[Pj Adamo]

Well here we are almost a year later and what has Apple done for us lately with FCP? In a recent call to Apple support I was told to “Use 3rd party products” if I want to do a simple task of rendering to tape and a few other crucial things. What? Also, in Apple forums, I am reading many, many problems with freezes and lock ups which amount from the software not auto saving as specified by the editor. Then, dumping all that work into a land far, far away…. AKA gone in 60 seconds!

I have been editing from the days of A/B/C roll to Avid, FCP (1999 release 1), to FCP 7,(Studio 3). I am in the process of purchasing a new full blown Mac and I am seriously stuck between opting to re-install Studio 3 (yes it’s only 32 bit but hey it can do it all),or going back to the “too many keystroke” Avid platform.

There’s an old school saying of “If somethings not broke, don’t fix it”. And, while all Apple had to do was create a new 64 bit FCP 8 version, sit back and make direct deposits to their bank, they decided to shoot right to version 10 and leave out many of the 6 programs that came with the Studio package. Soundtrack pro was great for me, I actually produced a couple of tunes for clients without having to export into another program. Color 1.5 tweaking worked fine, DVD Studio Pro was good for many of my clients needs. Lets not forget the new 10 will not import work from previous versions either.

A sucker for truth, I posted some concerns about FCP 10 at the Apple blog (which they claim they do not respond to), yet my posts were removed by a monitor whos bio reads “sheep dog breeder/videographer” (for real). He claims that FCP 10 is the greatest thing since the invention of the English Muffin. A quick reality check (that’s real time brain rendering of the facts), will tell me to stand clear of 10 for now, while the FCP future is still locked in a far distant dream of a 64 bit FCP 8. I can still remember those SiFi moves from back in the 90’s where it was date line 2012 and the earth was a complete technological smorgasbord, flying cars and all. Apple has only cued the flying monkeys. There’s no place like 7, there’s no place like 7….