The FCP user group that I’ve been going to has changed its name

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Greg Andonian] “Thoughts?”

If change is afoot, why limit to Mac users?

[David Eaks]

My first thought regarding user group name changes was about this video, where Philip Hodgetts interviews Micheal Horton about the beginnings of LAFCPUG. He says dropping the F shouldn’t be a surprise, since the first year of the group they had talked about other NLEs, especially the last five years have not been FCP-centric (just no PCs LOL), and the change had nothing to do with FCPX.

Interview starts at 2:18, name change question at 5:29- https://www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/news/1076-real-time-logging-with-lumberjack-from-intelligent-assistance-demonstrated-at-lacpug

[Chris Harlan]

[Jeremy Garchow] “[Greg Andonian] “Thoughts?”

If change is afoot, why limit to Mac users?

“

One might wonder this, yes.

[Bill Davis]

Here’s the potential issue.

Time is precious. I can see the viewpoint of the pro editor who wants to remain familiar with a handfull of NLE programs. For that kind of user, a meeting where you see two or three demos of capabilities on different programs, or OS’s is just fine. But most people with an interest in editing aren’t like that, IMO. They find the tool they prefer, and they want to concentrate their learning on THAT tool. Watching demos of other tools is off-topic for them.

Now a users group can dedicate nights to a tool – Premier night this month, AVID night next month, FCP-X night in two months… But 4 meetings a year just isn’t enough to build sustainable interest, IMO. You miss one meeting on your primary tool and you go 6 months between sessions. Why bother?

IMO, users groups only thrive when the build communities of support around a shared product.

I don’t give San Diego much chance to thrive in the new config unless they re-build a software identity. If their users want that to be another NLE that’s fine. But trying to be a generic “editors group” is folly, IMO, because editing is seldom generic, it’s applying a particular tool to a particular problem. And in the Internet era, it’s not like the old days where the users group is where the expertise is concentrated. Today that’s in places like this, accessible to anyone.

I could be wrong – but I don’t think so about this.

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[James Daugherty]

I changed the name to SDMVPUG (San Diego Mac Video Production User Group) so that the meeting could encompass more solutions (i.e. Adobe, AVID, Autodesk, BlackMagic, etc.). The MAC part is because we are a SIG (special interest group) of the SDMUG.org who is the non-profit with the insurance rider.

FCPX is not a pro tool and the people who use it are not as obsessed as professionals at mastering their tools. That makes for low turnout at meetings. FCPX fun to play with and I use it for ingesting project and doing first pass color correction. That is about what I can use it for. I don’t want to hear from people who say they are using it to edit a 20 million dollar movie. You can use a iphone to shoot a TV series but I won’t.

We used to get 30-40 people at a meeting now we get 10. FCPX is a dud. Larry “The Voice” Jordan is even doing Adobe tutorials. The era of FCP is over. It is now every man for himself.

My last thought is if Apple doesn’t come out with a really good mac pro I will be the King of the Hackintosh’s in San Diego.

I am building one now and it really fast under Windows 7 and even better under 10.8.3. Testing phase to be completed next week.

Now get back to work.

James Daugherty
President
San Diego Mac Video Production User Group.
Formerly the San Diego Final Cut Pro User Group
https://sdmvpug.com

[James Daugherty]

IMO, users groups only thrive when the build communities of support around a shared product.

The problems that editors share are universal to the all the different NLE’s. Editors are not working alone. Audio Editing, Color Correction, Special Effects, everything has issues. The days of the one guys does all is gone you have to be able to work with other people. Everyone expects perfect.

SDMVPUG is going to be about the process and less about what button to push.

Workflows and management are now key to getting the job done. Editors may now be forced to take a shower and talk to people. I don’t know if I can deal with these changes but I am going to give it a try.

James Daugherty
President SDMVPUG.com
San Diego Mac Video Production User Group

[Sandeep Sajeev]

FCPX is not a pro tool and the people who use it are not as obsessed as professionals at mastering their tools.

Ah, the condescension. Always good to pop in to this forum for a quick patronising put down.
Thanks James. I’ll just get back to sucking at my job now.

[Jeremy Garchow]

I think I might have to go delete those spots I completed that are broadcasting nationwide (and the UK) just because they were edited in fcpx.

for shame, my client is going to be pissed!

[Steve Connor]

[James Daugherty] “FCPX is not a pro tool and the people who use it are not as obsessed as professionals at mastering their tools. “

I can think of some other names you could change your user group to…..

Steve Connor

There’s nothing we can’t argue about on the FCPX COW Forum

[Sandeep Sajeev]

Editors are not working alone. Audio Editing, Color Correction, Special Effects, everything has issues. The days of the one guys does all is gone you have to be able to work with other people. Everyone expects perfect.

I’d disagree with this. The offline cuts that I’ve had to deliver have become increasingly sophisticated over the years – it’s no longer acceptable to just cut the story together with some basic sound design and pass it off to the VFX/Sound Guys for more elaborate work. Agency clients expect high quality sound design and quite a bit of VFX work in their offline cuts these days – everything from tracking to roto, paint, some basic set extensions etc. Color appropriate offlines are also the norm in the gigs that I get.

So I appreciate having the Logic filters built into my NLE. I like being able to search my SFX libraries within my NLE without having to open Bin after Bin and all the clicking that follows. While I’m not a big fan of the Color Board, I like the fact that I can use power windows within my NLE without a performance hit, without triggering long render times in a plugin and without duplicating layers etc.

Expectations have changed. An editor who’s still stubbornly ignoring this reality is doing his career a disservice.