[Steve Mullen]

Apple fanboy behavior has always been and continues to be truly ugly. Lacking any response to the question “what can FCPX do to improve editing that would justify learning it deeply–you get really nasty. I understand Apple screwed FCP 7 folks, but those of use who never much liked FCP never had to switch. We just keep going with products that were always better than FCP 7. And, to do iMovie kind of projects FCPX is just fine. I’ll continue to use it. But, after my experience with you being unable to offer one single advantage to FCPX, I’m certainly not going to invest my time in it.

And, in a month I’ll have Lightwave and Resolve 11 and they won’t cost me a penny. If I’m going to take the time to learn something new–I want something more powerful, not just different.

Where do you think all those who don’t have the money for MC and Adobe are going to go next month? When cheap determines your choice of NLE then free is even better. So the switch really isn’t over. Watch for diminished interest in FCPX in the next couple of months as folks realize they can get free of Apple who has shown–not just to FCP editors but users of all their applications–that they are first and formost a phone company.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

“Every single command/shortcut you list in fact exists in X. Unfortunately that exact thing is what X has been suffering from for the last three years: completely false claims and presumptions… and people reading them and simply taking them to be true without any scrutiny whatsoever.”

It has nothing to do with reading what others say–I’ve been using FCPX since Day 1. I’m sure I can learn to get FCPX to do what FCP 7 did. That’s not the point.

Bitching about FCPX “suffering” is really lame. What’s been missing for three years are what advantages FCPX brings beyond being cheap. Apple avoided making a marketing and sales case for FCPX by simply killing FCP 7. I’m sure they knew that if both existed very few would switch and they would be stuck with supporting QT-based FCP 7 for years. Since then folks have focused on how to use FCPX to do what they did with FCP 7 — so they can keep working. Look at the tutorials — how to do X. Apple still has not made the case that a new concept of editing provides any advantages to the editor who already has MC and Premiere–and already has years of experience using them.

Moreover, you are missing that it’s not that every command exists in FCP X, it’s that I have zero need to find them when I already know them in other NLEs. (And commands are not the same as capabilities like a CC. And, yes I’ve bought CC plug-ins.) And commands via keys are not the same as clickable buttons that I can be place where I want them.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

Apple concepts: compound clips, audition, libraries, etc. What’s wrong with video inserts? That’s been with us since VTR editing. And where are the “transport” buttons. GOTOIN, CLEARIN, etc. The same things we used to do, still need to get done, so why do I need to learn new terminology to do it? Apple has never made the case that different is BETTER.

But, the real issue is that FCPX CC is nowhere near that offered by MC. It’s not only non-intutive!!! it has no curves. Can’t see multiple scopes at once on a laptop, So since I already KNOW I’ll have to use something other than FCPX–it doesn’t make sense to spend the time to learn it beyond how I use it now. And, for simple edits its fine! (Like a super iMovie.)

And, I do have the 10.1 version on another HD. But, I see no advantage in switching to get Libraries. I’ve got zero problems with how it is. So if a new version doesn’t make a positive impact in my life, I have no need to use it. If editing is your job then fine–invest the time. (And, I’m sure if you’ve never edited film or tape–it may be very fast to learn FCPX.) But at 71 I’ve got other uses go my time. Like investigate free Lightworks. It impressed me at NAB in the early `90s and I’m willing to give it a chance. And, Resolve 11 is another product that MAY be worth the time to learn since many of the cameras I’m interested in shoot RAW. And, it too is free.

Right now I’m on 10.7.5 which is VERY VERY stable and doesn’t have the gimmicks Apple has added. Now when I NEED to buy a new Mac, I’ll have reconsider. Either I’ll have to upgrade MC or buy Adobe CC or use Lightworks or use Resolve.

I’m really thankful for the help folks have provided to me. I can now do some things I wanted to do. But, FCPX’s GUI still has problems for me. I have spent years getting MC’s ability to support multiple layouts to do exactly what I want done–on a laptop.

PS1: Premiere can play XAVC because you get to specify the resolution of the TWO viewers. Until proxies have been generated, FCPX is slow.

PS2: When I met with Randy when he was still involved with Premiere, he had NO idea what a backtimed insert was. Say what you want about Avid, MC has always understood what editors DO.

But, there is no need to argue about NLEs. There are options for everyone.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

“And if you in fact haven’t updated, I’d have to ask WHY, since it’s something you most definitely want to do.”

