There are about 85 emails in my in-box this morning with links to a speech I gave at the April Final Cut Pro User Group about my reactions to Apple’s presentation of Final Cut at NAB.
While I stand by most of my remarks, there was one unfortunate moment where I said, with a special dramatic emphasis for the crowd, that Final Cut Pro X was not ready for professional use.
I believed that then. I don’t believe it now.
When I made that presentation to the LAFCPUG, it was the week after NAB; a week after Apple presented the new version of Final Cut to the world. When I watched that presentation, I was watching it through the prism of my experience with Final Cut Pro 7 and all I knew about the application was what Apple showed on stage in their demo.
How could anything that radically different equal what we already had in Final Cut Pro 7?
I knew this new version was far more than iMovie – but, at that time, I didn’t think it was Final Cut Pro, either.
Its no secret that Apple gave me rare access to the software by inviting me to a demo of an early build of the software in February this year. However, what is not known, is that they also gave me permission to contact their development team to discuss the new version.
After NAB, and after my presentation at that April LAFCPUG meeting, I finally had time to follow-up on Apple’s offer. And I did. A lot.
I peppered them with questions:
• Why did Apple decide to totally reinvent the interface?
• Why did Apple feel they couldn’t simply do an incremental improvement to what we already had?
• Why did they only talk about Final Cut Pro?
• Why did they add the features they did?
• Why did they not mention others?
• What did they view as the future of editing, and who did they see doing the work?
While I can’t tell you what Apple told me until after the NDA lifts with the release of the product, I can tell you that what I learned during those conversations has completely changed my opinion.
Because so many of us base our lives on this software – both creatively and financially – there is a lot of stress whenever a new version comes out. Especially a radically different new version.
I understand, I feel the same stress.
But I no longer feel, as I once thought, that this is a step backward. Based on what I learned during my conversations with Apple, I believe this release provides us with an opportunity for a large step forward.
Now, we just have to wait and see what Apple ships.
For many of us, this will be a giant leap into something truly exciting. There is a lot of news to share and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.
That day can’t come soon enough.
Larry
36 Responses to Wiping Egg Off My Face
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Lawrence Jordan says:
June 16, 2011 at 9:59 pm
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Chris Harlan says:
June 16, 2011 at 11:47 pm
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Tracy Valleau says:
June 17, 2011 at 2:48 am
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robertdee says:
June 17, 2011 at 2:54 am
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Erik says:
June 17, 2011 at 3:22 am
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Arthur Donald says:
June 17, 2011 at 6:21 am
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MIchel says:
June 17, 2011 at 7:05 am
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adabis says:
June 17, 2011 at 7:35 am
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Robert Womack says:
June 17, 2011 at 9:55 am
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Steve says:
June 17, 2011 at 10:20 am
← Older Comments Newer Comments →Mr. Jordan,
You are far too wise and knowledgeable (probably the most knowledgeable person on the planet about FCP) to have egg on your face. You made a statement with the knowledge you possessed at the time and I think everyone with an interest in the future of FCP is grateful for that.
Apple is making a very, very bold move with this new incarnation of it’s flagship digital video editing software, but that’s the kind of company they are and with the exception of the few years it was run by Sculley and Amelio, the kind of company they have always been.
They’re taking a chance. The ideas are incredibly bold. Will they have success on the first pass? We’ll see. But unquestionably, as we enter a new era of socially shared, democratic video creation. FCP X will be another paradigm shifting product.
The marketplace will take care of the “pros”, they do this for a living and have always figured a way to make things work if they want to survive. But as far as “the rest of us” are concerned, what I’ve seen of the product holds incredible promise. If not immediately for those doing 100 million dollar movies, most definitely for those who will make the blockbusters and social and culturally relevant media in the future.
Thanks for all your great work for the community!
Best,
Lawrence “Larry” Jordan (not you :-))
http://hollywoodreinvented.com
I watched the video today, and I didn’t take it as full of doom. What you said was just common sense. And, good business practice. NO WAY would I interrupt my current workflow with so completely new a version. I’ll play with it, bend it and try to break it the day it comes out, but even if it is self-generatingly brilliant, I will not disrupt my current workflow until I know for certain how I–and the post houses nearby–are going to use it, and that it is solid for my purposes. With normal upgrades, I wait until I have a clear break in production–usually a month or two after release–and with this, it will probably be longer. Doesn’t mean I can’t put it on an old Macbook Pro and start playing around.
