Weighing in on FCP X

Everything that could be said about this release of Apple's popular non-linear editing software Final Cut Pro, probably has been said, so I'm going to keep my assessment simple. 

The Good

• 64-bit rewrite means the system is capable of powerful processing. Theoretically this system should be able to chew up video no problem. 
• Apple is a company that likes slick design, and the UI in FCP X is not the NLE UI your dad used to use back in the day. With Magnetic timeline, new media organization, and countless other new features, FCP X just looks and feels different than any other professional NLE.
• The price. $299. But there's also some bad in this, so don't get too excited yet.
• They continue to democratize the tools that once only the privileged few, namely professionals with studios, could afford. Theoretically, they are enabling a whole new generation of editors, artists, filmmakers, etc. to create without limitation. 

The Bad

• Sorry to jump right into the bad, but still waiting to add some more lines to the good section, once Apple addresses some of the issues I'm about to list.
• If you had to pin the overwhelmingly poor reaction Apple has received on this release on something, I would have to say it's the way it has been presented. I understand they wanted to get it out there, as a large number of potential purchasers would be mostly happy with the feature set. That would be fine with a new product, but this is a continuation of a product that has been marketed to professionals for twelve years now. Without people like Walter Murch, one of the most well-known editors ever getting behind the product who knows if it would have reached the top of the mountain. The point being that they needed to give their professional community (post houses, feature film editors, studios, news editors, doc editors, etc) a better roadmap of where they are heading, some rough timelines for getting there, etc. Even educational facilities are being affected by this, which leads to:
• Apple cannot kill FCP 7. They need to phase it out over time, but not immediately like they have. Very bad move and one of the reasons they have really made people nervous. This had led some, including myself to wonder the following:
• Is it better to choose a company like Avid or Adobe who have shown commitment to the professional market or a company like Apple who is unclear about that niche market, and is 100% clear about its consumer market? I think everyone is asking themselves this right now, and some may decide to stick with Apple, which could end up being a perfectly valid choice. FCP X may be  a very different app six months from now. Apple has indicated there is still a lot to be added, either by them or by third parties, which brings me to:
• I understand Apple's a company that holds everything very close to the vest. But FCP is a product that has so many third parties involved, it was a terrible mistake to hold them at bay until the last moment. Now, a lot of them are scrambling to support it and it's a big part of why people are disappointed. If from day one, you could get HD-SDI out from an AJA or Black Magic I/O card, it would certainly indicate a commitment to the professional market. Instead, AJA had to put out a half-baked I/O solution. Apple, you screwed up here. Had all of your trusted partners been involved from the get go, you would have been able to launch with a bunch of support and it would have been impressive and people may have been more patient with some of the new concepts and interface you have created.
• The price. I think this is a bit deceiving. $299 gets you the FCP X download from the app store. But Compressor and Motion have to be purchased separately for $50 a pop. Add onto that Automatic Duck if you want to export AAF or OMF. And Apple has indicated this will be the norm. Third parties providing solutions, which translates to more money. Suddenly FCP Studio at $995 is starting to sound like a bargain, considering it came with a lot of stuff built in, and multiple applications.
• Apple has failed to communicate properly, and even their attempt today was a bit weak. http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/faq/

So, what to do now. I guess wake up from this dream that has been Final Cut Pro and start to evaluate our needs. What formats do we work with regularly, how do we interface with other professionals such as colorists, sound mixers, VXF, etc? What do we expect to get out of our NLE over the next couple of years? Does the company providing these tools see us as a valued customer, or a download order #? Who's the most in tune with what editors need and want? How well do they work with third parties to integrate hardware and software solutions? These are the questions I have asked myself this week, and I have decided that at least in the short-term, I will need to move on to the other two A's in the editing triumvirate. One of those is an old friend, and the other is a more recent acquaintance. We'll see where those relationships go. In the meantime I will check up on FCP X to follow its development, and will continue to use FCP 7 when appropriate. The one good thing to come out of this - it's affordable to own all three, something that was much more difficult back in the day. 

I will conclude with this thought- it's very good for all of us that there are three companies duking it out, because in the end it means better tools for all of us.

Comments

[lubomir1991]

Final Cut Pro?? Not good soft... FineCutter PRO more better!
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