NEW FCP is 4k and only $299

[Alexander Ibrahim]

My take is that Apple took a huge gamble here on Randy Ubilos' vision of the future in the same ways they've taken huge gambles on Jonathan Ive's vision of the future.

I applaud that, regardless of if I like the outcome.

Seriously - we need companies to innovate, and innovation takes guts.

Time will tell if that gamble pays off. Personally, I liked iMovie HD much better than iMovie 8.

You are entitled to your opinion of course, but I disagree.

I like the current version of iMovie better than Final Cut Pro or the earlier interface in iMovie.

What I think happens though is that people conflate the value of an interface with the fundamental capabilities of the application underneath.

There is no question in my mind that while Apple took a huge interface leap forward with iMovie, they also really restricted its capabilities. Its definitely a less capable editor than the last iMovie versions before the interface change.

Frankly, I see Apple's point. iMovie was getting too complex - too professional. It was definitely satisfying more potential user needs, but at the expense of making life more complicated for people who jsut want to slap together a vacation video or a few minutes of their kids birthday party.

iMovie was never intended for us, it was never supposed to approach a professional tool.

Now some of the interface cues from iMovie are available in a tool that is supposed to be professional in its fundamental capabilities.

Yesterday, I tried to edit a movie in iMovie on my iPhone and just couldn't deal with the UI. I quickly went back to ReelDirector which is much more intuitive.

Really? More intuitive? I doubt it deeply and profoundly.

Its that you are a professional editor, and you already have a strong skill set, and familiarity with products that do things the "Avid Way" which, let's face it, is what every professional NLE has done until now. With good reason.

So, you have to not only learn a new interface ... you have to UN-learn a skill set so practiced its almost muscle memory. That isn't going to be easy, and its going to take discipline on your part.

Perhaps I should say OUR part.

Intuitive? That's another matter. Hand FCP 7 or Media Composer 5.5 to a grade school kid who's never used an NLE of any sort before see how long it takes them to learn, on their own without instruction or training materials, to become productive.

Repeat the experiment with FCP X. That's intuitive.

In Mr. Ubilos' defense, he is the guy who led the first team that created Premiere, then left Adobe and led the team who created what is now Final Cut Pro.

Personally, I don't think the new Final Cut Pro X UI will catch on. Randy Ubilos must think it is a superior workflow but just because a UI is better, doesn't mean it will ever become the standard. They really should have created two UI options in preferences and let users decide.

So, wait ... you want to bet against APPLE on interface design?

Your argument cites the fact that the lead developer is also the one who had a key part in turning a similar products interface and market prospects around?

I'd bet you a complete Red Epic M 3D rig, including Optimo lenses and cameras- but I think it would feel too much like stealing from you.

I also suspect they may have inadvertently and irreversibly undermined the "brand value" of FCP to professionals by pricing it too low.

That is the most profoundly stupid and short sighted attitude I've ever seen in a professional.

I've seen it with ravings that Red cameras are "too cheap" as well.

You fundamentally need to decide: Are you in the business of motion picture editorial, or editing suite rental.

I urge you to examine the example of writers. The printing press and invention of cheap methods of creating paper & pencil - later word processing didn't stamp them out of existence.

In fact real writers have proliferated, and their earnings during their working life have increased dramatically. Any third rate novelist today earns far more than Shakespeare did.

No ... cheaper better tools is just better for any industry.

Of course you'll have to compete on your skills, not your tool box.

 

[Liam Hall]

OK, so you are only talking about gamma issues between apps on the same computer? Fair enough. That is not my biggest issue, though. I guess we can say there are gamma bugs, plural.

Yes, kind of. My belief is if it's right on my system it will be near enough on most others. I hope...

BTW Larry Jordan's posted his thoughts. Of all the self-proclaimed gurus out there, I've always kind of liked Larry:

http://www.larryjordan.biz/app_bin/wordpress/archives/1452

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

The gamma bug shifts the gamma across multiple systems/platforms/programs - everything. I've solved the issue between programs on my own but when I put out an h264 for client viewing it looks different whether they view it in Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Explorer. This is the issue that needs to be solved, and I don't think Colorsync does anything to address that...

No ... of all the applications you mentioned, only Safari pays any attention to calibration profiles and ColorSync.

Notably FCP doesn't use colorsync.

The real goal is for all of us to use ACES IIF and the ASC CDL for delivery in our work ... and as we always have just ignore the uncalibrated displays.

The fundamental problem for Final Cut Studio users is that color appears different throughout the various suite applications. If you do a comp in Motion, and look at the result in Color ... you may be shocked.

My workflow is simple .... I calibrate the displays as best I can for different applications ... but I only get concerned with color accuracy in my final delivery product- either FCP or more often now Color.

Clients should be responsible for understanding and using color correct systems. If they can't use such systems they should at least understand the ramifications of not doing so!

