[Bill Davis]

OMG, Jeremy, how did you find this gem!

That “for Andreas” link was astonishing, It could have been lifted essentially verbatim and with a “search and replace” between Legacy in it’s inception and the X rollout – it’s deja vu all over again!

Thanks for the reminder that we’ve been down nearly this exact same path before.

And it not only worked out fine for Apple (and Randy) but enabled a huge swath of the people reading here to make a living in the intervening decade.

Cheers.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

Marvin,

As someone who wrote on deadline for a national circulation magazine for more than a decade – the absence of an editor and a staff of “fact checkers” makes “learning” a whole different process in my opinion.

In this brave new world, it’s largely self-correct and self-learn.

Which is hard. No question about it.

But awareness of any issue is the first step to improvement, I suppose.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[Aindreas Gallagher] “What I find quite seriously annoying in the FCPX debate is the exceptionalism applied to this software – its just bad software bill. Its buggy, bloated, its undo’s are unstable, the project file mutates in size at a whim, large projects are a no-no, the colour corrector is a joke, the plug-in architecture is brain damaged.

And yet people surround this software with grand transformative arguments that it does in no way deserve.

This just isn’t particularly good software Bill, and in order to effect it, Apple had to kill an awful lot of very good software. “

I know that’s your often expressed opinion. I think you’re almost totally wrong.

Some of that is provable. Because I (and other editors increasingly) in nearly daily use find it to be stable, useful, interesting, and even exciting to explore.

I actually think it’s is precisely exceptional software. Because it embodies the willingness to try something different. And difference is, by definition, exceptional. You may HATE that difference. But that could possibly be your own overly-turgid thinking in play, sir.

If it was ORDINARY – like it’s four major competitors – it couldn’t possibly make anyone so angry. Nobody gets their feathers so ruffled because of something ordinary. So you, yourself, are kinda de facto proof of it’s very exceptionalism!

The difficult truth for you is that I, as well as an increasingly large number of others, find the problems that you are so incensed about to be other than “mission critical.” They would only be worth getting so incredibly pissed about if all editors had the same needs and wants. But we don’t. A fact that you seem to be absolutely unwilling to open your eyes to see.

So given this “perception gulf” between your view and mine, it appears that either I’m a complete idiot and extremely shortsighted – or YOU are.

If your view holds sway, then people like me are just absolute idiots who willingly face the constant plague of disasters — day in and day out — and yet are simply too stupid to notice them.
If you are correct, then in a year, FCP-X will be gone and nobody much will be using it. Precisely because your wild conjectural contentions would be enough to send ANY editor away from any piece of software.

On the other hand, if FCP-X doesn’t “disappear” then you have to face the fact that it’s actually not “us” who are shortsighted, it’s you.

And I’d be careful holding to that view too firmly. A dozen people on this very board are using it handily to deliver paid work – sure some have issues – no V1 software excapes them. But the voices appear to be increasing that people who increasingly understand the software, also increasingly appreciate it.

And your real problem, Andreas, is that even if every single thing you allege is true, FCP-X with the resources behind it still has every chance of turning out to be the SeaBiscuit of NLEs – the dismissed runt thats too small, too ill-bred, not “pedigreed” enough for the editing “country club” set – right up to the point that it proves to be a wildly superior horse for the real world of racing.

Time will tell, won’t it.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[Aindreas Gallagher] “sheer brilliance again bill – you are shining with a special light now.

Excellent, good to see you’re focused on critiquing peoples ideas rather than their personalities! 🙂

why does anyone need to aspire to the craft of anything? I can be a moron with an excel sheet right right? I don’t know excel sheets but that’s no problem yes? I should build dams Bill. Or maybe I’m a bicyclist and I can be a trucker right? Why don’t I try to put up brick walls? I’ll pick it up won’t I?

WHO NEEDS PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO DO THINGS REALLY?

Bill, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart – your arguments are awful with regard to the reverence and furtherance of specific human skills.

I’m just sorry you weren’t an architect, and then we could have some real fun with the production of our buildings.

your arguments are the worst bill – they are literally the worst.

they denigrate any craft and any skill.

Your arguments are a complete and total disgrace.
“

Okay then.

You know, maybe you are right – and I am wrong. What say we do a test. Let’s outlaw amateurs!

We can get committees together to decide who’s “good enough” to do stuff. And nobody else can play. Will that be OK?

If you’re not a concert level pianist, you shouldn’t be allowed to own a piano. If the art jury says you can’t draw – no pencils for your home.

You think my argument is “awful?” Pot, kettle, dude.

Here’s why.

That you can’t tell the difference between the construction of a publicly occupied building where human lives are at risk – and a freaking VIDEO production – then you have larger issues than we can address here.

Here’s your view in a nutshell, Andreas…

If someone isn’t totally, fully professional in everything they do – to your arbitrary standard – they are nothing – and they shouldn’t even try.

