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Video Killed the Radio Star
Did you edit pre-NLEs? Did you have hundreds of thousands invested in Movioloas or VTRs? Do you have decades of experience doing things “the old fashioned way?”.
If you answered YES you will likely HATE Final Cut Pro — you know the original one from back in 1999.
Well it’s now a little more than a decade later, things have changed again but the same chorus of complaints are rising yet again.
Sure it feels good to say dismissively that “FCPX is really iMovie Pro.” Turns out to be true, too, because iMovie 8 was originally written to be a lightweight front-end to Final Cut to be called “First Cut”. Apple (probably Jobs) decided it should become the next iteration of iMovie. Howls went up and the old version of iMovie was restored for a while as the current iMovie was refined and improved.
That could happen here, too. Apple might let people buy the FCS3 upgrade a while longer if there is enough outcry. But seriously what’s the point? We are living through a sea change in still/motion imaging and post-production. It is adapt or die time . . . again. “Video Killed the Radio Star” is not just a song title.
I used to be in commercial slide production. We had a really nice business with top (Fortune 500) clients, a staff of 17 and a 4 story brownstone in midtown Manhattan. First GE came out with Genigraphics for $250K, then Autographics (based on an Apple ][e) came at about $30K. We bought the Autographics and suddenly a single operator could perform the tasks of typesetter, proofreader, chartist, mechanical artist and photographer. At the time I said “I feel like a blacksmith watching the first cars roll by.” And then PowerPoint came out meaning that anyone could make their own slide presentations right at their own desks. We sold off that business. That was nearly 30 years ago.
My suggestion is to get over the fact that Apple didn’t do what you wanted — or even think you “needed” — them to do with this new release.
Get over it right now, today. Buy FCPX, learn it and realize that your talent is NOT in how to be a good FCP7 operator, it is in how to cut together a story. Because THAT will be the only thing which will distinguish you from the rise of the talented amateur who will be able to buy and use the same tools you’ll be using but has no background in editing theory or technique, no idea what a “B roll” is (or was or why it is needed), no understanding of the term “jump cut”, no idea who Sergei Eisenstein was or why he’s important, has never seen the famous moon and clouds to cow’s eye cut in “Un Chien Analou” — and never will.
In other words, we are again experiencing what Toffler termed “the shock of the new”. It hits every industry every so often. The pace of change in my lifetime (I’m 60) has only been accelerating and complaining that you can’t do this or that the way you used to do it is like me telling you that I come from the era when “cut and paste” literally meant using an Xacto knife and rubber cement and that I still prefer those tools (I don’t).
Hating change does you no good in the long run. Play to your strengths (or go take advantage of $300 off on Adobe Premiere Pro for FCP switchers), but seriously, don’t waste your time being mad at Apple or Randy Ubillos or Steve Jobs. Final Cut Pro X is Apple’s vision of the future. Given their track record, I’d pay a lot of attention to where they are going.
Seriously, don’t we all have legacy gear hanging around somewhere just in case we might need it? FCP7 is now legacy gear. That is a fact. Keep a working MacPro with a SnowLeopard boot drive and FCS 3 on it just in case, but please don’t keep your eyes — your vision — glued to the rear view mirror, if only because it is not in your best interest to do so.
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Cheers,
Joe -
37 Replies
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no no, we’re not experiencing the shock of the new, we’re experiencing the shock of getting shafted.
X is a tool not fit for professional purpose designed for consumers: it’s shite editing software. telling me to shake it off will not alter the fundamental key problems with this software, those problems exist because they did not code the software for professional use. It IS a 64 bit iMovie. the kid in the youtube video is buying it. That’s apple’s market. My eyes aren’t glued on the rear view mirror, they’re glued to apple’s fat ass, because if I get a chance I am going to bury my boot in it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TISkPbLlb04&feature=player_embedded
http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics -
[Aindreas Gallagher] “X is a tool not fit for professional purpose designed for consumer”
Actually, it transpires that:
a) iMovie ’08 started life as ‘First Cut’, a ‘a professional-level “feeder” app for Final Cut Pro’ (designed to organize footage and provide an efficient interface for rough cuts, to be refined and output from FCP).
b) FCP X is not actually based on the iMovie codebase.
At least if you believe a guy who used to be on the FCP team.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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I find it a little funny that this new technique of editing was originally developed for creating a first (rough) cut, but now they want it to be used for creating a final cut.
I really wish apple offered a classic timeline mode in fcpx(allowing us to open past projects too), because really in FCP7 it was never my technique or paradigm of editing that was limiting the speed of my getting the job done, it was the old 32 bit architecture and slow rendering.
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I read the same article at dvcreator – I’m not talking about who wrote the code for where, I’m talking about functionality – look at FCP7, then look at iMovie, then look at FCPX, if you had to pick a name for FCPX what would you pick – iMovieX or FCPX?
That application is not FCP – its a beefed up iMovie, but all the key methodogy is purely intended for consumer use – the methodology of FCPX is the methodology of iMovie. It is the approach apple have taken when giving video editing capabilities to consumers – greatly simplified, dumbed down operation. That is directly the methodology and approach they have applied to FCPX. It shares almost precisely the GUI and methodology of a piece of software designed by apple for teenagers to use in their bedroom.
That we can’t quite see this yet, is partly because most of us are still in shock at the shafting we’ve just gotten from apple.
It’s not fit for professional use, Apple know that, and they couldn’t give a shite.
