[ Updated April 18, 2012, to clarify some wording after a second conversation with Apple. ]
I had an on-the-record meeting with Apple this morning in Las Vegas, the day before the start of the 2012 NAB Show — along with a preview of future FCP X features, which I’ll talk about at the end of this blog.
NOTE: We also covered some amazing third-party announcements coming at NAB this year. I’ll have more on that later this week, after the NDA expire at a variety of press conferences later today and tomorrow.
SOME BACKGROUND
When Apple was preparing to launch FCP X, they told me that the new architecture of the software, combined with the flexibility of the Mac App Store would allow for much more rapid updates to the program. However, while the releases were planned well in advance, there is no significance to the alternation of feature (10.0.1 and 10.0.3) with, essentially, bug fix (10.0.2 and 10.0.4) releases. In other words, don’t read too much into this alternating pattern of features and bug fixes. However, do keep in mind that Apple has updated FCP X four times in less than a year since its initial release.
Apple stressed that FCP X is a long-term project and that they are fully committed to it. (In other words, because I asked, there is not a Final Cut Pro 8 waiting in the wings.) Apple views Final Cut X as the future of video editing.
Also, if you look at the features Apple has added since FCP X first released, Apple has almost exclusively focused on adding features for the professional market: Roles, Multicam, broadcast monitoring, etc.
I asked what the benefits were to using the Mac App Store for distribution of updates, and was told that the biggest benefit was that the Mac App Store license allows Apple to deliver both bug fixes and feature updates, unlike Software Update.
NOTE: The benefits of using the Mac App Store for updates to video editors are something I want to learn more about in a future conversation with Apple. I’ll have more to share with you then.
Apple also highlighted the workflow at Leverage which uses FCP X.
* The show shoots on RED in Portland, Oregon.
* Ships hard disks down to LA for editing.
* RED files are transcoded to ProRes Proxy for editing.
* The show is edited in FCP X
* X2Pro (from Marquis Broadcast) converts the files to ProTools for audio sweetening.
* XML exports from FCP X are sent to DaVinci Resolve for color grading
* Final conforming of audio and video is done in FCP X
* Final delivery is a ProRes file.
Apple also said the 10.0.4 update significantly improved broadcast monitoring performance, so they have removed the term “beta” when describing it. I specifically asked if 10.0.4 now has sufficient performance to support multicam monitoring and Apple said “Yes.”
THE GOOD STUFF
Then, Apple shared their plans for Final Cut Pro X features coming later this year (2012). Apple began providing “advanced looks” as part of the roll-out to the launch of FCP X and wanted to continue letting us know what’s coming. (I think this is a great idea, because it helps us plan.)
Here are the bullet points (none of this was demoed):
Audio mixing in FCP X is still weak. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new tools provide.
Dual Viewers is analogous to Source and Record monitors; though Apple stressed that when they implement a feature they try to do it better than it has been done before. A good example of this is their recent multicam addition. This feature would allow us to easily compare two clips.
FCP X has been able to read MXF files (think XDCAM EX), but not the native MXF wrapper that contains them. In the past, it needed to convert MXF to QuickTime. In the future, FCP X won’t need to make this conversion. Apple was quick to stress that this was not a move away from QuickTime, instead it was adding support for a common video format.
While Apple did not provide any details, I interpret “RED camera support” to mean that we would be able to edit R3D files natively, as opposed to editing R3D files as QuickTime proxies.
I asked when Apple would support retaining In and Out (Start / End) markers in clips in the Event Browser. They refused to comment, but stressed that while these were the four features they were announcing, these four would not be the only features released. Retaining Ins and Outs on clips is SO useful, I will continue to bang the drum for Apple to add these.
I asked if Apple would commit to WHEN these features would be available? They politely declined to speculate. (Sigh…)
SUMMARY
It was an interesting meeting. Apple clearly wants it known that FCP X should be considered a professional application, that development is on-going, and that they are listening to comments from users.
I tried to get them to provide hints on upcoming hardware, but no hints were provided.
I also got a sense they are working on another application to join FCP X, Motion, and Compressor. (There are several that would be very useful, we shall have to see what develops. I don’t expect anything announced immediately.)
All-in-all, it is always fun to meet the FCP X team and get a sense of what’s coming. And I wanted to share what I learned with you.
