One of the problems of being in the middle is that I can see both sides. I don’t necessarily agree with them, but I can appreciate their point of view.
My blog this morning – Who’s Accountable – touched a nerve because, in addition to the people that commented directly on the blog, I’ve also had several private conversations with Apple and people who are very, very upset with Apple.
What’s become obvious over the last week, is that the way the Final Cut Pro X launch was handled has totally overshadowed the features of Final Cut Pro X.
Over the last several days, I’ve been consumed with trying to decide what to do – stay with Final Cut or move to another platform. If I switch, what do I switch to? What advice should I give to others trying to make the same choice?
As my office will attest, all this internal debating has not made me a pleasant person to be around.
Let me share my thinking with you — then, you can decide for yourself whether you agree or disagree.
First, let me say that I think the launch of Final Cut Pro X was very badly handled. As I’ve written, I don’t think Apple needed to cancel Final Cut Studio (3) as abruptly and coldly as they did. They should have given us more time to make an orderly transition. They were thinking as a technology company, not as editors managing a decade of assets.
Canceling Final Cut Server, even though it was incompatible with Final Cut Pro X, has unnecessarily jeopardized companies building a business on that platform.
Apple never does things accidentally, so they will disagree with me. Probably strongly disagree… I remember a remark one of the people at Apple told me before the launch, in that they were expecting a lot of controversy over the new version of Final Cut Pro.
Well, we can certainly agree about that.
I also think that Apple seriously erred in not providing a conversion utility between Final Cut Pro 7 and FCP X. The one-two punch of canceling FCS (3) and an inability to convert old projects dominated the discussion far more than the merits of FCP X.
Apple will disagree, but the launch did not take the feelings and passion of editors properly into account. And damage was done.
On the other hand, there are some very cool new features in Final Cut Pro X. Some editors are writing and telling me how much they are enjoying the new program. (Just as other editors are writing to tell me, at length, why they are moving to Avid or Adobe.)
There’s a lot of passion on both sides. And both sides have some truth behind them.
But, let’s look at a few more points:
* Apple said in their presentation at NAB that FCP X redefines video editing for the next ten years. There is lots of additional development planned.
* Apple told me that because FCP X is distributed via the App Store, they can update the program much more frequently than when it was sold as a package on DVD.
* Apple wrote in their FAQ that they are already working on adding new features, such as XML and multicam, to the product and releasing updates quickly.
* Apple has stressed that FCP X is designed to provide a feature set for professionals, and not just as an upgrade for iMovie. (I am not saying they MET the needs of professionals, but a look at the architecture of FCP X reveals features that no iMovie user would ever need.)
* However, it is also self-evident that Apple needed to provide a clear and consistent upgrade path to iMovie users who were totally lost trying to understand how Final Cut Express works. Apple feels that it is possible for one product to meet both needs.
As I wrote in an earlier blog – Moving Forward – the first rule of business is to stay in business. All of us should keep an eye on our options. Check out what Avid, Adobe, and Media 100 are offering. If you feel you can’t wait, then switch.
But I would also suggest that many of us would benefit by taking a deep breath and giving Apple a chance to live up to their promises for the program.
Final Cut Studio (3) still works.
It took Avid, Adobe, and Apple many years to evolve their programs to their current feature set. I’m willing to give Apple a few months to get their act together and fix what’s broken with FCP X.
I’m going to stay with Final Cut Pro for a while. Work at learning the new version. Give feedback to Apple on what they need to do to improve things. And share what I learn with you.
Final Cut Pro X has a lot of exciting potential – but, for many of us, that potential is not yet realized.
The burden is on Apple to deliver on their promises, update the program quickly, and repair the damage they did during the launch. The proof is in the program.
If they succeed, great. If not, Avid and Adobe will still be around in six months.
Larry
89 Responses to What Will Larry Do?
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russtafa says:
July 9, 2011 at 2:35 pm
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Franz says:
July 9, 2011 at 3:24 pm
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Ahmed Abouzeid says:
July 9, 2011 at 5:13 pm
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Tom Strong says:
July 9, 2011 at 6:45 pm
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Techwizard says:
July 9, 2011 at 7:43 pm
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ChrisHarlan says:
July 9, 2011 at 9:13 pm
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Eric Emerick says:
July 10, 2011 at 12:03 am
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Bort says:
July 10, 2011 at 3:49 am
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Larry says:
July 10, 2011 at 9:58 am
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Mark Dobson says:
July 10, 2011 at 4:09 am
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Peter Jensen says:
July 10, 2011 at 4:10 am
← Older Comments Newer Comments →Floris,
Yes I used to go to IBC every year but not for the last couple of years.
