New FCP due in spring

tfg said:
I'm not sure exactly which of the panelists you refer to
Click to expand...

I was referring to Terence Curren. I admit I don't know him from Adam. And he may be one of the most respected guy in the industry but when watching these videos. ( which I really enjoyed) I got the feeling it docent matter what apple does he's not going to like it. Again I could be totally wrong. I'm glad I got my super meet tickets when I did. It's going to be exciting.
 
Mwjace said:
I was referring to Terence Curren. I admit I don't know him from Adam. And he may be one of the most respected guy in the industry but when watching these videos. ( which I really enjoyed) I got the feeling it docent matter what apple does he's not going to like it. Again I could be totally wrong. I'm glad I got my super meet tickets when I did. It's going to be exciting.
Click to expand...
<br />
<br />

I came onto the scene when Non linear editing was really taking off, especially on the consumer front. I don't ever recall the hesitation from linear tape guys to the new NLE systems. I could be wrong though. That just seemed like a more natural transition.

Regardless, I think the hesitation this time around is justified. Of course whatever new direction Apple takes us could be the next step in the evolution of the editing process. But there is also a reason why current NLEs all look similar. Making something easier for the masses is not always the best strategy. I'm intrigued with what they've got up their sleeves, but after watching that discussion I'm not nearly as optimistic as I once was.
 
handsome pete said:
Making something easier for the masses is not always the best strategy.
Click to expand...


I admit I've only been doing Video professionally for 5 years and i'm a young guy (28yr) and all i have known is NLE. While I was taught Basic Linear editing in college it was mostly beacuse my professors all came from small markets where linear still being used, though I have never ever touch a linear machine since. I kinda take issue with the idea the making it "easier for the masses". FCP isn't rocket science and it isn't terrible complecated either. Sure there are some tips and tricks that we who use it everyday know what to do to work quicker and more efficently. but the program is simple enough that "Masses" can pick it up read a little from the manual, or a how to book and more less start editing. I work on a college campus now and 90% of my work force is students, of those most of them have either had very limited knowlege of FCP or they had a copy while in high school and pretty much are self taught. The major sticking point with them isn't the huge leap of using Software such as FCP, Avid or Vegas for that matter. Where they are limited is, with the basic knowlege of what Digital video is and how to tell Stories with these images. Programs are simple to learn and in my opinion are more or less already "Masses" Friendly. So when it comes to making the new FCP more "Masses" friendly I think its a moot point. We as professionals are still going to be here becasue we A. have the technical knowledge and B. we have the story telling capibility. as long as this new FCP allows us to do both we should be just fine.

again I admit i don't know everything and again i could be wrong.
 
Interestingly, I find iMovie 11 harder to work with than FCP 7.

What may occur in the next iteration of FCP is more templates, and ways to streamline/automate content creation.

The pros won't that use that, but other more non creatives may.
 
There is no indication that they are going to dumb down FCP, so I wouldn't worry. If they make it somehow "easier" I am sure all the function we pros love will still be there. We know NOTHING about what's coming. Speculation is useless IMO. I'm just going to be patient, and enjoy the ride when it gets here.
 
I find it interesting in Part 2, when they're talking about User Interface, how they bring up Sony Vegas. Vegas has a much simpler user interface, but it relies on things being completely different under the hood. Because it's a different beast, it allows the UI to exhibit the following:
1) Continue playback as you work.
2) Keep playing back, even if there's stutter or a dropped frame.
3) Because of (2), the ability to handle ANY file format that your PC can play, without transcoding or creating extra media (ok, yes, there are exceptions to this)
4) Becuase of (3), drag any file from *anywhere* into the timeline, and do all of your editing on the timeline
5) ability to organize tracks any way you want on the timeline, and group any clips together any way you want
6) Your computer has lots of processing power. Let's take advantage of all of it (64-bit, multi-core) before requiring an external breakout box (yes, Avid, I'm talking about you)
7) A crossfade (or "cross dissolve") is merely playing with opacity. In the old days of tape and film, it was a special kind of transition that needed to be applied, but this is no longer the case. Can we please get away from 'applying a transition' to create a crossfade?
...sorry about that. I could go on and on...

I guess what I'm getting at is that all any of us editors are doing anymore is manipulating digital files. Sure, on the surface we're telling a story, or being instructional, or capturing a memory, but underneath all that we're doing is telling the computer how to re-order a bunch of files that are already on the computer. Vegas works great because it demonstrates the editing process to the user as nothing more than manipulating files that have a beginning and an end. The sooner our editing software will allow us to easily group files any way we want, arrange our tracks any way we want, apply effects in any orientation we want, and handle any file we throw at it the better it's going to be for all of us.

Avid, FCP, and Premiere (sorry, Lightworks, I haven't tried you yet...) all seem to be based on a tape-based editing layout. It's 'non-linear' in function, but 'linear' in thinking. Maybe it's what most editors are used to, but if there's anything I took away from this panel of industry professionals, it's that editors are ready, willing, and excited for a new way of editing. Let's keep in mind Vegas was doing all of this even before 2002... They designed a video editing system that was based on what a computer does best. If the new FCP delivers a UI like most are speculating, I'm excited. I'm ready for a new, faster way of editing.