As a video editor, I’m looking forward to it, and I will be buying it at once. I’ll also be installing it on a second bootable drive before making any big both-feet leap.
As a programmer of some 36 years, I can tell you that all software contains bugs. Period. 1.0 releases are (in the better houses, like Apple) beat to death until everyone can’t see straight anymore, and the returns have seriously diminished on in-house testing. Time comes when you just have to throw it out there to tens of thousands of users, instead of the 200 or so you’ve been using. That will find a huge rush of issues, and when they slow down, a 1.0.1 release will come out.
That’s not the nature of editing software; that’s the nature of ALL software.
No editor who’s getting paid should switch horses in the middle of a project; anyone who does is a fool. But if you’re between cuts, or have a second drive, you bet! Grab it and find some stuff that’s broken. Report it. Help make it better, sooner.
Personally: I’ve just finished cutting a film on Wynn Bullock, the photographer. I’ve got everything right at hand, and so, for play with the new X, I’ll move it over and see how it goes.
Sorta hope no one hires me right away, so I’ll have time to play, and decide whether or not to tackle the next project in FCPX.
Hi Larry,
Thanks for the clarification. As a user since 1.3, FCP is my livelihood. I am, however, an early adopter and think its essential that software changes to keep up with technological developments and simply to improve things. I’ve been looking forward to the new version (I don’t pay attention to experts who haven’t seen the product) and was a bit crestfallen to see these videos yesterday. Great to have it clarified and put into context, particularly with regards to when the comments were made. I don’t want to get conspiratorial but they obviously have a bigger impact a week before release than three weeks before when they can be clarified before the product launch. Looking forward to the app and your comments on it once the NDA is lifted.
I don’t understand all that commotion anyway. If there is a new version (or upgrade for that matter) of your software, then the sensible thing to do is TESTING BEFORE DEPLOYING.
You DO NOT CHANGE THE SOFTWARE during the work on a project. Same as you do not change the firmware on your RED (or any other camera) while shooting a movie, or would you?
Take a deep breath everyone! Your old FCP won’t disappear in some magical way, right? So do what you always did, keep working with what you know and test with the new arrival. When the new version is mature enough and you feel that you would benefit from switching, do it.
It is that easy.™
Sorry for ranting, but I had to get this off my chest. Happy editing everyone. 😉
The safe thing to say was that it wasn’t ready… and it wasn’t… it wasn’t available yet! Saying it is now sounds like your backtracking on a statement that you didn’t need too… perhaps some just took it way out of context.
You are now the FcpX prophet and we all hang on your words!
Hi there Larry… I understand what you said first (the caution statement) and I also understand that you had the chance to discuss the issues you raised with Apple’s FCX development team… You obtained answers and got reassurance… I take it that you should have posted comment / wrote article on you being reassured by what you learned AFTER the fact instead of having the FCP fans / users and community worried about the product they would get or the purchase they decided to postpone based on your comments…. Not an easy position to be in but definitely fair for all to have made the correction to reassure… us!
to be honest, I watched those clips from fcp.co and they were the most rounded and considered opinions I’ve seen, especially after wild speculations and rumour mill expectations going around.
it’s someone trying to help a community out and getting slammed for doing so, and I might add it was a cheap shot for fcp.co to sensationalise the post title.
as you were Larry, no apology needed here.
In the published remarks, your point was that Apple has a poor track record with .0 releases. At least that was the way I took it, and I think it’s a good and valid point. Now you’re saying that without actually using the software, but having spoken with the development team, that the software is ready for primetime? Forgive me for being blunt, but I’m skeptical.
I liked what you said about switching – how many clients do you have that demand that you use the latest version of the software? I’ll be wowed when I get my hands on the software and use it for an actual project with a deadline (although probably for an internal project, not for a client)! Until then, it still looks like iMovie Pro, and I remain a skeptic.
It was startling to hear that from Larry because, let’s be honest, Larry really can’t be very negative about Apple and FCPX without risking losing his “blessing” of being in the Apple fold. I’m not saying Larry won’t be critical of FCPX when it is released and is more iMovie than FCP7 but for the real hard-edged analysis we’ll have to look elsewhere.