Next Final Cut Pro at NAB Next Week? Due Spring 2011, Some More Hints

[wizard]

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A bit of selective hearing on the part of MacRumors with the quotes they chose to use. At first the video sounds great, dude is hyping what he saw from Apple. But later he gets called out from another speculating Apple is making a very significant change and distancing Final Cut from the real 'pro' users, dumbing it down, etc, and the guy who has seen it gets real quiet.. He is asked if he will update his editing studio's workflow to the new Final Cut, and he basically danced around the question, pleaded the 5th, and made it pretty clear that he is holding back some reservations about how the industry will adapt to the changes.

Personally I'm very interested to see what they do, I'm sure it will have huge improvements on real time rendering and performance, sounds like the whole thing is being rewritten. But it does worry me that the program could become more for mass audience and no longer the pro application it has been for the past decade.

A hammer is a hammer, the only significant difference between pro use and amature is how you swing it. Sometimes the pros get a little full of themselves and don't realize that tools are just there to express your imagination.

 

[Keebler]

i know i'll be hanging around my macs looking for internet news on Tuesday.

I do think it was a pr*ck move they pulled - one i would have expected from the microsoft of old holding everyone by the short n' curlys!

And, I didn't travel much, but did a few times and I know i wouldn't be happy if my trip to Vegas was suddenly cancelled b/c of showboating.

I worked for a software company years ago and those events were months, if not a full year's worth of planning, energy and sales forecasted. Such a crucial way for a company to interact with their users.

Let's hope the release justifies forcing the other sponsors to pull.

 

[wizard]

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Interesting news, but the bit about booting competitors is downright disgusting.

Couldn't agree more, disgraceful to be honest. This part of Apple I cannot abide.

Are you sure you understand what is happening here? Apple is presenting at the FCP Users Group Supermeet, no one is getting booted from the NAB show!

Now step back for a minute and THINK what are the members of this group interested in? Come on you can spit it out. If the users group management didn't respond to Apples request they would like have a rank and file revolt on their hands. Why be cause it is the FCP users group. At times people can be very dense.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

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Now step back for a minute and THINK what are the members of this group interested in? Come on you can spit it out. If the users group management didn't respond to Apples request they would like have a rank and file revolt on their hands. Why be cause it is the FCP users group. At times people can be very dense.

Not only that but it's the user group's event. They are the one pushing the other companies aside. Apple has zero leverage to force the user's group to do anything they don't want to do.

 

[LethalWolfe]

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Are you sure you understand what is happening here? Apple is presenting at the FCP Users Group Supermeet, no one is getting booted from the NAB show!

Booted from NAB? No. Booted from the SuperMeet? Yes. Like I said before, I hope that those who signed up before the 'Apple take over' will still have a chance to see the presentations that have been displaced.

Now step back for a minute and THINK what are the members of this group interested in?

Obviously they are interested in more than just FCP because the SuperMeet was a successful event prior to Apple's take over.


Lethal

 

[jettredmont]

Interesting news, but the bit about booting competitors is downright disgusting.

Umm, it's a Final Cut Users' Group, not an Avid user's group. I think they are a little more interested in the next big step in Fincal Cut Pro, moreso than what Avid and Adobe are doing. Apple demanded all stage time, because they have a lot to cover, and want the rest of the meet available to talk about what they demo. Seems completely kosher to me.

Now, if this was Apple going to something like NAB and telling them to boot out all their non-Apple demos, that would be different. But while this is at NAB, it is quite specifically the group of self-identified folks who care more about FCP than anything else. So no big deal.

 

[jettredmont]

A bit of selective hearing on the part of MacRumors with the quotes they chose to use. At first the video sounds great, dude is hyping what he saw from Apple. But later he gets called out from another speculating Apple is making a very significant change and distancing Final Cut from the real 'pro' users, dumbing it down, etc, and the guy who has seen it gets real quiet.. He is asked if he will update his editing studio's workflow to the new Final Cut, and he basically danced around the question, pleaded the 5th, and made it pretty clear that he is holding back some reservations about how the industry will adapt to the changes.

I'm assuming you've never dealt with Apple, or probably any NDA situation. In "leaking" this information, I'm sure he thought very carefully about what he was going to say and how, in order to stay within his NDA and on the "good side" of Apple. He rehearsed that (I'm sure the quotes weren't summoned on the spot), and presented what he'd rehearsed. This approach makes sure you get the most cool information out there without stepping over bounds. However, it leaves nothing for Q&A, as you see here. No, he won't say he'll commit to a new FCP workflow because he's not sure if he should acknowledge any kind of new workflow. He can't talk about if the interface has been "dumbed down" because discussing that intelligently ("dumbing down" is not exactly a precisely defined term) would require going into details on the interface he was likely expressly forbidden from discussing.

