The Paradigm of the App Store

[Andrew Richards]

[Walter Soyka] “Andrew, I think I am coming across as way more argumentative with you than I really mean to be, and I apologize for that. I agree with your general point that all this is coming, but suggesting that interchange is a problem that’s totally solved today isn’t accurate. Soon — but not now.”

No worries. Soon, very soon. My main point was that Apple held up their end of the bargain by rolling out XML interchange and by including some high-profile partners for early access so they could add the functionality to their apps very soon after FCPX could print out its XML.

[Walter Soyka] “I like Craig and Tim’s suggestion of “Industry Trends.” I’d love to see this level of interest and debate broaden significantly. I’ve learned a ton here.”

“Industry Trends” would be a lot less combative, wouldn’t it? We certainly live in disruptive times. It dovetails with the Business and Marketing forum too.

Best,
Andy

[Jim Giberti]

“Nicely said” if you think there’s any relevance to Marvin’s guessing. And I mean no slight by that. Marvin seems both intelligent and thoughtful.

But I think that broad, sweeping assumptions are fun to write and read but have little value in making real decisions…sort of like what’s wrong with politics in general.

Personally I prefer the glass half full/half empty view.

Right now there’s good reason for the disenchanted to be disenchanted and the hopeful to be hopeful.

You can see Apple’s moves as part of a strategy being implemented on schedule or action in response to criticism. I’d expect that the latter is part of the former (exchanging “criticism” with “feedback”)

The knee jerk criticisms are as predictable as are the knee jerk defenses.

I like the middle road.
Apple is obviously a smart company – all the intelligent folks here have decided to build businesses with their inventions.
Apple is imperfect and capable of bone-headed decisions and obviously horrid communication at times.
All the smart people here have experience with other programs and their initial shortcomings and growth pains.

To me, today, given my similar experience, it appears that Apple is on a good course with X not a stupid and reckless course.

Note that I didn’t say “brilliant” or “visionary”, I said “good”.

I’ve been wrestling with the X decision like a lot of other business owners.
Things are progressing in that regard, obviously not fast enough for many but time (and nothing else) will tell.

[Chris Harlan]

[Andrew Richards] ” It is just so far, so good. “

Agreed.

[Andrew Richards] “As I look through the lens of the last shop I worked at, the next rev will deliver everything needed to tick all the requirements boxes for their workflow.”

You may very well be right about that. In fact, given the pressure caused by the outcry, I’d say you probably are right about that, but I’m sure you can understand the skepticism since none of these things were part of the initial release, and many of the step forward appear to people as workarounds or bandaids. I think Roles is an interesting idea that, despite its cleverness, screams “afterthought.”

Now, I freely admit that interesting and even eventually essential things are often born in this kind of chaos, which is the main reason I delight in this forum. So, I’m still following along, playing with the software here and there, and if anyone ever publishes and edl export, I might actually use it on a non-time sensitive bit of work to force myself to dig in deeper. I just find it troubling to try to second guess Apple’s intentions. My gut guess is that Apple is having the same problem.

[Andrew Richards]

[Simon Ubsdell] “Surely the fact that Automatic Duck OMF export was something you could buy at the start of this week and now no longer can says quite a lot about how fragile the third party support model actually is – especially since AD is/was about the only third party solution yet available. “

That is the big risk, yes. The caveat I would point out though is that AD had exclusive early access to the hooks for delivering OMF. Essentially a monopoly position, reflected in their price. With FCPXML out there in the wild, anyone with the time and the talent can make an OMF export widget and sell it for whatever they think is fair. Nearly all third party integration depends on that XML capability, so the way things were for the first three months likely won’t be the way things will be moving forward.

Risk is certainly there, but then HP could decide to get out of the PC business, Microsoft could completely reskin Windows, and a tsunami could wipe out SR delivery. Unless we somehow go open-source, we’re always at the mercy of larger forces. Adobe is completely dependent on NVIDIA for CUDA. Apple is completely dependent on Intel for new Xeons to build a new Mac Pro around. Avid is still in the red (though they seem to be slowly clawing their way out). It’s a crazy world out there.