 

[Darrell Moore]

I think the rigidity of mindset exhibited by a lot of folks in this forum under the guise of their "professionalism" is exactly why Apple is routing around them to get to the next generation of creatives. And please stop with the FUD about the gamma shift in QuickTime. 32-bit QuickTime is dead. This program uses the new AV Foundations frameworks (helpfully back ported to Snow Leopard, which is why FCP X is not Lion only).

 

[Mark Allen]

My thoughts:

I didn't like imovie until I used it and then I warmed up to it. But this really doesn't look like imovie to me other than a couple basic things. I think the really impressive part of what they showed is in the focus to actual real world work flow. Everything they showed made sense to me and some of them are things I've been really wishing existed for years.

I actually very much welcome a switch to a singular app if they end up going that way. would love to see motion and shake functionalities incorporated. Soundtrack pro - ABSOLUTELY should be incorporated as I have always felt that this app sort of didn't find it's place (though, like imovie, I warmed up to it after using it some).

The great thing is that if it is junk for some reason, then there is always premiere as an option.

From what I hear, reps are saying they didn't really show everything - just enough to let people know it was coming for sure and give a sense of what it was. I suspect there will be a surprise or two when they actually release it.

I like that they lowered the price and recognized that it's great if the consumer and pro are actually using the exact same application.

Besides, I think most people don't use FCP express and use cracked copies of FCP anyway - so what's the point of having express if you can price something down to capture those who are willing to pay.

 

[Fredrik Harreschou]

Its that you are a professional editor, and you already have a strong skill set, and familiarity with products that do things the "Avid Way" which, let's face it, is what every professional NLE has done until now. With good reason.

So, you have to not only learn a new interface ... you have to UN-learn a skill set so practiced its almost muscle memory. That isn't going to be easy, and its going to take discipline on your part.

It´s not "almost muscle memory". It´s all about muscle memory in pro apps. And a GUI that is clean and well layed out without clutter. With shortcuts for everything and the tools you need the most no more than a click away. And as you say, "what every professional NLE has done until now. With good reason." Because it works. And because editors are (or at least be given the room to be) artists. There is a reason that most software developers in our industry are very careful with interface changes. We use these tools every day, every week of the year and they are like extensions of our bodies and brains.

When it comes to the systems/apps I use every day, I want them only to change so gradually I don´t notice. Adobe, Autodesk, Assimilate, Avid etc all know this.

 

[Jake Bastian]

I think the rigidity of mindset exhibited by a lot of folks in this forum under the guise of their "professionalism" is exactly why Apple is routing around them to get to the next generation of creatives. And please stop with the FUD about the gamma shift in QuickTime. 32-bit QuickTime is dead. This program uses the new AV Foundations frameworks (helpfully back ported to Snow Leopard, which is why FCP X is not Lion only).

This is what I'm trying to say. I don't think the solution will become apparent until the announcement of Quicktime Pro X and the axing of QT Pro 7.

 

[Fredrik Harreschou]

I think the rigidity of mindset exhibited by a lot of folks in this forum under the guise of their "professionalism" is exactly why Apple is routing around them to get to the next generation of creatives. And please stop with the FUD about the gamma shift in QuickTime. 32-bit QuickTime is dead. This program uses the new AV Foundations frameworks (helpfully back ported to Snow Leopard, which is why FCP X is not Lion only).

I am sure the next generation will be just fine. Unfortunately I am a "rigid professional" that struggle with this today. And describing a meaningful discussion on gamma issues in QT as FUD? Hehe.

 

[Jake Bastian]

I am sure the next generation will be just fine. Unfortunately I am a "rigid professional" that struggle with this today. And describing a meaningful discussion on gamma issues in QT as FUD? Hehe.

Agreed on the FUD, however as far as struggling with a new interface I think we're approaching a leap in the industry similar to moving from Linear editing systems to NLEs so I'll take the learning curve and unfamiliar workspace if it means I get better results, quicker.

 

[Fredrik Harreschou]

Agreed on the FUD, however as far as struggling with a new interface I think we're approaching a leap in the industry similar to moving from Linear editing systems to NLEs so I'll take the learning curve and unfamiliar workspace if it means I get better results, quicker.

Sure, I would too. I have always needed and been happy to learn how to use new tools. And I will continue to. If FCPx actually represent a new way of editing content, it will succeed.

EDIT: If FCPx actually represent a new AND BETTER way of editing content, it will succeed.

 

[michael zaletel]

Hi Alexander:

You make excellent points. Not a good idea to bet against Apple on UI design or their pricing logic. As I said, time will tell and I'll enjoy watching.

If nothing else, at least I win your award for having "the most profoundly stupid and short sighted attitude you've ever seen in a professional". That's got to be hard to do.

Read the reviews for iMovie vs. ReelDirector in iTunes for yourself. Try editing a movie in both and let me know what you think.

-michael zaletel

 

[shashbugu]

Hi Alexander:

You make excellent points. Not a good idea to bet against Apple on UI design or their pricing logic. As I said, time will tell and I'll enjoy watching.

If nothing else, at least I win your award for having "the most profoundly stupid and short sighted attitude you've ever seen in a professional". That's got to be hard to do.

