Scott Witthaus
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Apple Final Cut Pro X Coins
3
COW Coins
Forum Replies Created
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[Noah Kadner] “So yeah I would focus less on learning which keys do what in which app and more on the storytelling skills.”
Exactly. A shi**ty commercial concept or movie script cannot be fixed by using a certain NLE. Avid always touts that “all the best movies are cut on Avid…”. What about the real terrible movies? Cut on something else? Nope. Concept is king. The nuance and rhythm of storytelling rules. The NLE is secondary.
[Noah Kadner] “Have them shoot stuff and put it together so they understand what’s involved.”
and do it with an iPhone and iMovie to take the “best stuff” argument out of the picture.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
Stability and bug fixes are fine by me.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Craig Alan] ” that people that know how to edit have an easier time learning FCP X then people who don’t.”
Only if they approach X with a clean slate. Sure, they know more of the terminology, but I see new users “getting” FCPX faster than “track-baked” editors if they try to make X work just like PP or MC.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Craig Alan] “And their history for EOLing stuff without more communication and support is troubling”
As an Avid D|S editor and beta tester, I can attest that it’s not only Apple that will tell you sweet lies until they pull the rug out from your favorite product.
I can’t worry about what Apple might do. I use (and/or teach) the best tool that I have now, like I did with DS, and change if I have to. I dread the thought of having to use and teach Premiere or Avid, but if I have to, that’s what I will do.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Craig Alan] “Our classes are only an hour per day and I can teach FCP X basics in very short order. “
I am always amazed in how quickly students pick X up. Yesterday, in my second class of the semester, I told 35 skeptical grad students (average age: 25) that they would be editing in just under 3 hours (a portion of the three hours is used showing them how to access Terrablock partitions, music library, ftp, etc). I had about 6 of the 35 who had used Premiere before. I used about an hour to walk them through the process of importing footage, interface, basic edit commands, color, sound effects, music and output. After about 90 minutes every one of them had completed the task and had a lot of fun doing it. Four of the six Premiere users commented that X was much better for them (I found myself defending Premiere!). It’s just really cool how the non-track-baked brain approaches the task uses the software. Apple has done something very right and I hope they continue to support the software. These students are now required to finish the Lynda FCPX Essentials class in two weeks and it will be again interesting to see where they are after that.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
It’s under the View dropdown menu at the top right. Choose Better Quality.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Craig Alan] “How do you handle round tripping between after effects and FCP X and resolve for that matter?
“We don’t. Any AE they use is exported out of AE and imported to X. I don’t go heavy into CC as I focus on concept and then creative execution. I just teach color inside X (which you can get a damn good result from) and let them know about the other softwares out there. I have Finale on my teaching computer and I might show them that as an example. These are marketing and advertising grad students.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Craig Alan] “I feel I made the right choice.”
I know the feeling. I changed over our grad school from FCP7 to X a couple years ago. Of course we have the Adobe CC suite on all the computers too since my students all want to try After Effects.
The increase in speed of learning was pretty astonishing to watch compared to FCP7. Apple has done something very right with this software for people who are not trained in the track-based world (as I was). I sure as hell hope Apple keeps developing the product as I dread the thought of teaching Premier.
[Craig Alan] “that they know how to use kino flos and fresnels and grip equipment and audio mixers and boom poles and coil cable, and camera operation. how to frame a shot. production vocabulary. how to write in script format and read and write a shot sheet. etc. “
Very cool. Those are talents that are so valuable, even if you end up as a director. I have often said that some of the best directors I know have been editors. They know what it’s like to be at the bottom of the hill, and we all know which way the shit rolls! 🙂
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Craig Alan] “My students that go to film school get complimented on knowing the skills that are used in their programs.”
I am sure they get more compliments on the quality of their films, not what software they use. My students use X (a few cling to Premiere) but if the work sucks, it’s not the programs fault. The student team fails in that project, not FPCX. NLE’s don’t create concepts, write scripts or make edit decisions. It also depends on what you are teaching your students to become. Film and broadcast editors? Media Composer first. Corporate, web, commercials, weddings, producers, directors or education? Pick one you like best and gets out of the way of the creative process. Which is why X is best for me right now.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter -
[Robin S. Kurz] “More and more I’ve been able to concentrate on storytelling, without worrying about pesky things like tracks or what bin a particular clip is in”
This is the key phrase for me too.
Scott Witthaus
Senior Editor/Post Production Supervisor
1708 Inc./Editorial
Professor, VCU Brandcenter