Larry
P.S. For the latest in Final Cut Pro X news, please sign up for my weekly, free newsletter: www.larryjordan.biz/newsletter/
108 Responses to Future Features in Final Cut Pro X
← Older Comments Newer Comments →-
Lester says:
April 19, 2012 at 11:32 am
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LeoHans says:
April 19, 2012 at 1:29 pm
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Jeff says:
April 19, 2012 at 3:05 pm
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Larry says:
April 19, 2012 at 3:32 pm
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LeoHans says:
April 19, 2012 at 3:45 pm
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Marcus Moore says:
April 19, 2012 at 5:28 pm
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LeoHans says:
April 19, 2012 at 9:12 pm
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Caesar Darias says:
April 19, 2012 at 11:38 pm
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Alex says:
April 20, 2012 at 3:33 pm
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Speculation on new features for FCP X « FINAL CUT PRO TRAINING says:
April 20, 2012 at 7:51 pm
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Edgar says:
April 20, 2012 at 9:26 pm
← Older Comments Newer Comments →@ Marcus Moore:
I have, indeed, attempted to use FCPX in our post department. First on a doc shot in many locations worldwide, second on a RED commercial. In all regards, the workflow and data management were subpar. The ability to speak to other editorial stations (color correction, sound) and manage assets across stations is non-existent.
Look, if it works for someone, that’s great. But in my world, we can’t wait for two years for a program to work professionally. Apple assumes that we are all it’s minion, and we must do as it says. We dared to think otherwise and moved to Avid, who understands that completed work today is more important than wearing a crazy hat and being different.
@Lester:
It’s not true that FCPX can’t talk to other stations. You can go to Da Vinci, ProTools, AE, Smoke, etc.
Updates delivered through Mac App Store? Seriously? I think I’ll be at the Avid counter.
Updates thru the Mac App Store are no different than updates using Software Update for both are fast and easy.
I’m not sure what your concerns are here.
Larry
Larry,
You are missing the point. Updates over Mac App Store only works with legal copies of Final Cut Pro. In previous versions if you had a valid serial number you were able to get updates using software update.
If you have bought FCPX via Mac App Store you shouldn’t have any problem.
Leo,
I don’t understand either. What situation could you be in and not hold a valid licence?
As to your other points. As someone else noted- interoperability to both CC and audio finishing tools is now no longer an issue.
Look, you’re absolutely right in that no one should be on the hook to wait for functionality for the work they do. Apple didn’t communicate this at all, but I always inferred that FCPX was a developing program. So in workflows where it doesn’t work, I continue to use FCP7, but where it does I’ve been very happy to move over to X. And as it’s functionality expands my need for FCP7 will shrink.
If FCPX were a house, I think it’s only about 30% finished. But I think that the 30% that’s there is stronger in some key ways.
I’ve been meaning to write a longer post about this, but I keep thinking about the INSANE advantages of the connected clip structure. In a complicated FCP7 sequence, if someone asked you to add 5 seconds out of a single shot. You’d have to:
1. SHIFT-T select everything down the timeline
2. manually deselect all the video and audio that crosses over the edit point that you DON’T want to move.
3. move that material 5 seconds down the timeline
4. select and expand the shot 5 seconds
in FCPX this process is:
1. put selection tool over end of shot and enter +5 on the keyboard. Everything linked before they edit stays where it is, and everything after moves down 5 frames. Wonderful!
I think that finding a single shot in a properly key worded Event is equally faster than a complicated folder-within-folder structure of bins.
Its the new processes that I legitimately find compelling. If I move to any other NLE, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ll have to do the same basic steps as with FCP7. No?
Marcus,
I was answering about what reason may have somebody to prefer software update over App Store updates.
I like how Mac App Store works.
BTW, Apple, please put chapter markers in FCP X. That’s a simple ground ball for you guys. There’s no good reason to have to go and do it in Compressor.
@ Marcus,
You can do that operation in one step using the ripple tool. Nobody uses the the ripple and roll, or even the trim tool in FCP7 but they exist in every NLE. Avid has an extremely good trim tool and that’s why most editors still use it has their NLE of choice. I can’t say I agree totally with that but once you know how to use the trim tool in any NLE, you just can’t leave without it. And from what I can see the FCPX selection tool is just another version of that.
That’s what upset me the most about FCPX when it was first released (other that the fact that they EOL Color). A lot of tools that we were using had disappeared and the few tools that where highlighted as new (not going out of sync, selection tool) where not new at all, but old tools that revamped for people who didnt know how to use them in FCP7. And then there were the once that only people who don’t know how to edit efficiently needed like the magnetic timeline. I’m actually glad that some people are admitting that it might not be the best thing ever about FCPX. I never tried it so I always considered that it “could” be useful, but it always seemed gimmicky to me.
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I completely agree with “Jeff”. DVDSP should have some kind of export as Encore has towards Flash. Although, of course, DVDSP should be rebuilt from the ground again.
Nevertheless, let me point out that I consider Apple’s position quite ill-mannered since they have not said a single Official word about DVDSP (as far as I know). I really liked FCPX but Adobe Premiere, together with Prelude (what a great software!) and Encore make such a nice and flexible workflow… Besides, ALL the changes I imagined DVDSP should have in a next version are already working on Encore. I just discovered Encore. WHY DID I WASTED SO MUCH TIME WITH DVDSP! Encore is such a relief! All those stupid things that were so complicated on DVDSP… and all those bugs….
I have never gone faster on editing than with FCPX but its workflow is so clumsy! Where is Apple’s Encore?