Ronny Courtens
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Bob,
Just to put a few things in the right perspective: Sam is still with LumaForge, just as I am. And the company is doing extremely well.
But Sam is not a business type, as he said himself in the article. That’s why he wants to be more involved in creative processes again such as writing and filmmaking. And that’s why he has joined FCP.co. I will also be more involved with FCP.co again, writing case studies and organizing special events like I did before. I will combine this with my work for LumaForge.
We will have a bigger presence at IBC this year, both on the floor and outside of the RAI. Just like every year, Sam and I will host our private briefings at Spaces and we will have our traditional boat trip along the canals followed by the Lumaforge dinner in the harbor. Last year we had to charter two boats, it looks like there are going to be 3 this year (-:
Anyone who wants to learn more about our company and our products is welcome to schedule a private chat with me and Sam, either online or in-person at IBC. Just drop me an e-mail: ronny@lumaforge.com
– Ronny
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I don’t see this problem. Tried with different clips in different Libraries and I am always able to set the frame rate as I wish. Except when the Video format is set to PAL in which case you only can use 25i, which is quite logical. Maybe time to trash your prefs?
– Ronny
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You may not have noticed it, but one of the prizes in this contest is an iPad Pro which, IMO, is worth more than a 1-year CC subscription (-:
It looks like Apple puts more public efforts in video education rather than in contests. One example of this is “Chicago Summer Stories”, shot on iPhones (with Filmic Pro and other peripherals) and edited with Final Cut Pro: https://lumaforge.com/portfolio/summer-stories.
This is much more than just a contest. As my good friend Sam puts it: “Chicago Summer Stories intends to emphasize iteration, practical knowledge, critical thinking, and collaboration with lightweight easy to use filmmaking tools… basically, they get a crash course in how to make a movie with iPhones, peripherals that all cost $300 or less, and editing in Final Cut Pro X”: https://www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/articles/2113-a-modern-approach-to-video-education-with-chicago-summer-stories
The first of these events was in 2018, they just wrapped a new series. An organization like this requires much more financial and human input than just sponsoring a contest. But I think it is more valuable for young storytellers, and it looks like Apple is very happy with where this is going.
– Ronny
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Excellent article, Oliver. As always.
– Ronny
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This is one if the best write-ups I have seen about the new technologies in the 2019 MacrPro, and why they matter. It was written by Sarah-Kimberly Euschen, a Swiss friend who lives and works in Doha (Qatar). She is a brilliant editor who is also very tech-savvy. Someone whose opinion I respect a lot:
https://themagicalworldofsakie.wordpress.com/2019/06/10/infinity-fabric-and-finalcut-pro/
– Ronny
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Agreed. And I think we will see some interesting announcements from Red and BM about the new MacPro by IBC.
As to the price topic: I totally disagree that there is an issue with the price of the new MacPro. Certainly not within the circles I frequent, which clearly are the target audience for this machine. Everyone I have spoken with since Monday has confirmed that they are very impressed with the new MacPro and they will buy one or more of them. One client will be purchasing 28 units as soon as they are available (they currently use a mix of 2012 and 2013 MacPros). It looks like the 16-core model with the Radeon Pro Vega II Duo and possibly an Afterburner card (depends on the workflows) is considered to be the sweet spot for many of those people. No-one I have spoken with is considering the base model.
But I do respect the opinion of anyone who says this MacPro is not for them. That does not mean there is anything wrong with it, or with its price. It just means that it does not fit within their business model. And that’s not a problem at all, there are many other offerings on the market that will fit their needs.
I also agree with Herb and Brett that Apple should consider making a mid-level version of this machine, at a starting price point that will appeal to a larger audience. Whether this will happen or not, we will have to wait and see. But, if they would do this, then we could truly say that “the Cheese Grater” is back.
– Ronny
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Actually, the reactions from the target audience of this new MacPro are very positive. I have been making some calls since the announcement, and the vast majority of the people I know have told me they are going to buy a number of these machines once they are available. This morning, I got an e-mail from a friend in Cape Town who handles the post-production of BBC Wildlife in SA. Tons of footage, mostly 6K and beyond, with heavy grading in Resolve and audio sweetening in ProTools. I will quote his message: “The New Mac Pro is beautiful and everything you said it would be. As soon as it’s out in September we will be buying two of the maxed out models… FINALLY… it was worth the wait.”
This is not Pixar, nor a national broadcaster. It’s a high-end post boutique that is very successful. And he knows his clients are happy to pay a bonus for the best possible quality and performance. There are many studios like this one and, for them, 30 or 40K for a real powerhouse is perfectly acceptable (he currently uses 2 Linux machines that cost more than this).
So, before assuming that no-one will buy this MacPro just because you don’t need it, it would be best to realize that there is a very vast world outside everyone’s little neck of the woods.
I have watched the videos from Max Yuryev and Linus. I find Linus’s video quite rational indeed. I had not expected this kind of objectivity from him as he is a DIY guy who constantly bashes anything Mac related. Not really, this time. Max caters for the lower-end pros who will never need a system like this, not even the base model. So I don’t find his video surprising, nor adequate. A few months ago, I had a conversation with him because he pretended that 40K for a server is way overkill and that no-one would ever spend that much money on a NAS. Which made me burst out in laughs because I have clients who have bought +500K systems from Lumaforge because they found the price tag very acceptable compared with the competition. As I said: there is a very vast world outside everyone’s little neck of the woods.
– Ronny
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History tells us that every time there is a long pause between feature updates for FCP X, they are working on a major one. There is usually one year between such updates and the latest one was on November 15 last year. That’s why I don’t expect any big feature update before the end of this year, or even later. In the meantime, there is nothing in Final Cut Pro that prevents us from cutting anything we wish on it and the user base is constantly growing. Anything that gets added to FCP X is welcome, as long as it does not affect its core features which are performance and reliability.
– Ronny
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Hey Don!
Here it is: https://molodesign.com/
If you contact them, tell them that Krysta from Lumaforge sent you. They will give you a personalized experience.
– Ronny
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[Gerry Fraiberg] “Factual and objective writing is why I’ve been following Oliver for years.”
+10 to this! Thank you for this article, Oliver. Couldn’t agree more.
– Ronny