Personally I'm very interested to see what they do, I'm sure it will have huge improvements on real time rendering and performance, sounds like the whole thing is being rewritten. But it does worry me that the program could become more for mass audience and no longer the pro application it has been for the past decade.

No sense in debating before it's revealed, but I'd welcome a few "mass audience" nods so long as they enhance existing workflows. The last couple releases have had several features which catered to the "mass audience" more than to the "FCP Expert" audience, and I think they've made a much stronger product. IMHO, what is needed here is really a deep-down codebase cleanout, but any interface improvements would be nice.

 

[THX1139]

There is a part of me that hopes Apple screws up and dumbs down FCS. This is the only remaining software that keeps me buying expensive Macs. If they turn FCS into a glorified iApp, then I'm dumping my Mac's and moving on to a build your own PC where I can run Linux and all of the industry standard professional apps.

I think that with this new release of FinalCut, Apple is going to shove a dagger into it's professional line. In the last keynote, Jobs mentioned the "transition from a post-PC" business model. The only way that Apple can devote itself exclusively to iStuff is to wean the professional's away from using their products. Once FCS becomes a new video editing program aimed more for the masses running on iPads, Apple will be able to say that they don't have a need for the pro line of computers anymore. Say goodbye to MacPro anything.

Whatever Apple announces Tuesday is going to be a strong indicator for the future of the professional line. If they announce an amazing FCS 4 for professionals, then we will know they are committed to the long run. However, if they turn FinalCut into some kind of cheesy video editing app for the mass consumer, then you better start rethinking your professional future with Apple - unless you make your money from making crappy youtube videos.

 

[mentholiptus]

This is simple, folks. I predict the introduction of AirEdit, to go with AirPlay and AirPrint.

What do we currently have in place?

Q Master
Logic Nodes
AirPlay
OS X server (now bundled in lion)
iPad multitouch UI tablet with the power to stream A/V over a network
AppleTV to stream media over a mac network to an HDTV
iTunes as a hub for media

Now, how could FCP utilize all of that? How could all these little pieces add up to one large, powerful network for editing and distributing media throughout a home or office?

I'll bet the iPad will be able to control the FCP UI and take advantage of a cluster of Mac Pro's (or a single mac) to do a lot of the editing, compressing, etc, and then use the iPad to stream that footage to any HDTV with an AppleTV or mac connected to it.

I'm sure there will be a new UI and we can always sit at the workstation if we please, but imagine being able to make edits, compress, and stream rough drafts across the country/world. You can be editing on your xserve cluster from the airport while your waiting for your flight. With in air wifi, you could probably even work from the plane...without the bulk of a laptop.

 

[ryanx]

a >>dramatic<< change - the truth is that it really needs to be dramatic )

 

[tipt]

This is simple, folks. I predict the introduction of AirEdit, to go with AirPlay and AirPrint.

What do we currently have in place?

Q Master
Logic Nodes
AirPlay
OS X server (now bundled in lion)
iPad multitouch UI tablet with the power to stream A/V over a network
AppleTV to stream media over a mac network to an HDTV
iTunes as a hub for media

Now, how could FCP utilize all of that? How could all these little pieces add up to one large, powerful network for editing and distributing media throughout a home or office?

I'll bet the iPad will be able to control the FCP UI and take advantage of a cluster of Mac Pro's (or a single mac) to do a lot of the editing, compressing, etc, and then use the iPad to stream that footage to any HDTV with an AppleTV or mac connected to it.

I'm sure there will be a new UI and we can always sit at the workstation if we please, but imagine being able to make edits, compress, and stream rough drafts across the country/world. You can be editing on your xserve cluster from the airport while your waiting for your flight. With in air wifi, you could probably even work from the plane...without the bulk of a laptop.

The guy in the video mentioned thunderbolt and that Apple knew what the competition was up to. Something to that effect. Must be a reason for point that out specifically.

 

[slackpacker]

Can't wait for NAB

 

[Chupa Chupa]

There is a part of me that hopes Apple screws up and dumbs down FCS. This is the only remaining software that keeps me buying expensive Macs. If they turn FCS into a glorified iApp, then I'm dumping my Mac's and moving on to a build your own PC where I can run Linux and all of the industry standard professional apps.