That said, I work in the TV Doc industry, and a *huge* percentage of our shows are archival footage, coming in as film, tape, and digital media of all flavors. We will not for the next 50 years at least do away with tape as a format, because history is on tape and film. If, as some speculate, Apple plans on abolishing its ability to ingest tape, retain timecode, and do complicated format conversions and transcoding, that will absolutely be a deal-breaker for us. We'll go fully to Avid and never look back. The ability to get under the hood and do things like de-interlace a clip or perform 2:3:3:2 pulldown instead of 2:3 pulldown is *crucial*. If, however, Apple develops a new, slick UI, while still retaining quick access to all the tech stuff underneath, we may go entirely FCP and not look back.

What's interesting to hear Terence speculate is that Quicktime may be killed (part 4 at 6:22), which would mean FCP would have to be "file agnostic". On our last show, we literally dealt with 40+ different CODECs of digital file (and we were working in Avid). Some containers and CODECs work better on PCs, some work better on OSX, and some would not play at all on a Mac (a few AVI files in weird formats we got from the military). In a lot of cases, we had to transcode to some kind of intermediate format before we could import to Avid, slowing us down tremendously, and requiring that we have 3+ copies of every single piece of archival material. If Apple chooses to go "file agnostic", again, it would be an obvious win for FCP and an obvious move for us away from Avid.

The discussion (part 4) on 3D brings clear that you can't just use some kind of 'plugin' to make a 2D NLE work with 3D material. Editors need to edit differently, basic tools like resizing and effects need to be different, media needs to be handled and displayed differently, even titles need to operate differently. If Apple's smart, tools for 3D editing will be built-in. If they haven't done this, that may be a small opportunity for Avid, Adobe, or LightWorks to punch ahead in the near future.

Again, the sooner an NLE can handle any file format, treat the media like the digital files they actually are, and have accommodation for 3D editing, the sooner it will be the reigning champion. Editors can wrap their heads around editing differently, and anyone can learn a new UI, the new way just needs to be inherently quicker than the old way.

If the 'big releases' of the past have been any indication ('search' in MC 5.5, and colored markers in FCS 3), we'll only see an ignore-worthy announcement from Apple on Tuesday. But here's hoping Jobs has taken enough time off from the iWorld to rebuild this thing from the ground up - and that we'll all be pleasantly surprised.
 
I actually LOVE a lot about Vegas. Automatic crossfades! Just slide the clip and it crossfades! And Vegas has the best audio of any NLE, since it started as a DAW. I don't like having to go out of FCP to do simple audio processes. If we could apply a filter and have the actual GUI of the filter, rather than this crap numeric representation of all the adjustments - that would be big for me. Also to be able to uncheck frame snapping for audio on the timeline - that would be big too. You could be more exact with lining up 2nd system sound, as well as editing creative music oriented projects. I miss that about Vegas since I moved up to Mac. I just hope the upgrade price is fair for those of us who have FCP already.
 
They will most likely have huge changes to FCS that will require us to Buy "new hardware" to suit the software, that's how it's been in the past, so why alter anything ?.
Apple are about selling product, and good luck to them for it, they have produced some great products, and some not so great over the years...

I just hope the timeline for delivery is not too far away, and that the developers have sorted the first version "bugs" out, so we don't become Beta testers, some big releases of any software can be very troublesome.
Well done for the lead up Hype, it has us FCS users very interested.

cheers from downunder
Tom 4
olinevideo.com.au
 
I doubt they will alienate their current user base and do away with professional features and functionality. WIth the exception of Blu-Ray authoring.

I would suspect that there will be a shift in focus to online delivery.

I would anticipate multi-core and GPU acceleration. Background rendering. Video playback that can continue while making other changes.

I would not be surprised to see Apple's Quicktime push take a back seat - a file agnostic editor simply makes sense at this point, and insisting on quicktime won't really pay off anymore,

I would suspect more automated content creation and templates that differ from iMovie in the sense that they will be HIGHLY customizable. I welcome this personally - in my opinion a pro app shouldn't make creating things HARDER than consumer apps, it should be just as easy but with WAY more flexibility and customization. It's annoying to make a slideshow in iPhoto in 1 minute that would take hours using pro tools... rather, pro tools should allow you to use the sort of templates and automation provided by other tools and go into far further depth and customize every timing, key frame, transition, look, etc., and of course incorporate your own custom graphics and animations, etc.

I will be shocked if production companies and editors won't be able to import existing projects. I will be shocked if they would be forced to switch AWAY from FCP to continue doing tasks they do today. No, I don't think this will be iMovie Pro. I'd anticipate it to be more like Mac OS X Lion and the "Back to the Mac" theme - take things that work well about iMovie, iPhoto, iOS, etc. and use what makes sense in the context of FCP. The new Mac OS X doesn't strip any power from OS X, and I would expect it to be not much different with FCP, perhaps with a few exceptions here and there, but nothing earth shattering.

