Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 596 Location: Tallahassee, FL
Final Cut X
While it is too soon for any definitive statements, the new FCP X looks very interesting. Definitely not "iMovie Pro", though the interface has a resemblance very little of what was demonstrated is in iMovie, from what I recall (it's been a while).
I just watched a decent recording from the Supermeet (thanks for the link, Stu) and I have to say if it works as well out of the box as it did in the presentation it will certainly streamline MY Final Cut workflow. The CC matching in particular looks pretty cool, and Auditioning will be a big help with clients.
And no rendering? Really? Even on older Macs? No transcoding necessary? Cool. (Though I'd still want to transcode to ProRes or Cineform for heavy effects or CC projects.)
Lots of things I still want to know, but for $300 and coming in June I won't be jumping to Avid or Premiere Pro just yet.
And if Apple is still looking to add features, a way to roundtrip to AE would be cool...
Joined: 01 Jan 2009 Posts: 153 Location: Australia
Good summary Jamie, and yeah, pretty much same as I'm thinking right now. My only real worry is no mention as of yet about plug-in support. Thing I'm hoping for the most is prevention of gamma shifting in various versions of QT, particularly on web exports- a new release of QT would be really nice! I concur on the AE exporting, not holding my breath though.
Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 596 Location: Tallahassee, FL
Hi, Deere,
Yeah, the plug-in question is a big one for me.
As far as the gamma shift issue, it sounded like that is gone, since they spoke specifically about the pixel level ColorSync color acccuracy and linear color space through the entire pipeline. Check out the early part of the video when he switches to the C with the tools across it on the screen, and let me know what you think. I'm curious if I am understanding that correctly.
Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 857 Location: SouthBay -- L.A.
I for one an jazzed on it - 64 bit at last. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt for now that the graphic changes will boost productivity, no doubt all the keystrokes are still there. I'm sure it's not going to turn out to be a glorified imovie (all those internet pundits worrying about this are wankers - seems to be lots of good stuff we've been asking for. I will be purchasing as soon as it's released.
Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:26 am
crashandannie
Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 596 Location: Tallahassee, FL
I hope Apple's got their servers ready. I have a feeling they will be getting a workout on release day.
It looks a lot like iMovie. But hey it gets rid of those pesky render bars!
_________________ STFU and make movies.
Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:38 pm
crashandannie
Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 596 Location: Tallahassee, FL
Well, after some time working with FCPX, I can honestly say...
It isn't ready for fully pro use YET, but the bones are there to make this THE editing app for the future. It is much faster than anything else I have used (once I got the hang of it), and while there are some hiccups and some issues with laying back to tape, XML export, etc., these are not so dire with much of my work (web video, events, etc.). Many of the complaints heard around are valid, but many are not (no, it doesn't do multicam editing like FCP7, but neither did FCP5. So I am cutting like that for a 2-cam shoot, just much much faster).
I will continue to work with both FCPX and FCP7. I see no reason at this point to abandon FCP, as 7 still works just as it did last month and I really don't want to spend another couple thousand dollars to get software and back up to speed on PP or Avid. I suspect that many of the editors who are switching at this point will be back in a couple of years once the platform stabilizes and more third party apps become available. And true multicam and XML return.
The lack of XML in FCPX is my biggest headache, as it makes roundtripping to AE more of a challenge. But there wasn't a really good export to AE a couple of years ago, either, so... old-school for some things, new for others! But even with the workarounds, FCPX flies, and I have had no crash issues yet (knock on wood).
So there you have it. In my opinion, much of the upset isn't about the app itself, but the feeling that Apple has abandoned its pro users. Time will tell on that point, of course, but I will remain an FCP user... for now.
Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 857 Location: SouthBay -- L.A.
I'm going to learn Premier, after many years in FC (started with FC4) rather disappointed in Apple. As you say it may become a pro app again, but I'm not holding my breath. And looking forward to the integration of AE and Premier.
Premier is very complex, compared to the slightly earlier versions of FCP. However, no duck is required to export a cuts-only edit into AE with each shot in a different layer.
Since I use Magic Bullet to set up all opticals, there's no loss of functionality in the workflow I've evolved.
AE loses audio synch with projects more than 2 - 3 minutes in duration. What I've been doing is to export short scenes and hook them up end-to-end in FCP, but now, the end-to-end assembly will probably have to be done in Premier.
Once the movie is a single file, Compressor has no problem making a single .m2v of a size to fit a DVD. The Adobe compression module may function just fine, but I haven't figured out how to make it work, proving that I'm an amateur engineer.
**
As to the limitations of FCP-X: the few pro magazines I've seen have all totally panned it, and one said that Apple was actually giving refunds to people who'd bought it. My guess is that Apple will keep the new user interface (whatever improvement that may have been), and add back the professional facilities that they had taken out.
Of course, a seamless integration with AE would be wonderful, but for _that_, I'm not holding my breath.
-- Paul
Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:08 am
crashandannie
Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 596 Location: Tallahassee, FL
I can certainly see why "pro" magazines would pan FCPX. It lacks some of the things that pros (meaning those in the mainstream broadcast or film industries) require for integrated workflows with other high end programs, such as XML or OMF, tape control, proper time coding, etc. (Apple has said all these things are coming, BTW.) But for those who work mostly for the web, these aren't such big issues.
I think the big problem with FCPX is that Apple totally botched the release. They led expectations to be one way, and did not deliver as expected, leaving many people bewildered and hurt. Then the famous Apple "cone of silence" kicked in, and they didn't leap to address the issues immediately which led to the rumors that they were "abandoning the pro market". And since our world of production is really pretty small, the outcry seemed all-encompassing when for the big picture it barely made a ripple. (A friend of mine, who reps Apple to schools, hadn't even heard about the level of complaining - outside of the production community itself this was not big news. Yes, it made Conan, but it was the editors who put that together, not the man himself.) So Apple screwed up big time, and is now stuck with damage control such as giving out refunds. (Interesting report from the Boston FCPUG I read yesterday had one attendee getting the refund, then really starting to use FCPX and now loves it.)
The best thing to do in my mind is take a wait-and-see position. Stay with FCP7, switch to Avid or Premiere, whatever, but keep an eye on FCPX. Heck, it may be cheap enough to buy and play with while you use something else for your bread and butter. FCPX IS different. It has a learning curve. And personally, if Apple learns from the mistakes of the release, adds the missing "pro" functionality, and starts doing it right, FCPX will be the go-to NLE in a few years. Kind of like the original FCP did a few years back.
Just my opinions, of course, and Lord knows I've been wrong before! But I have really been enjoying working with FCPX. And I have all the old functionality in FCP7 if I need it, so I'm content at the moment to wait... and watch... and learn... and see.
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- seems to be lots of good stuff we've been asking for. I will be purchasing as soon as it's released.