UPDATE: Philip Hodgetts was the first to point out that Apple updated FCP X to version 10.0.8 this morning. The release notes indicate that it is mostly a bug fix release, with new support for Sony’s XAVC codec. The update is free and available via the Mac App Store.
There is an article in this morning’s Los Angeles Times. It was about Apple, which isn’t unusual. However, it was about Final Cut Pro X, which IS unusual.
Is there something in the wind?
The article, entitled “Apple aims to win over video editors,” takes a look back at the stormy reaction to the birth of Final Cut Pro X where the launch, and the highly-charged negative reactions to it, completely over-shadowed the program itself.
Chris O’Brien, the article’s author, does a solid job of capturing the anguish of FCP editors over the new software. (Though, as a quibble, in the thousands of emails I’ve gotten on this subject, I’ve never had one person complain about the new, lower price.) I won’t rehash the article here, it is well-written and deserves to be read on its own.
The question I want to reflect on is “Why this article now?” Is this simply a reporter covering an industry leader, or, did Apple plant a seed?
As someone who has had many interactions with Apple executives over the years, I’ve learned that Apple does not do anything spontaneously. They are strategic, with time-scales often measured in years. This strategic focus doesn’t make them perfect, but it does prevent them from being impulsive.
Why now?
The answer, I think, lies in the calendar. Tennyson may have written: “In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” But in the media industry, spring means the NAB Show – that massive industry event that heralds the release of new versions of just about everything related to media. Every company on the planet is trying to think up ways to get their voice heard and their products considered.
Our entire industry is focused on the NAB Show, which starts in a little more than a week in Las Vegas. Apple hasn’t exhibited at NAB for more than five years, but it’s presence is palpable across the trade show floor. It’s the 800-pound gorilla that few talk about, but can’t live without.
Many companies like to think they play the role of disruptor in the industry. But no one causes chaos quite like Apple.
Consider that while the Times article is crammed with a solid look back at the history of the program, the news hook is the posting of three new customer stories showcasing high-end customers successfully using Final Cut Pro X. The rest of the article rehashes past events.
No new products. No new hardware. Just Apple’s announcement about posting customer success stories.
NOTE It is interesting to me that, while the article references Richard Townhill, who was the face of Final Cut Pro X at the launch, no Apple executives were actually quoted in the article.
What Could This Mean?
Unlike when FCP X was announced, I am not privy to any inside Apple information, so these are just informed guesses.
Does this presage a return to an “updated” version of Final Cut Pro 7? Absolutely not. That program is dead and gone.
Does this indicate that Apple is getting ready to release an entirely new version of Final Cut Pro X – such as FCP 11? No. Apple has bet the ranch on continuing to evolve this edition of FCP X for the next several years.
Apple could release a new update to FCP X in the days leading up to NAB. This would dominate the news when every other company in our industry is scrambling to be heard. But I don’t think this is likely. It would make more sense to appear to be doing something, but to wait until after NAB to actually do it.
I expect the next update to Final Cut Pro X to contain major new features, but be built on the same foundation as the current FCP X. I also think it is likely that a new, supporting application will be released at the same time. Logic is the application that comes first to mind, as audio is still a major hole in FCP X.
I think the purpose of this article is to acknowledge that Apple is aware of the damage it caused at the launch, to point out the things that it is doing to repair the damage, and to clearly state that Apple feels Final Cut Pro X is ready for professional use, as illustrated by the customers that are using it today.
The LA Times article ends by quoting Harry Miller, head of the American Cinema Editor’s technology committee: “We are in a precarious business…”
Precarious indeed. Perhaps Apple is trying to reassure us that it better understands that.
As always, I’m interested in your thoughts.
Larry
48 Responses to Is There Something In The Wind?
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Caesar Darias says:
March 28, 2013 at 11:10 pm
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Christopher Wright says:
March 29, 2013 at 2:07 am
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Leo Hans says:
March 29, 2013 at 7:20 am
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Marcus Moore says:
March 29, 2013 at 7:42 am
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jeff says:
March 29, 2013 at 8:21 am
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Larry says:
March 29, 2013 at 10:35 am
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Jason says:
March 29, 2013 at 8:37 am
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Caesar Darias says:
March 29, 2013 at 1:18 pm
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Tangier Clarke says:
March 29, 2013 at 2:02 pm
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Brien Lee says:
March 29, 2013 at 4:51 pm
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nickeditor says:
March 29, 2013 at 7:45 pm
← Older Comments Newer Comments →I’ve grown to generally like FCP X.
However, there are many frustrating aspects such as the inability to round-trip with Motion. Why is this most useful feature still missing?
And when I’m working on a long project that’s, let’s say, over an hour, and I’m done with my rough cut, the magnetic timeline makes it a pain in the ass to go back and work.
I wish they would let you deactivate it so it’s easier to create and leave gaps. It can be very frustrating to delete a clip on your Timeline and have everything move on it’s own.
