Who was The Target For FCP X?

[David Roth weiss]

[Michael Largé] “there are quite a few threads in this forum that convey a strong vibe that if one enjoys FCPX, or even more shocking, prefer it to FCP7, they are not true professionals (since a “real” professional could never utilize such a program).”

I needn’t tell you that any discussion about FCP X is going to be incredibly divisive. Apple took a very long time to bring FCP X to market, and the pent-up demand for the new product was simply outrageous as time ticked down to its expected release.

When it was released, FCP X’s impact on every single person has been both intense and intensely different for all, owing primarily to its huge user base of nearly 2-million users from every walk of life and at every level of experience and expertise. So, it should be no wonder that people on all sides of the debate get fired-up and ready to rumble when they feel their position is being undermined or their level of expertise is being used against them to gain advantage. It cuts bot ways…

Apple has unfortunately managed the entire roll out about as badly as any company could possibly have done it, and whether Mr. Ubillos says so or not, there’s simply no way the company calculated the type or intensity of the reaction they’ve received. There are few genuinely pleased with Apple at this moment on any side of the issues.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.com

Don’t miss my new tutorial: Prepare for a seamless transition to FCP X and OS X Lion
https://library.creativecow.net/weiss_roth_david/FCP-10-MAC-Lion/1

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.

[Dan Hayes]

[Michael Largé] ”
I won’t dispute what you’ve said as I have no reason to, but there are quite a few threads in this forum that convey a strong vibe that if one enjoys FCPX, or even more shocking, prefer it to FCP7, they are not true professionals (since a “real” professional could never utilize such a program).”

I haven’t gotten that vibe can you point to some examples?

[Herb Sevush]

Nothing like a laugh first thing in the morning. Best post of the week.

Thanks.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[David Roth weiss]

[Dan Hayes] “I haven’t gotten that vibe can you point to some examples?
“

Hey Dan, long time no see… A bit of deja vue, no?

Going back a few weeks there were some mean-spirited debates that went back and forth between very experienced editors and those with less experience. Both camps were pretty hot, and neither side could understand why the other was unable appreciate their feelings. It got heated, but it went both ways with some name calling and stereotyping. You know, lots of really mean stuff like less-experienced editors calling pros old fogies, and the old fogies calling the others unprofessional. It was a dreadful sight to behold.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.com

Don’t miss my new tutorial: Prepare for a seamless transition to FCP X and OS X Lion
https://library.creativecow.net/weiss_roth_david/FCP-10-MAC-Lion/1

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.

[David Roth weiss]

q[James Daugherty] “Only 1600+ units sold. They should have sold over 20K by now.”

Selling beta software sight unseen for $300 isn’t really too cool either. Many all over have suggested X should have been a free trial version, and I’m thinking that would have been a wise choice.

Then, yesterday a report from London quoted Apple officials as saying that updates are coming, some of which would be free, with others at “a cost.” That probably won’t thrill too many once that news makes it around the world a few times.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.com

Don’t miss my new tutorial: Prepare for a seamless transition to FCP X and OS X Lion
https://library.creativecow.net/weiss_roth_david/FCP-10-MAC-Lion/1

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.

[Andrew Richards]

[James Daugherty] “Only 1600+ units sold. They should have sold over 20K by now.”

1,600 reviews on the App Store does not equate to units sold. There are no published sales figures that I know of.

Best,
Andy

[David Dobson]

Right, well who really believed they were going to get a professional NLE for $300? Right off the bat you had to spend another $50 for Compressor. So in the end, if the components you need to make the thing work for you come in around $1000, well, that at least will make sense.

As for the tone – as a Premiere editor – that’s all I’ve heard from FCP users for years. If you are editing in Premiere you aren’t a professional editor. Not all of you, but enough real assholes to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Now you are doing it to each other, so I am mostly amused. But I feel your pain too. Adobe hasn’t always been very responsive to users needs. At least CS5 was worth the wait.

[Forrest Burger]

It seems as though this thread has gotten a bit off topic. To answer the question of “who was the target of FCP X? At least to some degree I believe it was people like me, the small independent who has to do it all. I produce, direct, shoot, write, edit, and narrate most of my videos.

I spent many years as a “professional” shooter and editor for network television news, working in Asia and New York. But, I decided to exchange prestige for quality of life and moved back to the Pacific Northwest to raise my family. I now make a fairly good living doing mostly corporate, healthcare and fundraising videos.

Several years ago I saw our industry was beginning to change and decided that I needed to change with it. Most of us small independents need to wear many hats to survive and FCPX, albeit in its somewhat rough form, fits our needs quite well. Because I do a lot of one-man-band shoots, I’ve gone mostly DSLR and FCPX brings in my GH2 footage like a dream.

I don’t have to be an After Effects artist to make fairly decent graphics. The FCPX workflow seems quite a bit faster for the kinds of work I do, which are probably like the majority of videos out there…mainly cuts and dissolves. FCPX lets me concentrate on what makes me a “professional,” simply telling compelling stories that my clients appreciate.

Granted, I don’t normally need XML, OMF support or have to lay off to tape. I really feel post houses that need those. I also feel Apple totally mucked up the roll-out of FCPX.

But, I also ask the question to many of the “professional” editors out there…how could you not see this coming?

I’ve downloaded the trial version of Premier, and I’ll likely check out AVID. But, I like FCPX and can’t wait for most of the bugs to go away and for features to come back and others to be added. I still have FCP7 and will for some time.

There are many of us “professionals” out there who edit at home in shorts and slippers, with a day or two of growth on our face and spend time with our kids. And, like it or now, that business model is growing. I really believe we’re the ones that FCPX is targeted at and I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with that.

Forrest

[Herb Sevush]

Forrest –

As someone who “edit(s) at home in shorts and slippers, with a day or two of growth on our face” but still works on broadcast material I want to say that my problem isn’t that they didn’t target me for FCPX, it’s that first they EOL’d FCP7 without warning, and then they totally misrepresented what they were doing.

Just come out and say – “look, broadcast is a small part of our customer base, we are designing this for one man shops that deliver digitally, maybe you broadcast guys can figure out a way to work with this, if not, go to Adobe or Avid.” That hasn’t been their sales approach, they keep insisting this is a solution for the broadcast and film market. It isn’t.

That doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a great and successful product, nor does it demean those who use it. It just means that I’m going to have to go elsewhere, and because of the EOLing of FCP7, it’s needs to be sooner rather than later.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[Michael Largé]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong section of the thread. I’ve removed it and will repost below.