Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X with Multicam Support, Advanced Chroma Keying, and XML Support

[zync]

Any of these idiots claiming to be professional editors are completely full of crap when they say that so many people moved away from Final Cut. We're talking about an industry here where the companies who started on Avid stuck with Avid, and in many cases stuck with the same version of Avid, for YEARS past when "everyone" else switched to Final Cut. Hell, most Avid editors I've talked to openly admit that Final Cut is a better product. They simply keep what they have because that's what they're comfortable with using.

That's the impression that I get out of everyone I've met in the industry. And certainly it's what I've experienced. Although I did use Premiere in college. And of course I hated that POS so I switched to FCP as soon as it was available. Then everyone was saying that Premiere got a little better, but I never took a second look and neither did most others.

And you're right, most people don't care unless there's an established workflow to deal with. If your software fits in, no one gives a crap. At least that has been my experience in most places. And for the record, almost everything I deliver is in Quicktime, but I'm mainly a freelance motion graphics guy (though I'm still a good editor).

A lot of places are practically tapeless these days using DG and the like. Unfortunately, everyone wants something different. A cool service would be something that you can put an uncompressed video up and it converts on the fly so that people can download it in whatever format they want. One day that'll happen. Not with today's tech though.

 

[chirpie]

Anyone who says different is most likely working in news broadcast or reality tv where they should be ashamed to call themselves editors for all the fast and sloppy work they do.

I'm not a fan of these belittling statements. It undermines any point that preceded it.

I personally do not watch Reality TV, I think it's gutter media candy, but to say there's no skill for the editor that handles the task is mis-informed.

It may actually be one of the purest forms of taking shot footage and making something out of nothing, all through the power of editing. And the timelines are brutal.

Just because you're not a fan of the final product, doesn't mean there wasn't talent behind it in one form or another.

 

[milo]

Um, they did. On day one actually.

Absolutely wrong. The whole reason for the backlash was that apple gave zero info on release day. The only reason they finally came out with a public statement a week or two later was because they were getting so much bad press.

If you really think they had that info on release day, link a source backing that up.

So you didn't say Apple REMOVED features from the app?

Yes, that's exactly what happened.

Feature X is in version N.
Feature X is not in version N+1

The only way that's not removing a feature from an app is if you're somehow redefining the english language.

And of course removing a feature is different than Apple coming to your house and taking the software away, hence your straw man argument.

You also said it wasn't a new release

As a matter of fact, no I didn't, you'd only get that if you quoted part of my post out of context.

this was a brand new version using a new naming scheme

Technically that's false, the app was listed as 10.0. Sure, it was a brand new bunch of code but Apple still named it as if it was an update so you can't blame people for getting the wrong impression.

you, without reading what it actually was, or what Apple intended to do in the near future with it (and has now since taken steps to do), went and bought up a bunch of licenses and decided to whine about your own willful ignorance.

Way to take a giant leap to conclusions about what I may or may not have done (guess what, you got it completely wrong).

 

[mBox]

...Technically that's false, the app was listed as 10.0. Sure, it was a brand new bunch of code but Apple still named it as if it was an update so you can't blame people for getting the wrong impression...

Yea you figure we've all learned from OS 9 to OS X?
LOL!

 

[twoodcc]

nice. already downloaded and installed it. works great on my mbp. i'm no pro, but glad to have these features nonetheless

 

[jpthebean]

Just because you're not a fan of the final product, doesn't mean there wasn't talent behind it in one form or another.

It has nothing to do with being a fan of it or not. If the editing is poorly done it's obvious.

The fact of the matter is that people don't watch the news or reality tv to see a well put together program. Those viewers are only interested in what the on screen personalities have to say and nothing else. Therefore, the editing is done quick and dirty to get the footage out the door and it's always sloppy.

 

[sazivad]

...Yeah, they removed all the ones who were refunded and removed the zeros & ones stars

I'm not trying to twist the facts. I had screenshot'ed the ratings for the current version, which has the new improvements this article talks about. If you want to see the ratings for all versions (as of now), here they are:

 

[chatfan]

Funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkDlUhayOYo

Here's the first thing we ever cut using FCP, still ahead of the curve even in 2012. Would be happy ton answer any and all queries as to work flow & gfx integration, but I'm afraid you'd get confused.

 

[wonderspark]

In reality, no one cares what software the editor is using so long as the footage gets cut in time for release... and nobody who is serious about editing uses adobe because it sucks. Anyone who says different is most likely working in news broadcast or reality tv where they should be ashamed to call themselves editors for all the fast and sloppy work they do.

Nobody cares, as long as it's not Adobe? Strange point of view.