Best,
Andy

[Simon Ubsdell]

[Andrew Richards] “Risk is certainly there, but then HP could decide to get out of the PC business, Microsoft could completely reskin Windows, and a tsunami could wipe out SR delivery.”

Fair point – it sure ain’t a risk-free business … or a risk free world, especially these days.

But for my money Apple are taking easily avoidable risks by getting third parties to take care of really basic stuff like OMF that they could soooooooo easily have built into the app themselves. Why they didn’t is quite simply beyond me. Any ideas?

Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com

[Andrew Richards]

[Chris Harlan] “I’m sure you can understand the skepticism since none of these things were part of the initial release, and many of the step forward appear to people as workarounds or bandaids. I think Roles is an interesting idea that, despite its cleverness, screams “afterthought.” “

I can, and that goes with the territory of shipping a product with holes in it and filling them in as you go. I don’t think Roles are an afterthought though, they were there in 10.0, just with no apparent use. There is a rhyme and reason to a metadata-centic organization, but they shipped that feature half-baked and the casual observer can be forgiven for their skepticism.

Steve Jobs is famous for pushing for a shipping product and then iterating that product over time. They’ve followed that ethos since he came back to Apple in almost everything they’ve done. The saying is, if you wait for it to be done, it is never done.

[Chris Harlan] ” I just find it troubling to try to second guess Apple’s intentions. My gut guess is that Apple is having the same problem.”

I bet there are epic arguments in the halls and meeting rooms in Cupertino daily. May the best idea win!

Best,
Andy

[John-michael Seng-wheeler]

[Andrew Richards] “And why can’t you round trip? FCP X writes and reads FCPXML. “
Currently, Audio levels and a lot of clip settings are not saved. You’ll have a hard time round tripping a nearly finished project.

[Marvin Holdman]

[Andrew Richards] – “How much more communication do you need? Does Randy Ubillos need to host a weekly call-in show? The FAQ said everything they needed to say about the immediate future of FCPX, and then they walked the walk.”

I just find it lacking when I get more information from their products, and a clearer idea of where it might be headed, from you than from Apple. Yes, I think Randy DOES need to host a weekly call-in show. I realize that will probably never happen, but it would certainly be better than broad spin statements from Mr. Townhill.

I have been with Apple a long, long time. I very much understand their “way”, but in this case, I think it would have been a good time to depart from their “way”. You have to admit, Apple shines best when it launches new technology. However, in this case the new technology they are proposing does more than just change the tools, it suggest that we change our work habits to conform to their tools. Not bad, if it were a REAL 1.0 release, but that is part of the problem. They would like their current customers to accept their idea that everything that has been done since FCP1 be thrown out of the window (years of experience and jobs) to make way for this program. Don’t you think that might warrant more than just a FAQ, a splash page and some vague marketing statement?

I appreciate you willingness to provide feedback on this. While I don’t agree with your perspective on all of this, it’s really great to have an intelligent counter-point.

Marvin Holdman
Production Manager
Tourist Network
8317 Front Beach Rd, Suite 23
Panama City Beach, Fl
phone 850-234-2773 ext. 128
cell 850-585-9667
skype username – vidmarv

[Andrew Richards]

[Simon Ubsdell] “But for my money Apple are taking easily avoidable risks by getting third parties to take care of really basic stuff like OMF that they could soooooooo easily have built into the app themselves. Why they didn’t is quite simply beyond me. Any ideas?”

Search me. I’m not convinced they won’t add it back in, especially in response to this AutoDuck puzzlement. I wonder if their (arrogant) attitude is something like “all interchange should be via XML, and all other interchange formats are obsolete.” They aren’t technically wrong that XML provides much more info than an EDL, but as a practical matter that kind of hubris, if real, isn’t doing anyone any favors.

Best,
Andy

[Andrew Richards]

[John-Michael Seng-Wheeler] “Currently, Audio levels and a lot of clip settings are not saved. You’ll have a hard time round tripping a nearly finished project.”

Ah, good point. On the other hand, in my limited experience with round tripping for final sound and picture, we got stems back from Pro Tools, ready to lay in. I just figured once you left FCP for Pro Tools or Resolve, you wouldn’t be coming back for more edits, you’d be coming back to conform output.

Best,
Andy