Final Cut Pro X

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1

Hey guys, just noticed Apple released FCPX on the app store. Curious to see if anyone’s picked it up yet, and if anyone had any thoughts on it. Looks pretty impressive, but then again, I’ve always been a Premiere guy.

Also it looks like Motion 5’s also available. It also looks quite nice, but I still don’t think it’s in a position to compete with AE. Wondering if the new version brought enough goods that would make it worth it to VH to accept Motion projects again. The first time we tried it was a miserable failure. Many people have requested it since we stopped carrying Motion items, but I don’t know if there’s an author base to support it.

2

I’m looking forward to hearing some feedback on FCPX as well as soon as people have a chance to start playing around with it.

I’ve been using Premier for the past several months (mostly because it came with the Adobe Production Suite), but I’d be willing to switch over to FCPX if it turns out to be worth it.

That magnetic timeline is intriguing.

3

Hey Guys!

I was waiting for Final Cut X since the very first announcement. When I was reading the tech news this morning read the released on the app store and voila!

Then I got my copy of FCPX.

As Motion Revolver, I’ve been a Premiere Pro fan mostly for the Adobe thing and used FCP just for a couple of things.

I attended a webinar on the new features a month ago or so and I was very impressed. After opening the program today just the fact that is a 64 bits, is a winning.

I like a lot of the things I have seen like match colour, magnetic timeline, organization and the speed. The preview window is interesting, thumbnails not so good but clip on list view and it’s better.

Like MR, the magnetic timeline is one of my favorite features of Imovie and now being incorporated in FCPX and Im digging it. Well, they say FCPX is just “iMovie Pro”…lol

FCPX is $300 but you need to pay $50 each for Compressor and Motion 5. I’ve been reading a lot lately about the uprise popularity of Motion (A lot of video stock and project websites have a category for Motion) and a couple of my friends find Motion better to use. I’ve done a couple of projects in Motion and is getting my attention. Motion is just impressive and imho, sometimes easier to learn or teach.

One problem I’m noticing it though is the steep learning curve from other NLEs for people that are not familiar with the “Imovie” feeling. FCPX looks very different that FCP and for those who been using it for years may be mad by now, as it’s like re-locate a bit where are your editing tools around the interface.

One of my best friends who works editing educational programs for some TV Networks is a genius with FCP and after buying his copy of FCPX is a little disappointed but because he was expecting more new features like multicam and third party plugins. Oh well, this is version 1 anyways.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 is around $500 and the CS5.5 is $700! With the $400 price (motion and compressor included) is going to be good alternative and who knows if more powerful, since Final Cut is very popular in the USA.

4

I haven’t tried it yet, but presumably FCPX is available from the Appstore, priced in dollars everywhere in the world.

This puts an end to the price politics that means us Europeans pay a whole lot more for our software than you guys in the US. That’s got to be a plus.

-f.

5
felt_tips said

That’s got to be a plus.

hehe :slight_smile:

6

Insert sad trombone here. With Apple latest release of Final Cut Pro it has left many editing professionals wondering WHY ohhh WHY!!! While i like a lot of the new features it is now boasting there just doesn’t seem to be the necessary professional tools. It like they purposely gave the industry the middle finger and said “Your either on board or your not!” for a company that had over 50% of the market share in the post production arena, I just don’t get why would they did this? Many of us ask this very question.

Here is my WTF list of things i know it doesn’t do compared to previous FCP versions.

  • Cannot upgrade existing projects (cant open older FCP files (Seriously STUPID!!!!)
  • Cannot define capture Scratch folders or disks
  • No Customization of anything, Maybe some keyboard customization
  • No Log and Capture, 3rd party AJA or BM software needed for TAPE ingest. (oh sorry HDV can come in via firewire cause thats a professional format.)
  • No XML import/export (So now you can no longer send edit to another systems or software)
  • No OMF export (need a $500 plug-in for that - Automatic Duck 5.0)
  • “Command 0” opens your iSight instead of getting timeline properties
  • No Media Management or way to Scale down, Back Up and Archive a project (HUH??!!!)

      There’s so many 3rd party tools that rely on XML I really can’t believe that Apple wouldn’t include XML i/o in FCPX . I use Boris XML or Automatic Duck regularly to pass edits into After Effects. So now how is that done?

      If you’ve got a professional FCP edit suite then you’ve (most likely) got some type of AJA , Blackmagic Design or Matrox hardware that allows true broadcast monitoring on something other than your computer display. Whats up with not having 3rd party plug-in/hardware support. I haven’t seen to many manufacturers boasting FCPX plugs.

      I do know that AJA has a write up about integration with Kona cards. But i dont see the LHe card on that list which is what im rocking at the moment.

      http://www.aja.com/news/index_article.php?id=147

      I just dont get some of the decisions made on this one. really interested it overall but very disappointed in what it lacks. Maybe I misspoke since most of these where from rumors before its release, so i f anyone would like to chime in on missing features please let me know.

