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The FCPX Personality Types
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[Aindreas Gallagher] “calling people who take a certain stance ranting youtubers is itself “
My turn! 😉
[Aindreas Gallagher] “the cow took the decision to open the fcp techniques forum specifically to allow the main forum to work itself through the broader issues arising out of what has just happened to FCP.”
But a lot of the posts are not about the broader issues IMHO. I’d like to investigate some of the philosophical underpinnings as well as analyze the marketing mayhem.
Certainly debates over the utility of tracks vs Clip connections is major important if we are to get a handle on this program . . . or decide not the handle it at all.
. . . but too many posts have sunk to “this is cra*p” or “you’re not a pro if you use it” or “Apple is arrogant” and that’s nothing more than venting. That’s not debate IMHO.
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I’m in “wait for the client’s content people to decide stuff” mode on a project so have too much time on my hands today! – my apologies in advance.
Today’s thoughts for anyone who cares.
I recently ran across an odd article that might be peripherally relevant to what this forum is experiencing – so I’m going to bring it up. Feel free to dive out of this if you get bored, it’s long winded – sorry.
On a technical forum I monitor (Ars Technica) one of the editors went to see a new doctor. As he was filling out his medical forms, he came across one that ASSIGNED COPYRIGHT to any of his postings TO THE DOCTOR. – no, NOT just his postings to the doctors web site – but any comment about that doctor on ANY public forum. Complaint on YELP? Copyright to that comment now BELONGS to the doctor and as such, upon the posting of ANY negative comment the doctor can claim copyright violation and have the comment removed.
That’s pretty scary, huh?
That article has a bearing to this discussion,because I came away with a better understanding, (I believe,) that in an increasingly “social” world, a single COMPLAINING customer HAS to be understood to be coming from an unusually ACTIVIST position. And that even the finest doctor WILL have negative public posts – precisely because no-one can satisfy everyone. The key is to understand that negative comments have CONTEXT. And to evaluate them fairly, all of us have to understand that need for context in order to see what they actually mean.
Yes, bad comments CAN mean that a doctor is incompetent. But they can also point to a great doctor that’s given only the toughest cases and therefore has a WORSE cure record than a lesser skilled doctor that is given only patients with easy to handle maladies. Context is everything.
And I think most of this whole ugly forum debate has been a massive exercise in each side mis-understanding the other sides CONTEXT.
I see it as It’s the modern version of the meme that a happy customer will tell a couple of friends, but an unhappy one will tell lots of people. Satisfaction is common and simple. Dis-satisfaction allows us to draw a crowd, rant, and fire the blood. So it’s a temptation.
What makes the characters interesting in entertainment? Acceptance? Or conflict? JK Rowling is passed the Queen of England in wealth in the blink of an historical eye. Why? Because she wrote satisfied characters? Clearly, negativity and conflict is JUCIER and EASIER to put on the screen than calmness and rationality, isn’t it?
Others see the SAME posts I see, and filter them into a world-view where the clueless simply can’t see the massive flaws in the software that they’re staring at. Or perhaps we do see them, but simply contextualize them differently..
Be clear here. I am NOT using this analogy to say that FCP-X is without flaws. That is NOT the point of writing here. It’s to acknowledge that group dynamics are a real force in communications.
And the group dynamic in this forum, nearly from the hour of FCP-X release has been a clear world-view by many that FCP-X is largely an abomination. Make no mistake, that, in itself, is a fair and defensible viewpoint. Just not necessarily an accurate one. And certainly not a PROVEN one at this early stage. It’s JUST an assertion.
But I truly believe that in the public opinion shaping realities of today – the concept that FCP-X is totally bad – is as easy to sell as McDonalds’ hamburgers. But like those hamburgers, the FCP-X product is a market reality, no different than any other commodity. There’s a camp that believes that a McDonalds’ burger is the height of cuisine. And another, equally defensible view that they are the gastronomic equivelent of EVIL. Both views have rationality behind them. It’s food that is consistently safe to eat, and very palatable, and inexpensive, BUT also has contrasting elements that round out the story. It’s not a good choice if you’re watching calories, or fat content, or sodium. In the context of what YOU need, it may be absolutely fine. My rail-thin 18 year old kid can gorge himself at McDonalds and it’s a TOTALLY positive experience. I eat there and the rush of sense-memory delight is replaced with calorie guilt and often the feeling that I need to lie down and take a nap. Same food experience, different CONTEXTS.
The single thing that makes the FCP-X abomination viewpoint MORE suspect to me is that it was largely a REACTIONARY battle cry. It was posted within HOURS (if not minutes) of the release. And when I started with playing around with FCP-X, the very FIRST thing I ran into was that I was NOT going to be able to understand it in a few hours, days, weeks, or possibly months! That was simply no where NEAR enough time to live with and understand such a fundamental change in editing concepts.
Again, FCP X may prove to be everything it’s critics say. It may be a total failure. But if so, I’d prefer it to fail on it’s merits in the market – not to die the death of a thousand cuts inflicted by ignorance. And make no mistake, in the first week we were ALL ignorant of its reality. I personally think that we ALL still are. (I know I certainly am.) I’m just now starting to see a wider spectrum of the more informed opinions. And INFORMED opinions are, I believe, particularly hard to come by here – precisely because this is such a radical departure. When radical departures in music, literature, art, etc have happened in history – one VERY common story is that they are reviled out of the gate – and only after time are they seen as revolutionary. That MAY be happening here – or it absolutely may not. But that process IS an indisputable historical fact. Just ask Igor Stravinsky. The bigger the change, the harder it is for people to digest rapidly.
