggy, awkward piece of software with a lot of potential for those that stuck with it. I had huge difficulties completing edits and not even very complex ones at that.
Generally since 10.1, for me, the spinning ball, force quit, trash preferences workflow has been replaced with a far more stable platform.
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This probably doesn’t count for Tim, but I recently did one **very** small project in PPro. Like a day’s worth. Felt like I was back to using a flip phone after being on a smartphone for years. Just too retro. Stone knives and bearskins.
OK, that was maybe a touch of hyperbole, but really, it did feel like stepping back in time.
“Constituo, ergo sum”
Bob Woodhead / Atlanta
CMX-Quantel-Avid-Premiere-FCPX-AFX-Crayola
“What a long strange trip it’s been….” -
[John Davidson] “End of the day, I think that might be a legacy X thing. After a while you forget you ever did that. At least I did.”
do you not find you miss it? Particularly for audio? asymmetrical dissolves for things like music transitions are pretty seriously important I find, particularly when cutting down a complicated track for a 30″ – you sometimes really need to favour the incoming or outgoing track section in the dissolve to make it effectively blend? Like a matched build section from a later portion of the track – you nearly never want it to keep going after the edit point bar a little bit. A lot of the time for me the dissolve is a matched lead in or out. It’s rarely both?
I just played with it in X – unless I’m missing something really obvious, I don’t see how that dissolve is not near useless for audio?
the fact that there is rolling trim built in by hovering at the top of the dissolve feels pretty weird too? also has anyone tried a rolling trim off the left edge?
your timeline ends up looking like this? Or mine does.https://i.imgur.com/0WIzWdC.png
the only way to get X to snap out of it is to go to another sequence and back. Has that been like that for the last three years? because if so, thats pretty funny.
https://vimeo.com/user1590967/videos http://www.ogallchoir.net promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics
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