Apple acquires Silicon Color

Sean_T said:
Its all speculation for the time being, apple is very secretive.
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Actually, this isn't a particularly well kept secret. Just like Panavision's recent acquisition. Lot's of people knew and know exactly what's happening, including some people who lurk/post here and on other forums. It's just doubtful anyone will say in a public manner... so speculate away.

I.
 
Illya Friedman said:
Lot's of people knew and know exactly what's happening, including some people who lurk/post here and on other forums. It's just doubtful anyone will say in a public manner... so speculate away.
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Oh OK, let's speculate away then :)

With the release of Final Cut Pro 6, Final Cut Studio may no-longer exist in the form that we currently have it. Final Touch may or may not be integrated in the new package (or packages) but it's a fair bet that there will be a powerful Colo(u)r Grading tool released in whatever the new suite is.

I say packages 'cause I reckon that Shake is gonna be replaced by a new package that includes a 3D Modeller and Animation program and Compositing software. This could possibly be the package that includes the grading software as well.

If all of this supports 4k then it'll be brilliant (it should do btw). If it can include Redcode native, then even more brilliant :beer:

BTW, I know absolutely nothing...
 
Apple has no reason to go into 3D. 3D compositing will continue [it exists in shake] but modeling and animation will not exist.
 
Don't see why Apple wouldn't eventually get into 3d modelling - it's gotten into all other aspects of film post-production.
However, the acquisition of Final Touch isn't going to buy it very much in terms of 3d capacity.
I'm hoping Final Touch gets rolled into FCS almost unchanged. It's too good a program to just dismantle.
 
The acquisition is probably two fold. First is to buy out the competition. Second is to aquire some of thier real-time grading tools and fold them into their already-in-development color correction toolsets.

I think most serious hard-core FCP users want some robust color correction tools like secondaries, windows and splines.
 
They won't touch 3D because you can already run: Maya, Lightwave, Modo etc etc etc etc.

All of those applications release simultaneous PC/Mac versions. Final Cut Pro was something of a necessity since Avid and Adobe weren't keeping their Mac versions in step and up to date with the windows versions. (Of course there's also the theory that they weren't able to keep them up to date because apple was sabotaging their access to key components of the OS in an effort to promote FinalCut Pro.)

Also I wouldn't say that Final Cut Pro necessarily single handedly drove down the price of NLEs. It was definitely subsidized by Apple as an incentive for people to buy their hardware but the trend was already beginning to emerge as the market for home editing exploded. That was a result as much of Moore's law as Apple's price cuts.

And you won't see it repeated with digital grading. It's too much of a niche market even compared to compositing. Shake was well established before Apple bought them. All Apple really did was kill the windows version and apply intense pressure for that large market to move to their hardware. There is no alternative Linux/Windows platform that needs to be recruited from Silicon Color. They were already all on macs, they are a very small market, and I don't see why apple would throw away high profit margins by cutting prices.
 
I could be wrong on this, but I think this is Apple's answer to "Final Cut is great but it's not an Avid Symphony" and other knocks on it. By rolling in high end color correction, compositing, and tying that into their 64bit environment, they will make a case for FCP gaining some serious ground on the competition. Couple that with integration with Red, perhaps a 4K workflow, and suddenly they have really opened some eyes. Apple has always been about selling hardware, but they know that it takes great software, a solid OS, and good support to sell that hardware. I think they're going after the total package.

Steve
 
penfever said:
Don't see why Apple wouldn't eventually get into 3d modelling - it's gotten into all other aspects of film post-production.
However, the acquisition of Final Touch isn't going to buy it very much in terms of 3d capacity.
I'm hoping Final Touch gets rolled into FCS almost unchanged. It's too good a program to just dismantle.
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To enter the 3D market, Apple, if it's consistent, would most likely acquire a 3D software company or at least the exclusive rights to a 3D application, rather than develop one from scratch. And it would probably be a high-end app, so that rules out TrueSpace. There was a time when I thought that Apple might buy Alias (for Maya), but Autodesk has gone and done that -- and I don't think Apple wants to buy Autodesk and its two 3D programs. That pretty much leaves Avid (SoftImage), Side Effects Software (Houdini), NewTek (LightWave 3D), and possibly Maxon (Cinema 4D).
 
I stated over on CGTalk that its more likely for them to purchase Luxology's Modo due to its great interface and ease of use, and Apple has used it to show speed boosts when switching to the Intel chips.
 
I think 3D no. And I think great wonderful FCP with bells and whistles and 4k yes.

And then there's nothing in the way anymore to make great movies. :beer:
 
sndrk said:
I think 3D no. And I think great wonderful FCP with bells and whistles and 4k yes.

And then there's nothing in the way anymore to make great movies. :beer:
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Except for the money to pay actors, catering and a whole lot more. But at least it'll put us a little closer to the playing field of the big boys.
 
Personally I wouldn't want to see this rolled into Final Cut or Apple's new compositing program. There's more than enough for a grading package to do on it's own in its own interface! Don't clutter the interface by smashing together with a compositing or editing program!
 
I see your point Shaw about the app getting too cluttered, but there are ways around that, namely workspaces. You have one for your day to day editing tasks, one for CC, one for compositing, etc. FCP needs better CC. Color Finesse is far better than Apple's CC and Final Touch is hands down one of the best on the Mac. As an all in one NLE, good CC is a must.

Steve
 
Shaw said:
Don't clutter the interface by smashing together with a compositing or editing program!
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There are quite a few programs that marry together editing, colour grading, and compositing. Autodesk Smoke, Avid DS Nitris, Quantel eQ/iQ Pablo, Chrome Imaging Matrix, ifx Piranha the list goes on and on and on. Of course that being said the industry standards are still the stand alone systems.
 
There is no strategic need for a 3D app. There's loads of them committed to Mac parity. However a 2K colour grader for ooh, let's say $900, would sell a shed load of MacPro's and further strengthen Apple's position in the upper end of 'Digital Cinema'.
 
im.thatoneguy said:
And you won't see it repeated with digital grading. It's too much of a niche market even compared to compositing.
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It is now. It seems to me quite a large number of people could benefit from the power of these tools, but stay away because of price and ease-of-use issues. Apple will probably do a lot to help in both areas.
 
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