I don’t want anything in my Project Timeline to move unless I physically do something to make it move.
Finally, I’d like to be able to name clips on ingest like on FCP 7. Am I just ignorant on this? I’ve searched for this answer.
Too little, too quirky, too late…..
@Cesar.
You can deactivate the magnetic timeline. You can use the tilde key for that and you can use Position Tool too.
You can even delete clips leaving gaps.
“I wish they would let you deactivate it so it’s easier to create and leave gaps. It can be very frustrating to delete a clip on your Timeline and have everything move on it’s own.”
Position Tool.
And yes, please, to the return of Motion round-tripping (and broadcast monitor output!)
I like fcpx though it took a minute to get used to, but I will say that they still need to fix a lot of text editing bugs and wish they would bring back the simple in/out points as opposed to the range selector it just makes it more cumbersome to be precise
Jeff:
You don’t need to use the Range tool to set In/Out points in the Timeline. With the Skimmer turned off (S), type I, or O, in the Timeline to set an In or Out at the position of the playhead.
Larry
I second everything Caesar Darias wrote (a couple of posts above). In FCP7, I lived in round trip world. That’s gone. I also strongly hate, with a passion, the magnetic timeline. And I’m not a person who uses the word “hate” a lot. Premiere was the easiest switch from FCP7 for me. By the way, round tripping within the Adobe Apps is there and very easy.
Jason
Thank you to Leo Hans and Marcus Moore.
I’ve watched many lessons on YouTube. I’ve also purchased tutorials for FCP X. Obviously, I missed that part of the lesson.
Charlie I agree with you so much. I’ve loved FCP X after one week of use and saw huge gains in productivity for me once i let to of the FCP 7 way of doing things. The database underpinnings are stellar. Believe me, I know the quirks and there are changes to be made. At my job we tested it for a year and we are FCP X all the way. Avid and Premiere ( the latest versions) seem so ancient and slow to me now when I use them; more of a hinderance. Though they have features i wouldn’t mind.
Despite the things that still need fixing, FCP X is like Motion for me when it first came out; I could spend more time playing and being creative rather than wait for After Effects constant need to render every change. I too miss round-tripping, but it’s not a deal breaker. Especially when I backup and media manage a project the elements that were round tripped become more of a pain actually.
In any case for me there are far more pluses than minuses and I intend to stick with it. I’d love a new sound app too from Apple. In some ways I’m glad they didn’t evolve FCP 7. I’m glad they’re rethinking things anew and would prefer it done well than cram old ways into something new. I’m toying with Smoke just to learn about but FCPX and FCP 7 are my go to apps. To each their own! It’s all about the story.
As an industrial / corporate producer (for more than 40 years) I was there for Pinnacle / Premiere, Matrox / Speed Razor, and finally, as computers got fast enough and GPUs capable enough, Sony Vegas. I standardized on Vegas and taught it to my staff.
I moved from Sony Vegas (which I loved) to FCP7 in 2003 and stuck with it until FCPX was released. I needed a good DVD tool and Apple’s DVD Studio Pro fit the bill. With it came FXP7. SO I used this as an excuse to go all-Apple. I never really got used to the slowness of FCP7, compared to Vegas, and (as many of you know) if you eventually mastered FCP7 you had a real marketable skill. I didn’t. But that wasn’t the goal.
I downsized my company during the last decade and had to do more and more work myself, which was often exhilarating, and also often frustrating. I wanted to go back to Vegas but just couldn’t give up the Mac. Then FCPX was released.
iMovie in its newer form was pretty silly, compared to the former iMovie and even Premiere and Premiere Elements. But it was fast. FCPX was tough to get my hands around, but got easier and more logical with each release (and practice, of course.)
Now, while I still hire editors on occasion, I feel totally comfortable and satisfied with the new ecosystem of FCPX. It’s fast, intuitive, does things in a single step that FCP7 took multiple steps to do (add a still frame to the end of a clip?) and it’s growing every day. The plugins are coming to market quickly, and I must add, affordably.
I realize as a midwestern (now east coast) “industrial” producer that my opinions are not based on the workflows and demands of Hollywood. But in a great many markets, this is becoming a freelance world. I think FCP is built for those freelancers, but has matured to the point that some Hollywood types might now give it serious consideration. Industrial types are foolish if they don’t.
Now, here’s hoping there’s a nice two-way coming between FCPX and Apple’s or third parties’ audio tools.
“Apple feels Final Cut Pro X is ready for professional use”… For all professional users? The same users that used Final Cut Pro 7? Cinema, comercial and TV editors?
Apple made two errors:
· not update Mac Pro
· launch a version of Final Cut unipersonal, not thought for teamwork
Two years later I still waiting the option Send to Logic 🙁
“I wanna tell you my secret now…. I see ” Premiere everywhere 😀