I think that with this new release of FinalCut, Apple is going to shove a dagger into it's professional line. In the last keynote, Jobs mentioned the "transition from a post-PC" business model. The only way that Apple can devote itself exclusively to iStuff is to wean the professional's away from using their products. Once FCS becomes a new video editing program aimed more for the masses running on iPads, Apple will be able to say that they don't have a need for the pro line of computers anymore. Say goodbye to MacPro anything.

Whatever Apple announces Tuesday is going to be a strong indicator for the future of the professional line. If they announce an amazing FCS 4 for professionals, then we will know they are committed to the long run. However, if they turn FinalCut into some kind of cheesy video editing app for the mass consumer, then you better start rethinking your professional future with Apple - unless you make your money from making crappy youtube videos.

So munch elitism there it's dripping off my screen. Your post is funny b/c when FCP 1.0 was announced the many of "pro" editors of the time gasped b/c it, well, "dumbed down" editing, similar to how Pagemaker 1.0 dumbed down publishing.

What Apple does best, what it's always done best, is define new paradigms. It sounds like that is what may happen on Tues. Clearly, for all your snobbery, you are a horse and buggy driver and not a buyer into the Model T thing. Enjoy your Linux, but physical media is still dying, nonetheless. Editing for the web needs a new set of editing tools. YouTube has a lot of professionally edited material. It's not all cell phone clips.

 

[powers74]

Oh boy...

When this hits it's going to piss a lot of people off.

 

[THX1139]

So munch elitism there it's dripping off my screen. Your post is funny b/c when FCP 1.0 was announced the many of "pro" editors of the time gasped b/c it, well, "dumbed down" editing, similar to how Pagemaker 1.0 dumbed down publishing.

What Apple does best, what it's always done best, is define new paradigms. It sounds like that is what may happen on Tues. Clearly, for all your snobbery, you are a horse and buggy driver and not a buyer into the Model T thing. Enjoy your Linux, but physical media is still dying, nonetheless. Editing for the web needs a new set of editing tools. YouTube has a lot of professionally edited material. It's not all cell phone clips.

So, in other words... you are excited that Apple might be dumbing down FCS for you? Well, good for you! Maybe you will be understand how to use it now to edit weekend skate videos of you and your buddies. Have fun with that.

 

[LethalWolfe]

When this hits it's going to piss a lot of people off.

Or make a lot of people happy. Either way everyone's going to be paying attention.


Lethal

 

[ctakim]

Sheesh, at least y'all should wait until we find out more specifics before you start being all so mean and rude to each other.

Will this also have an impact on Final Cut Express for those of us who are already using dumbed down software?

 

[pkson]

Wow. You'd think a FCP Users group would be able to track down a halfway decent graphic artist to make their banner graphic...

Aww, give them a break, they're probably just trying to keep with the 90's design of the UI.

Honestly, the website totally sucks. Looks like a get-rich-quick advertisement site. They might be FCP pros, but they know amateur HTML.

 

[powers74]

Or make a lot of people happy. Either way everyone's going to be paying attention.


Lethal

Well, yeah, it will probably make more people happy, but it will be fun to see all the people bitching and moaning around here.

 

[IceMacMac]

The pro of today is no longer the pro of the past decade. Pro is a far broader term in 2011. Nearly anyone could be a 'pro' with a little interest, work, and dedication.

To me the term denotes a person who is gaining a sizeable portion of their income from video production...and whom is talented enough to woo paying clients.

So in my opinion the meaning for "Pro" has changed little.

 

[onigami]

They did it in 2007... I was there.
Back when Myspace was cool.

Myspace was never cool.

Okay, okay, so they have done NAB (they've never done AES, though, that I'm certain). But still: They pulled out of everything in the last couple years. Why come back to NAB? Why not just do a small-scale announcement outside of NAB's timeframe so as to maximize press?

Also, nobody answered my initial question. Why the idle timer? There's no point!

 

[GregAndonian]

In fact the very first version of FCP was announced at Supermeet.

Was the supermeet focused on something else at one point? Because otherwise that sounds a little hard to believe that a usergroup would exist for a product that wasn't out yet...

"Hey Bill, we should go to the Final Cut Pro Supermeet this year. I hear they're going to talk about a new editing program called Final Cut Pro- sounds pretty neat."

 

[twoodcc]

can't wait to see what it's all gonna be about! hope it ships soon!

 

[IceMacMac]

...and I hate having to render. I hate the various pixel aspect ratios and formats there are, including PAL and NTSC....

Steve Jobs reality distortion field must be supercharged these days, where with a new release of FCP Apple might instantly re-write broadcasting standards and give millions of people new TVs that don't require NTSC and PAL.

You aren't expecting much at all!

 

[rickvanr]

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Wayne Gretzky.