-michael zaletel

@Michael, time will indeed tell. From what I'm reading all over twitter, everyone is wowed by the FCPX demo, the pricing is smart @$299, but if the change is as radical as was most traditional paying editors will be abandoning FCPX version 1.0 in the short run until they can develop the skill set to edit with it. I'm only reporting whats on twitter. A few of the tools like audioning are to die for, but for the most part 60% of the new features already exist in other NLE's or can be easily implemented. Apple is changing the traditional art and technigue of editing and thats the problem people are having. Change is always very good, but takes awhile for people to accept.

 

[michael zaletel]

@Michael, time will indeed tell. From what I'm reading all over twitter, everyone is wowed by the FCPX demo, the pricing is smart @$299, but if the change is as radical as was most traditional paying editors will be abandoning FCPX version 1.0 in the short run until they can develop the skill set to edit with it. I'm only reporting whats on twitter. A few of the tools like audioning are to die for, but for the most part 60% of the new features already exist in other NLE's or can be easily implemented. Apple is changing the traditional art and technigue of editing and thats the problem people are having. Change is always very good, but takes awhile for people to accept.

I am watching the demo now on Vimeo. The prior accounts and screenshots didn't do it justice. It is better in many ways. It will take some time to get used to but it will be worth it.

Ability to keyword sections of clips will be a huge timesaver for me and the magnetic timeline and conditional tracks will be sweet. Pitch corrected audio skimming is nice. Color Match is "magical" .

-michael zaletel

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

Hi Alexander:
...

If nothing else, at least I win your award for having "the most profoundly stupid and short sighted attitude you've ever seen in a professional". That's got to be hard to do.

Yeah ... about that ...

Sometimes I'm a bit hyperbolic. This time I was clearly overboard. Worse, I spilled a growing frustration with a huge chunk of our industry on YOU, and you can't possibly deserve it.

So, I apologize.

I stand by what I said, I do think its a profoundly bad argument in many ways, but I was wrong to aim my criticism at you - after all you are in distinguished company.

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

If ColorSync is anything like Adobe's ICC handling then it'll just add one more blackbox layer of horror to a color pipeline. I finally and thankfully learned how to disable color profiles in photoshop and have been all the happier ever since.

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

I think the rigidity of mindset exhibited by a lot of folks in this forum under the guise of their "professionalism" is exactly why Apple is routing around them to get to the next generation of creatives. And please stop with the FUD about the gamma shift in QuickTime. 32-bit QuickTime is dead. This program uses the new AV Foundations frameworks (helpfully back ported to Snow Leopard, which is why FCP X is not Lion only).

FUD about the gamma shift!? Quicktime murders color. Especially H264 quicktime. There is no 64 bit QT for windows. Quicktime deserves every bit of criticism it receives and then some.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

Apple is changing the traditional art and technigue of editing and thats the problem people are having. Change is always very good, but takes awhile for people to accept.

I disagree with this point.

Apple isn't changing the art of anything.

They are fundamentally just trying very hard to get the technology out of the way so we can actually practice our art, as opposed to manually keeping clips in sync and constantly creating clips and sequences and nesting them in order to keep some semblance of order.

All in all, my experience as a computer scientist, IT consultant and computer troubleshooter figure all too prominently in my work as an editor, and that just isn't right. I'm not even talking about when FCP crashes or there is some disk trouble - I'm talking about simply using the NLE. This much is true in all NLE's today.

June will present us with a fundamental shift though, and one that is more friendly towards the art of editing.

I would be VERY afraid if I was a mere post production technician. Not to cast aspersions, but I think a lot of colleagues are exactly that, and I think some people erroneously think of themselves that way. I think that represents a great deal of the "screaming."

For the rest of us, I think something Michael Zalatel said is instructive: the accounts and screenshots didn't do the program justice.

 

[shashbugu]

I would be VERY afraid if I was a mere post production technician. Not to cast aspersions, but I think a lot of colleagues are exactly that, and I think some people erroneously think of themselves that way. I think that represents a great deal of the "screaming."

.

Explain. You seem to have an insight into FCPX that no one else has.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

No. It uses colorsync - one of many reasons I quite like the look of this new version.

Yeah, it's supposed to be color-managed the whole way through. ...Unfortunately, we still don't know if it will screw up your gamma the whole way through or not. To me, the ColorSync integration is big news, but so is the apparent support for native formats and not being reliant on QT. That's where 99% of the gamma issues lie, with QT.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

For those wondering if the "Gamma Bug" made it to Apple's desk all these years, the answer is yes. They heard it loud and clear from many sources, including some very respected sources. If you are writing a program from the ground up, and you know there has been this nagging problem that has plagued your pipeline for a long time, like any smart company you make sure that gets fixed. You don't want something like that to tarnish the laundry list of good things you're doing. So, I think we can deduce that Apple has taken steps to solve this. I have not used FCP-X, so I can't assure you that everything is working flawlessly but I would say there's a good chance the old gamma type of "bugs" are gone.