Some clearly point out FCP-X’s shortcomings. Others concentrate on it’s promise. But now we’re finally starting to get a little sniff of perspective, perhaps the most valuable decision making tool of them all.
I’ve been so busy with paid work that I’ve had to nibble at FCP-X rather than come anywhere near a deep understanding. But I am old and wise enough that when you go out on a new date after years of a stable relationship – the single dumbest thing you can do is spend the entire evening comparing the person across the table to your ex. Understandable? You bet. Human? Totally. But about the worst possible path one can take if they’re hoping to to move on to a new satisfying relationship. (even writing that makes me SO glad I have a strong, ongoing marriage – you couldn’t PAY me enough to ever have to date again!)
Maybe this new FCP-X relationship will, by necessity be a “walk away” for many of you. That’s reasonable, just like in human relationships. Maybe the parties just aren’t ready to commit. But experience does tell me that the only way to uncover the reality of a new relationship is NOT to sit at the dinner table and compare everything in the new person with what you loved about the one thats left you. (and isn’t that one of the stongest sub-plots in this discussion? People feeling “left” by Apple potentially destroying their FCP-7 relationship?)
Most of this debate has been a cavalcade of CLOSED THINKING. And I’m raising my hand here to include myself.
So that’s my promise for my future participation here. Open mind. Low desire to preach. High desire to learn. To the extent I’ve violated that in my posts here, my apologies.
Forward. That’s where I want to go.
For what it’s worth.
“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’Conner
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[Aindreas Gallagher] “Very good post. Why is the ability to slip the connection point interesting?”
When using a Secondary Storyline there’s still one connection to the Primary Storyline. It defaults to the first frame of the first clip that overlaps. It means if you move that Primary Storyline clip the Secondary Storyline clip will follow. If you want it to follow a different clip . . . maybe the last clip in the Primary Storyline you can do that though. It basically means you can chose which clip you want it to maintain sync relationship with.
If a clip overlaps two clips you can chose which one you want it to have a synced relationship with . . . as in I want it to move if I move the second clip and not the first clip for example.
The thing that I also find interesting is that it’s actually tied to a specific frame. Izzy’s tutorial actually points out a problem with that. On the other hand the choice of frame can be a good thing if you’re going to razor blade a clip and want it to follow the 2nd half instead of the first if you’re moving it.
Maybe there’s other uses I’m not thinking of.
Being able to control the clip and the frame on the clip of the connection looks like it can have some interesting uses. . . and it’s a good example of Apple not explaining the potential utility of a new design philosophy. The philosophy being the clips are defined in time by their relationship to each other and not directly to a timing grid. Yes I admit that can have problems too. Izzy’s tutorial is actually a perfect example of the problem.
I think maybe I should throw together a quick tutorial in the near future showing why one might want to change where the clip connection is.
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Mommy took away my beloved sugary CANDY – and put a lame piece of FRUIT in it’s place.
(squalling)
I’ve been MOLESTED!
actually, considering your personal brave willingness to bandy the term “molested” around as you have, perhaps you’d like us to enable you temporary access to the terms “holocaust” and “nazis” for your next FCP-X context posts?
I’m sure none of the grown-ups in the discussion will mind one bit…
“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’Conner
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[Sean Thomas] ” Go to the Premier forum where all the PRO’s hang out.”
Personally I find this and much in your posts to be be denigrating and childish…those qualities that you’re so eager to accuse others of.
David
AllinOneFilms.com -
Yea – I’m just throwing some of the crap back.
You must have missed my 🙂
On most forums that means: joking, funny, tongue in cheek. I’ll do a form search to see what it means here. 🙂
FCP X: Type A
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Bill, a very thoughtful and conciliatory post. I was happy to see it, and I agree with most of it. Thank you for taking the time to put it up.
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[Sean Thomas] ” Go to the Premier forum where all the PRO’s hang out.”
[Sean Thomas] “Yea – I’m just throwing some of the crap back.
You must have missed my :-)”
It seems I missed it for the reason that it wasn’t there.
[Sean Thomas] “n most forums that means: joking, funny, tongue in cheek. I’ll do a form search to see what it means here. :-)”
Apparently you think a smiley masks ‘snide’.
David
AllinOneFilms.com -
Forrest, I disagree. Aindreas’ posts, as well as all the other arguments we are all having, are fundamental. This is a forum, not a website of tutorial links. Forums are about discussion and argument. It should be clear to you that FCP X is quite controversial, and being so, has enabled a mass of passionate debate. I don’t see how any of this passion or debate is dragging anything down. In fact, it is one of the elements that makes the COW the special place it is. You offered Aindreas a metaphor about taking his ball home. I would offer you one involving heat and kitchen.
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The personal paint trades, in my opinion, are really what slows the community down.
They are not necessary. Be angry at Apple or whatever, but please try and keep it a conversation instead of an argument when it comes to talking with each other.
Constructive criticism keeps the conversation going, but there is no team in “f*ck you”.
Cool?
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