I would also not be surprised to see the rumored "Shake" replacement (code named Phenom) rolled into Motion... and Motion, Compressor, Color, and Soundtrack Pro all rolled into the same "Final Cut" application. It only makes sense. With multi-core and excessive amounts of RAM, I can *easily* open the entire FCS suite and be working in all of them without issue. I would expect to see ONE application where everything is seamlessly pulled together into a modular setup. When I go to create a title, I can choose from a bunch of templates or automated designs which can then be endlessly customized with the power of Motion behind it, or create a new one from scratch. When I drop on a color correction filter, all the power of Color is behind it, and I can drill deeper within the same app without exporting to color. My motion graphics are created in the same app rather than exporting and then importing a file made in motion, or linked to from motion or color, etc. Same for Soundtrack Pro - I anticipate all the power of this app will be accesible right from the timeline of my projects. Perhaps this will work in a tabbed, modular interface like Lightroom. Or perhaps it will be a "mode" F1, F2, F3, F4 that switches the window layout and opens certain windows. Likely through some combination of that, along with more detailed and in depth dialog boxes, tool palettes, etc. And there's no reason why compressor shouldn't be built straight into the application as part of the export options or batch encode options.

As for DVD Studio Pro, I'd expect them to not only NOT add Blu Ray support, but possibly to disappear entirely - this will probably be the biggest point of contention, as Apple focus solely on digital distribution and leaves DVD/Blu Ray authoring up to other software packages.

My predictions in short:

- All the power of FCP
- Full utilization of current computers multi-core CPU and GPU
- Many new pro features added, big and small
- The best of consumer apps (features, templates, automated creation) included and expounded upon, with full customization
- Sexy new UI
- File Agnostic, all formats work and play natively, quicktime no longer the basis
- Continuos playback and background rendering engine
- All suite applications combined into one modular application
- Focus on Online Digital Delivery, likely at the expense of physical format exporting (and POSSIBLY importing, though hopefully without cutting any import options from current FCP)
 
Last edited:
Only thing I can bet my money on at this point is some sort of iPad integration. I'll admit, using an iPad for something like a color control surface sounds kinda exciting.
 
Gary Huff said:
Though kind of redundant.
Click to expand...

hmm I dunno. Many people use control surfaces, or other input devices (some editors swear by wacom tablets). I think iPad integration would be great if done well - a sort of inspector or HUD for certain controls would be a welcome "3rd monitor" of sorts, and touch based adjustments for various parameters (ie color wheels) as well as touch based clip scrubbing/sequence scrolling would be pretty slick.

I think this is probably a given, not just because it would be cool, but because it would help sell iPads to a new market of people who may have not otherwise considered the device.
 
Jarek Zabczynski said:
Only thing I can bet my money on at this point is some sort of iPad integration. I'll admit, using an iPad for something like a color control surface sounds kinda exciting.
Click to expand...

They already have it: http://nofilmschool.com/2010/11/free-multi-touch-ipad-application-emulates/

On a different note, Avid is letting FCP users of any version crossgrade to Media Composer 5.5 for only $995. Interesting move considering their being muscled out of the Supermeet as well as a chance to catch all the disappointed users if the new FCP fails to impress or makes too much of a move to a consumer level product. Maybe they know something we don't to announce a deal like this…
 
oneinfiniteloop said:
...On a different note, Avid is letting FCP users of any version crossgrade to Media Composer 5.5 for only $995. ...
Click to expand...

Wow what an awesome promotion. I've been trying to pressure my studio to switch to AVID for a few months now... but with the new FCP coming I wanted to wait to see if it finally addressed the issues that bother me. Now I feel like either way I can't lose!
 
I doubt the new FCP will be shipping anytime soon. Rumor has it, that's today is just a technology preview.
 
With all due respect. My first experience with non linear editing was in film. Thus Bins, clips, reels. We just physically edited in a non linear fashion. VTR editing was linear. Just for the record. :>)
Mwjace said:
after watching these videos i could help but think, I wonder if this is the same type of naysaying that went on just as the NLE starting to take over from linear editing. it seems like one panelist who hadn't seen FCP had a axe to grind and is totally against change. probably because like those who were amazing at linear editing mostly likely were quite comfortable with their way of editing was all they needed to know and didn't want to learn the new fangled way of Non Linear editing. i for one am excited for change and i'm sure those of us who make our living in video won't be let done. it may not be what were good at we may have to learn something new, but thats what this industry is all about

My 2 Cents
Click to expand...
 
Was watching the pixel corps test live stream from NAB. They were saying Apple was not allowing ANYONE to stream from the event.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It's not a question of "need".

But in this fast-paced world of twitter, live streaming, etc., where EVERY other manufacturer is more than happy to get the word out about their products . . . .
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top