I mean, who cares about the craft of professional editing right?here’s to the crazy ones. You assholes Apple.
Famous quote from FDR:
“Randy Ubillos, you malformed buffoon, FCP7 wasn’t a multitrack editor, editing is a multitrack operation, editing software is intended to be an expression of that truth.”http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics -
You’re kind of asking a professional racer to continue winning races with this new car that sports square wooden wheels. Not all innovation is good innovation. I tried iMovie(and I know it’s not FCPX). I didn’t care for the way the timeline worked. In my opinion it’s very clumsy and not very accurate. But that and what I hear and read is all I know about FCPX. What Apple should do is release free time limited demos of the software so that anyone can see for themselves whether they like it or not. Some people like the old FCP, some the new, some Avid, some M100, etc. Are you saying the only worthwhile professionals are the one’s who embrace anything that drops out of the sky that a small indiscriminate group determines is the ‘Holy Grail’? And equipment? Hell, anyone in this business knows nothing lasts forever – or even five years. It’s just changing the way something works for the sake of change that gets a lot of us. If it was that great then you wouldn’t have that many dissenters. You can’t disparage them for not liking the change, especially when the change hinders, or cripples their work environment.
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They took away our toolbox.
I could probably build a house with a hammer, a pair of pliers and a screwdriver but it will take a very long time and it won’t be a very good house in the end.
That’s what it’s like.E=MC2+/-2db
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[Aindreas Gallagher] “all the key methodogy is purely intended for consumer use – the methodology of FCPX is the methodology of iMovie. It is the approach apple have taken when giving video editing capabilities to consumers – greatly simplified, dumbed down operation”
These things are not objective statements, and you’ve demonstrated a couple of times now that you aren’t really familiar enough with the new UI to make (meaningful) sweeping judgements about its capabilities. The UI is significantly deeper than it looks at first glance. I’ve seen people complaining there’s no keyframe editor. There is. People have claimed there’s no way to separate different types of audio clips, because there are no fixed tracks. There is. You seemed to be claiming there was no way to precisely select a portion of a clip in the browser. There is. I’ve seen people claim the look presets were indicative of a consumer app. Guess what? They’re Motion projects; they’re actually demonstrating really powerful FCP/Motion integration.
People need to really sit down with this app, explore everything that it offers, understand its way of doing things, and quit making broad generalizations about it until they’ve done so.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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nono chris I know enough, and I’ve played with it enough to speak on this forum as an invested professional thank you. You take care of your position and I’ll take care of mine.
FCP had assignable tracks, two up display with viewer and canvas, a wealth of import and export abilities, amongst a million other things
iMovie had none of these things because, as a consumer application, none of these things were appropriate, and would only serve to confuse the casual consumer.
FCPX has no assignable tracks, no viewer, crippled import and export, Christ Chris FCPX IS iMovie – stop telling me that there is a world of subtle kung fu under its moron iMovie exterior
Chris – they took away the viewer, not because its a fuddy duddy convention and surplus to professional needs, they took away the viewer because there is no viewer in iMovie, there are no assignable tracks in iMovie there is one track for johnny to play with – well that is what we have now too. they’ve glommed on some second story bullsh*t, but at its core, at its heart it is a 1V 2A edit application – that is what the 50% of post currently holding FCP licenses are supposed to use.
It’s bullsh*t
Famous quote from George Washington:
“Randy Ubillos, you worthless, worthless ass, FCP7 wasn’t a multitrack editor, editing is a multitrack operation, editing software is intended to be an expression of that truth.”http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics -
[Aindreas Gallagher] “FCP had assignable tracks, two up display with viewer and canvas, a wealth of import and export abilities, amongst a million other things”
With the exception of the import/export stuff (where, honestly, the most sensible way to look at things is that we don’t know Apple’s solution yet, because the absence of these features is so complete and conspicuous it’s fairly clear Apple is up to something), you’re focusing on specific interface elements, when what matters is capability. Basically, this is like a Windows user saying OS X is a completely unserious operating system because it lacks a Start menu, and everyone knows that’s how you’re supposed to launch apps.
[Aindreas Gallagher] “at its heart it is a 1V 2A edit application”
It does not have the limitations that description implies.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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yeah but chris – the dediated viewer was capable – the dedicated viewer is very important. When I’m in an edit, and I’ve got a clip and little bit of black, and I hit F and I’m scrolling through that clip and looking at other shots while I’m looking at the last frame of the edit and thinking what will go where and how will it move in relation to the speed of the last shot – that is a key edit operation – it’s not a specific feature – it’s a critical part of the basic mental operation of editing – I would argue that the dedicated viewer, the ability to call up material in conjunction with output, not replacing it is a key part of the mental practise of editing – that that viewer is waiting there to show me things I want to think about – that it is a different thing, than output, similar to my argument for gaps that are true gaps, as opposed to slugs – the knowledge that if you delete the slug things will slam closed on some level affects my perception of control as an editor. Amongst all the other raging complaints – that apple saw fit to throw the viewer out the window is just, I said it before, it’s blackboard fingernail scraping annoying.
Randy Ubillos was an arsehole for thinking he needed to completely reinvent the practise and mental approach to editing. He’s even more of an arsehole for coming to the conclusion that the answer was iMovie.
Famous quote from PT Barnum:
“Randy Ubillos, you day old elephant dung, FCP7 wasn’t a multitrack editor, editing is a multitrack operation, editing software is intended to be an expression of that truth.”http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics
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