BS, dude. Total BS.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[tony west] “It’s the shooting Bill.

If you shoot crap it doesn’t matter what you have to cut it with.”

Tony,

With great respect I’ll note that when I talk to lighting guys, it’s the lighting.

When I talk to sound guys, it’s the audio.

When I talk to shooters, it’s the shooting.

When I talk to editors, it’s the cutting.

This is natural, sensible, and a bit, perhaps, short-sighted.

They are all correct. It’s all of those and more. The tough thing is to understand that as much as we all want to focus on how “critical” our conribution might be, each view has a bit of tunnel vision.

I think it’s fair to say that this forum is largely populated by people working (loosely) in editorial. With a few specialists tossed into the mix such as yourself.

Your “on the ground” insights are invaluable, but every bit like mine, they’re colored by where you are and what you see. My views have “exactly” the same spin.

What makes this board so valuable is not that we all think the same, it’s that by sharing, we can all learn from multiple perspectives.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[Walter Soyka] “Outliers was a book about exceptional high achievers whose hidden advantages, combined with hard work and learning, allow them to excel.
“

That was one theme. I think the larger one was that when you have a large mass of people who have access to new tools and technologies, the pool of individuals who can enter and excel grows.

One primary story in Outliers if you recall, was how Bill Gates “luck” in having his mom on the school committee and in a position to get “time share” on a terminal that let Gates gain experience with computers earlier than his peers. Yes, he had the brainpower and talent, but it was also ACCESS to the technology that drove his career.

Same brainpower – no access – and Bill Gates is probably a successful guy, but not the worlds richest guy.

Now you have literally a MILLION people gaining video editing experience. So the group who will take it seriously and excel will come from a much broader pool than before.

The opportunity migrates from the sons and daughters of the “elites” in the TV biz or in Hollywood, to the sons and daughters of anyone. That’s change. And pretty much the definition of “democratization.”

Nothing more than that.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[Walter Soyka] “They probably weren’t calling mid-tier production companies or even one-man-band freelancers. They are not lost sales or even lost opportunities; they are new video users coming in on the low end of the market.”

And in “bottom up” revolutions it always starts that way.

In this generation, the small shop owners won’t take the plum jobs from the “priests.” But the sons and daughters of those folks likely WILL. Because it’s been a part of what they’ve grown up watching.

It’s Gladwell’s Outliers writ large. It’s seldom the “first generation” folks who break out and transform industries – it’s their kids who leverage those formerly inaccessible (for all but the elite) skills who transform whole industries.

We shall see.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[Christian Schumacher] “What you don’t see is, apparently there was a HUGE fiasco concernig Apple and a lot have been going on since then.”

Oh, I get it.

From your perception, the real world revolves around this HUGE fiasco… to use your own term.

The truth is, Christian that probably fewer than a couple of thousand souls on the entire planet really gives a rat’s patootie about this whole issue, and the other billion plus people who share our world haven’t the faintest clue it’s even happening.

Here’s a test. Go to your local mall and ask the people walking by their opinion about FCP-X. Let me know how many of them have a clue what you’re talking about. Or go to any Apple store and ask everyone there about how this “huge fiasco” is damaging their business.

This is obsessed professionals talking to other obsessed professionals. (And I admit I’m in the class as firmly as anyone!) But at least I can see that my angst is my own issue, not the entire worlds.

FWIW.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[Herb Sevush] “[Bill Davis] “And every one of those “second tier” photos and video makers are getting better at it every month.”

That is absolutely not true, the ones getting better at it are a rarity; which is not surprising because it’s not their field of interest.”

Then we disagree, Herb.

In my experience, I’m nearly always at least a little better the second time I do anything, no matter if it’s something I enjoy or something I merely tolerate.

Heck, when I’m doing the freaking dishes (a thing I’m not particularly skilled at nor love) I still find myself breaking down the process to see if I can make it even a bit easier the next time.

Maybe I’m just weird that way. But I’ve met very few people in my life who do things over and over and never improve at all in their execution.

“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’Connor

[Bill Davis]

[David Roth Weiss] “And, iMovie and FCE were serving them quite sufficiently, and probably still are. Where are the purported legions of kids you speak of above? Are they flocking to FCPX?”

David,

They are those dog trainers, small restaurant chefs, young women with a flower design business who are NOT calling a “video production service” to put their products and services on the web. They are doing it themselves.

It’s no different from all the zillions of people taking their own photos to sell their goods via ebay.

Once upon a time, they’d need a pro photographer to do their “catalog” – but times changed and the “catalog” changed with it.

Yes, there are still catalogs out there – and great pro photographers doing that work – but for every catalog quality photo there are probably 1000 “do it yourself” phototograhers doing a similar job at a functional level for smaller purposes

And every one of those “second tier” photos and video makers are getting better at it every month.

FWIW.

“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’Connor