Actually not. I’d have to upgrade my OS which would kill Media Composer. Since MC is more important to me–at this point–than FCPX, it’s not a good trade-off. It’s not that I like MC, but I know how to do precise edits with it. So far I use FCPX only for stringing clips together, fast. Honestly, I’m not sure I want to learn a whole new set of Apple concepts just to do what I’ve been doing almost 40 years. Perhaps slowly over time. However, I was recently surprised to find my old copy of Premiere Pro CS6 edited 4K XAVC without any need for proxy. So, if I left MC it might make more sense to go to Premiere, which oddly I started with in about 1993.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

Thank you Brad, it works perfectly. For others who might follow this thread, you move the video under the matte using the Transform FX.

Two simple questions:

1) When moving a clip up/down in a Transform, how does one constrain movement so the clip doesn’t move horizontally? Shift didn’t work.

2) It seems like it should be simple using the Inspector, but how does one alter the Video/Audio parameters of a clip(s)? A matte came in at 60fps and I wanted to change it to 25fps. HELP was no help. Likewise, to change a Project’s Properties, there seems no way overriding FCPX presets to create a unique resolution. Is this not possible?

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

An Adjustment Layer and the Chroma Key I made do the same thing.

But, each of my clips has its own 2.34 crop vertical position so it windows the desired area of a clip. Examples: to leave the same amount of air above heads OR when implementing a “common-top” crop.

In these cases the crop area is not typically centered vertically. Somehow, after cropping, the video contents must be “moved” to be vertically centered. I suppose some kind of animation could move a clip up/down.

I also thought of making a 1920×840 Project but it seems one can’t make a Custom sized project. And FCPX rejects a first clip that’s 1920×840. When exporting I’d use 1920×1080 which should simply letterbox the 1920×840 video.

Lastly, it seems a double-click on a clip would be far simpler than holding an option key. Then the Option+click could do something really useful–pop-up a list of all FX that have been actually applied to the clip. This would enable quick delete(s) as well as sliding the order-to-be-applied.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

Overlay color solids cropped to the look you want and move the clips behind them. Make it a compound clip and you can use it in multiple projects.

I’ve got a series of clips cropped to 2.34:1 and each crop has been moved up/down so the desired content is within the crop window. That’s been done.

I can create in the Timeline a 2.34:1 crop and center it in the 16:9 window on a solid black matte. But after pressing Done, I’ve got nothing useful–so I assume I’m not doing what you suggest.

I would guess I need to create a 2.34:1 transparent window and center it in the 16:9 window. But, it would be created in the Timeline and I would think I want it in the Event Browser. So do you mean create an image in Photoshop with an alpha window of 2.34:1?

But I also don’t understand HOW one can “… move the clips behind them” because moving the crop on existing cropped video changes what’s visible.

Moreover, doing this clip by clip seems way too slow. It would seem that somehow this should be a Project level operation.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

Still one question open.

3) I’m trying to create a Widescreen look (2.34:1) and have cropped each clip. Then I’ve slid the wide image up/down to keep action within the wide frame. But, how do I get all crops to line-up in the vertical center of the 16:9 frame for a Project?

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

I wouldn’t go back to to 7 — but there is alway Premiere which until a 4K test I haven’t used in years.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV

[Steve Mullen]

Premiere years ago let you double-click a clip and Effects control would open automatically. Then they adopted the FCP 7 system. I keep thinking there must be a way to get the Skimmer and Playhead to auto-sync.

Speaking of Premiere, I found I can play 4K XAVC smoothly without rendering a Proxy by simply setting Viewers to 1/4 resolution. I was also surprised that FCP X made a FHD Proxy. I was also surprised that when I Exported as UHD unless I set Playback to Original it used the Proxy and upscaled it to UHD.

Usually I forgot the experimental FX. It would be nice if one could press Option to force a Replace an existing FX.

The Inspector isn’t tall enough to see all the FX so it’s easy to miss an old one. That’s why the appearance of FX one has never used is so annoying as they take up vertical space — not like any other Effects Editor.

Sorry, I meant CMD+Z. When did an OS X UNDO become CMD +7? Maybe I can assign in to CMD+ Z.

Best Regards,

Steve Mullen

Digital Video Consulting–Las Vegas

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

==========================

“Sony V1 and FX7 HANDBOOK” at http://www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7

“Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/SonyHDV

“EDITION 2: JVC GY-HD100 HANDBOOK” at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/JVCHDV