I'm not ashamed to use Adobe. After Effects is pretty effective for me, as is Premiere. Your smack-talking doesn't hold any weight, but you're entitled to believe whatever you like. Go on with your bad self!

 

[Nostromo]

The length of the thread shows that many people care about what becomes of FCP X.

Wondering what the next upgrade will bring.

Suggestions...

 

[Artful Dodger]

I'm not trying to twist the facts. I had screenshot'ed the ratings for the current version, which has the new improvements this article talks about. If you want to see the ratings for all versions (as of now), here they are:

Yeah I was only trying to lighten the mood a bit the other day as it seemed to be a frenzy in here both good and bad

I remember being out of town with my new MBP and forgetting to install FC Express (wasn't ready or really didn't need FCP) and then opening up iMovie just to do some quick stuff Yeah, that didn't happen. I got through it but I wasn't use to the new "Apple way" and I thought I was going to kick the MBP and thought a non-liner method sucked. Well in the end I forced myself to do it over and over but I can feel for everyone that opens FCPX from 7 and mutters the word why.

I'm just glad I have held off, maybe now or very soon I might be ready to get into it as spring is coming about. Thanks for that screenshot!!!

 

[chirpie]

It has nothing to do with being a fan of it or not.

I know. I said as much.

Those viewers are only interested in what the on screen personalities have to say and nothing else. Therefore, the editing is done quick and dirty to get the footage out the door and it's always sloppy.

You're misunderstanding. They get ABSOLUTE CRAP for content and NO DEADLINE. That anything comes of it at all is a miracle and the true unsung heros who make the shows worthwhile are people like the editors.

I have no doubt those editors could cut much faster than you or I. Call the final product sloppy if you must, but don't dismiss the talent out of hand.

 

[LethalWolfe]

It has nothing to do with being a fan of it or not. If the editing is poorly done it's obvious.

The fact of the matter is that people don't watch the news or reality tv to see a well put together program. Those viewers are only interested in what the on screen personalities have to say and nothing else. Therefore, the editing is done quick and dirty to get the footage out the door and it's always sloppy.

News is under serious time constraints so speed is paramount over pristine but to say it's always sloppy is inaccurate.

W/regards to Reality, the whole show is made in the edit. The reason the drama between subjects works, or sometimes even exists at all, is due to the editing and sound design. There's really no way to do a 'quick and dirty' edit when you are starting with, potentially, thousands of hours of raw material and a dozen or so people with individual storylines that you have to weave into a cohesive narrative week in and week out. Sure there is sloppy editing at times but that's true of any genre.


Lethal

 

[jpthebean]

Sure there is sloppy editing at times but that's true of any genre.

It's not true of any genre. Editors get fired over sloppy editing in most genres, while it is embraced whole-heartedly in reality tv.

Also, to clarify, news involves very little editing, because the vast majority of it is taken care of live by someone else calling out the shots. The only real editing is done on the prerecorded bits which are simply chopped down to the important segments that have been preordained as newsworthy.

And there is no art to editing true reality tv. You get miles upon miles of footage where you cut away all the boring pieces and then a producer comes along to say which of the remaining bits goes where according to the episodes synopsis. It's a mechanical and boring process with no room for creativity.

 

[chirpie]

You get miles upon miles of footage where you cut away all the boring pieces.

Why do I feel like you just described 99% of ALL editing?

 

[LethalWolfe]

It's not true of any genre. Editors get fired over sloppy editing in most genres, while it is embraced whole-heartedly in reality tv.

So there's never been a sloppy edit in any comedy ever? Every procedural police drama is pristine? Every indie film ever made is editorially tight as a drum? No Hollywood film ever made would've been better if it was 90min as opposed to 100min?

Also, to clarify, news involves very little editing, because the vast majority of it is taken care of live by someone else calling out the shots.

That person would be the Director. The Director instructs the Technical Director as to what angles to take, when to roll in packages, when to put GFX on screen, etc., and neither of these positions is immune to error.

The only real editing is done on the prerecorded bits which are simply chopped down to the important segments that have been preordained as newsworthy.

Kinda like how a book is basically just a dictionary that's been chopped down to contain only words that have been preordained as interesting?

You get miles upon miles of footage where you cut away all the boring pieces and then a producer comes along to say which of the remaining bits goes where according to the episodes synopsis. It's a mechanical and boring process with no room for creativity.

LOL. That's kind of backwards of how it works. Here's the Cliff's Notes version. For something like The Bachelor, Story Producers will be there from day one observing all the cast members and taking notes because it's impractical to just shoot with the intent of watching all the footage back later. That could literally take months (trust me, there is such a thing as too much footage). The Story Producers will sketch out rough concepts for the narrative arc of the show, the appropriate clips will be pulled and given to the Editors (these are called string outs). The Editor will take the raw material in the string out and cut an episode. The Story Producers and Editors will work together to refine the episodes as not all the planned concepts will work out in the end.