      The fanboys are happy no doubt, but magnetic timeline, and 64 bit background rendering doesn’t do me any good if the basics of professional functionality are not available from the start. Like i read on another forum…“It’s like your wife coming home after 10 years of marriage and telling you she is now a lesbian, she has new tricks, but they weren’t really for me, and if I wanted in, I’d have to do things VERY differently…”

      PS. Here is a good write up on it from Ken Stones Site. http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_x_first_look_martin.html

      you can also check out http://fcp.co/ for other news on FCPX.

7

This makes my head hurt.

8

Made some edits to the previous post.

9

This is depressing news for sure.

I can’t say I do a lot of video editing to begin with anymore, but I’m planning on getting back into it very soon and was hoping FCPx would be a nice new toy to try out.

I was looking forward to hearing nothing but good things about FCPx, but after hearing what a lot of professional editors are saying, maybe I’ll stick with Premier for a while longer.

10

If they don’t address the issues at hand i will be a Premiere Pro user for sure. Either way i will be learning a new app from the ground up.

Another great write up on the app but this guy comes off a bit as a fanboy.

http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2011/06/what-are-the-answers-to-the-unanswered-questions-about-final-cut-pro-x/

B

11

I guess if I was a video editor I’d feel a little betrayed since it’s clear FCPx doesn’t have a lot of features pros need to do their jobs. If Adobe did something similar with After Effects I’d cry my eyes out.

It looks like Motion 5 has much more integration with FCPx as far as publishing animated elements (and even effects) and being able to easily switch back and forth between the applications. This would be good for people familiar with both applications and give FCPx users more flexibility with Motion 5 templates. The user base for FCPx and Motion 5 may get a lot bigger since it’s so affordable. Offering Motion 5 templates on VH might be a good idea but only if the (quality) Author base is there.

I created a template in Motion 4 that is being sold on the other template site and I guess it’s doing ok sales-wise. My intention was to create more Motion templates but I just never put in the effort because I’m so comfortable with AE (my BFF). However, Motion was VERY easy to learn and intuitive, so I may need to widen my social circle a bit more :slight_smile:

I’m definitely considering upgrading Motion, if only I could clone myself so I can do AE at the same time!

12
FluxVFX said

…If Adobe did something similar with After Effects I’d cry my eyes out.

Wow, I never really looked at it that way! That’s a really scary thought, and totally puts into perspective what FCP editors are going through right now.

13

Apple has always done stuff like this. I guess they’re thinking ahead, but you’ve got to wonder sometimes if they’re not thinking a little too far ahead.

They definitely seem to lean against the serious pro market at every turn. I’m still quite gutted that they ditched Shake, y’know.

But they won’t have done this by mistake. They have some kind of game plan. Maybe they’re leaving the pro market to Avid etc. and realising that the prosumer / fanboy market is soooo much bigger.

But I would have to ask the question: What’s the point of having some serious color correction tools if you can’t have your program hooked up to some seriously properly calibrated broadcast monitor?

-f.

14
felt_tips said

Maybe they’re leaving the pro market to Avid etc. and realising that the prosumer / fanboy market is soooo much bigger.

Wasn’t imovie and final cut express fanboy / prosumer territory? They ruined a great pro app that “was” practically the norm in the industry.

Disappointed. Premiere Pro here i come. Not a fan of avid, never was.

B

15

Conan RIPS FCPX!

16

I work as a video editor and downloaded the app, looked at it and saw it was missing SO MANY PRO FEATURES that I called and got a refund. I am really sad about the product, not so much that the product is awful for pro users but that Apple is basically telling pro users to bug off - all we care about are semipro and hobbyist.

I guess it is time to look at premier and avid since it looks like they want to develop and support pro users.

It is a sad day considering that many of the most “hard-core” apple users I know feel absolutely betrayed.

17

Business is business…better tons of imovie fans upgrade to a “pro” version of imovie for a good price, then few few nerds looking for multi cam stuf,xml,matrox, cross platform integration…
I was reading that for the new release of PPro cs5.5, engineers over Adobe, called pro editors of Avid and Final cut seat them and edit with PPro, and listen what they miss in they workflow with Premiere .Adobe add those features
Pro Cs5.5 have new feature present in final Cut 7 like the drag and drop in the program window, and the match frame (really great),and the powerfull right click a clip and open after effect composition,apply your effects, and render from PPro timeline, with Cuda acceleration if you have it.
I was looking forward to the new FCP, but now I can tell
you that Premiere Pro CS 5.5 is the best NLE option my small home workfow right now.
my 2 pesos :slight_smile:

18

I was just reading some of the reviews in Apple’s App store, and FCPx is getting absolutely hammered. Most of the reviews are 1 or 2 stars. Looks like the negative sentiment is shared by most FCP professionals.

19

HILARIOUS:

20

Looks like Apple got the message… they’ve begun issuing refunds.