The really great days were when Apple took centre stage hired their huge area and setup a rack full of XServes and XRaids and gave great demos
You would see people looking in awe when the fibre channel dual light strips in the middle of the XRaid disk arrays would really start to work overtime. There was a real wow factor in the hall those days.
Apple made IBC a great event then pulled out sometime mid 2000 era I think. They were always the Company ‘you really had to go and look at”
One programme I regret never trying was Shake which I heard great reports about. which Apple never really got behind apparently.
I guess Logic Studio is next up but I do not particularly care as I have Protools 9 installed now, but I know a lot of Logic users who are going to be mighty upset if Apple handle Logic the same way they have handled Final Cut 10 release. “Re-invent the way music is made” Do not think so this would cause a major upset, and the fall-out would be quite serious.
Take on board your comments re: Final Cut 10 and it is going to be absolutely great for some people. I am going to use both Final Cut 10 and Premiere, as we say “horses for courses” one size does not fit all.
But I did like Kris’ reference to iMOVIE ’08 watched the Youtube movie and really made me laugh. Sad to see Steve Jobs evident decline in health since though we should all be mindful of that.
… first a quick point:
[Larry] “What’s become obvious over the last week, is that the way the Final Cut Pro X launch was handled has totally overshadowed the features of Final Cut Pro X.”
This is the usual story of Apple’s launches – buzz over features. It’s just that in this case, the buzz is bad.
But I wanted to write about a deeper point (since it is apparent from reading your posts, Larry, that your waffling has yet to be really resolved):
Personally I find it difficult to take the approach of “wait and see”, “there’s promise here”, “… it just needs to be updated”.
I think a common experience of editors using FCP in the past few years has been a real disappointment in the quality and depth of updates (FCP 7 certainly, but for myself I was disappointed with the V6 release). This has been vaguely answered with promises that the “big rewrite” was coming and promises that the better update was just around the corner.
This goes back to your post on accountability – how much slack does this company deserve at this point, while I’m trying make my decisions?
dear Larry ,
since along time and we are waiting apple and new upgrade for final cut pro 7 , then after all this time ( since the date of releasing fcp3 ) why they push FCP X like that ? , all last time not enough to apple to make anew software from scratch …..
and as what you said ( they were expecting a lot of controversy over the new version of Final Cut Pro ) so they know about all missing features between FCP X and the old one and they know so many editors will disagree about that , so the question why they push it now ? we can wait another time to see great application not to feel our hear beats with every comment about FCP X since last 21 of june …. and thank u
Larry, your over the top nasty commentary and the end of this week’s production buzz has moved this 6 year listener of that podcast to unsubscribe. It went way downhill after you took it over anyway.
Wow, the guys at Apple convinced you to give em 6 months.
That must have shown you something that swayed you. Anything you can share?
Larry, I’ve been very impressed with the balanced and ethical stand you’ve taken through this whole thing. Given your placement in the events of the last few months, you must feel as if you have been placed at the center of a giant pair of pliers.
Thank you very much for being who you are. You’ve certainly earned my respect, and, I’m guessing I speak for many, many others.
I just love it when chaos is created, as it seems to be with FCPX. Most of us have had far worse happen to us in our lives, relatively speaking. The fact is that FCP 7 is still around, so no one should get hurt too badly, that’s good. I like it when my life gets shaken up a bit by external forces, it tends to breed creativity and excitement. Looks like the fight or flight complex to some degree, I like to fight.
Larry, does FCP X have anything like multiple sequences within the one project? I haven’t sprung for it yet and I’d like to know about this before I decide what to do.
Bort, FCP X supports an unlimited number of projects, but only one sequence per project.
However, Philip Hodgetts is speculating that Lion could change that.
Larry
Larry,
Well this post is a bit more balanced and considered. I’ve just posted a longish response to your last post which compared to this was a real diatribe.
But that surely is the great thing about blogs. Get things off your chest, or in the words of Bruce Cockburn ‘open up the window let the bad air out . .’
Keep them coming
It might no be clear but there are much more important stuff going on that “just” an upgrade that isn´t done yet.
When Apple dropped their X-Servers they made it pretty clear where they are heading.
When Apple dropped Shake, they did the same.
Finally with FCP X the editors woke up and got the same treatment that their colleagues within the mac world already have felt before.
There is no doubt in my mind that anyone that still trusts Apple to supply them with professional solutions within this field of business is either extremely naive or stupid fanboys.
The trust is gone and at least we got lucky and didn´t invest in a new FCP suite before FCP X was released, Avid gets that sale now.