People who think that editing is little more than cutting away the boring parts don't know what editing is.


Lethal

 

[sazivad]

Yeah I was only trying to lighten the mood a bit the other day... Thanks for that screenshot!!!

Sure, no problem. As always, it's had to discern sarcasm and the like over Teh Internets

 

[handsome pete]

People who think that editing is little more than cutting away the boring parts don't know what editing is.

Well put.

 

[bimmzy]

xml supporty-bits

I'll be interested to see when of if Quantel will have a script that will allow fcpx to run on its servers. currently the buzz is that apple have given Quantel (via the BBC) essentially an unlimited licence to use FCP 7 for the forceable future.

 

[robsp2000]

I know a good amount of people/post facilities who moved on to Avid or Adobe. Granted, most already had those Adobe/Avid suites already, so it was more of a shift rather than a move. I also know many who have just stuck around with FCP for the time being. We even bought 2 additional FCP7 seats after the release of FCPX. I haven't heard of anyone moving to FCPX however. I can easily see us shifting gears to Premiere down the road.



It wasn't a knee jerk reaction. People had been waiting on a major update of FCP for a while, especially since the previous update was so underwhelming. So I'm willing to guess that anyone who made the change was fully prepared to do so simply based on the perceived direction Apple took with FCPX.

I'm sorry, but if someone asks me what I do, I will never be able to bring myself to say I'm a "Premiere Editor"!!!! And I HATE Avid. Here's to hoping Apple gets someone who has video editing experience to help update FCPX!

 

[tjwaido]

An example? OK- here's a clip we pumped out last summer in about 4 days. 3 camera shoot, multi format, & a client breathing down our neck. Graphics created in motion, seamlessly integrated into FCPX sequence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlcVuluInsk&feature=related

BAM.

This is what is going to suck about FCPX, all videos are going to be generic and lack creativity. Audio editing is abysmal in FCPX, and if you haven't figured out there isn't a shortcut for audio crossfades in FCPX, you're not professional, sorry.

I am trying to adopt FCPX, but it has not let professionals be professional, yet. Here's an hour shoot that was edited in FCP7 with Motion graphics in under 2-hours.

Fort Collins Baseball Club Intro

Boom!!!

 

[skapatic]

The Final Cut X

Here's a funny Final Cut X spoof video we did for our web series. You should check it out.(Shameless Self-Promotion)
http://youtu.be/TMwClsnUfmM

 

[chirpie]

This is what is going to suck about FCPX, all videos are going to be generic and lack creativity. Audio editing is abysmal in FCPX, and if you haven't figured out there isn't a shortcut for audio crossfades in FCPX, you're not professional, sorry.

I am trying to adopt FCPX, but it has not let professionals be professional, yet. Here's an hour shoot that was edited in FCP7 with Motion graphics in under 2-hours.

Fort Collins Baseball Club Intro

Boom!!!

It's a very good vid, but 95% of it's quality happened in the filming and planning before hand. Most of the cuts were independent clip grabs that simply were shortened (as opposed to reordering/tweaking shot footage to better help the narrative) and grading+vineting were probably previous project presets. It would've been a breeze to cut in any program. Still a good vid though.

But I agree, a simple crossfade would be great. (Though 'ducking' is so easy it's criminal. Plus audio sample level zoom is nice to have inside the NLE.)

 

[MacFly123]

1.) Not yet, but you can use the Feedback button. If enough folks are complaining about this issue, Apple will surely bring round tripping back to FCP X.
2.) No, but there is a free effect on somewhere on fcp.co
3.) In Motion... you can build that effect and publish it.
4.) Dunno
5.) Nope. You can either open copies of the text effects in Motion for fine tuning (Apple's idea of round tripping ATM) or build the effect in Motion and publish it.
6.) There are no more tracks.

Hope that helped a bit.

That did help. I appreciate the reply A few more thoughts:

1) I did submit feedback, a couple times I want my voice to be heard and I do think Apple pays attention to those things!
2) Apple needs to simple take the one mask in FCP X and let you be able to double click to add a point where ever you want and as many as you want! One mask to rule them all, DONE!
3) Yes, that needs to be in FCP X native though like it was in 7 for sure!
4) Still weird, but I'm sure they will add fullscreen mode to Motion eventually.
5) I found the "connect title" text now which is what I was looking for
6) Yes I know the tracks metaphor is dead but I want to be able to slice through everything in the timeline at a specific point like Control V did in 7. As of now the best option is command A then command b. Not efficient!

Thanks again