Final Cut Pro X

It would be nice if you could just freeze everything as is, but that isn't possible unless you get a new computer for it and disconnect from the internet.

Each new update to the operating system will make the program less stable. Now that they have ended support for 7, it won't be long before the program can no longer run. And for many, it's just too expensive to wall it off like that, especially if you have several seats.

At this point our best bet is to start porting projects over to other editing programs while the thing still runs.

Gabriel Martin wrote:

Why not just keep running FCP 7 on OSX 10.6.8? Just keep everything as it is. I think that's what I'll be doing for the foreseeable future.

Yes, this is a good plan for the next 12 to 30 months, but the technology outside of FCP will keep evolving and changing. And since FCS is End-Of-Life and Quicktime based, there will come a point where it is simply to cumbersome to do the file conversions, scrounge compatible working hardware, and all the other problems associated with running an orphaned system, versus the return of the comfort of working on FCP.

I prefer to have my ducks lined up beak to tail, so that the transition to a new platform is orderly and smooth.

MtD

Regarding the "growth" or return of FCPX to a functional pro app that is usable...

Lets run that down. I’ll play the apple head bean counter and Chief of Operations for pro video apps. Now, I’m gonna sell a $300 upgrade to iMovie and FCExpress, call it an Upgrade to FCP7 knowing all along that that is a lie. That will tick off and alienate our entire global pro video market share, totally freaking them out. At the same time we'll give our competitors a stick to beat us in the head with, and the opportunity to acquire most of our market share. Then we’ll dump $12-15mil into development and marketing over the next 4 years to get FCPX.7 back up to par where we left off with FCP7. At the same time we’ll parallel any advancements our competitors achieve, so we’re not behind the curve as we’ve been the last 7 years. Now, let me cypher… okay I’ve got $12.2 mil. into it in R&D, development and a new marketing program. Hmmm. I’m gonna have to raise the price or explain to the shareholders the $10 mil. loss. Okay, we’ll charge $899 retail. Wait, now we’re gonna **** off all the little self-indulging gadget-heads that bought FCPx and FCPx.ip(for iPad). Ahhh so what, we’ll get those saps in the pro video market to buy our new Mini-Mac-iPros, and we’ll bundle it with the…..

Okay, I can’t even run the story line any more, but do ya get the idea? Again, I respect optimistic opinions, and those who don't want to tarnish their auras, but it just doesn’t play out, no matter how you map it…

MtD wrote:

...but the technology outside of FCP will keep evolving and changing. And since FCS is End-Of-Life and Quicktime based, there will come a point where it is simply to cumbersome to do the file conversions, scrounge compatible working hardware, and all the other problems associated with running an orphaned system, versus the return of the comfort of working on FCP.

I prefer to have my ducks lined up beak to tail, so that the transition to a new platform is orderly and smooth.

MtD

Very good point Meg. I can see where to put off the inevitable will only cause more pain down the line. I hadn't been able to bring myself to that point yet (to stop using FCS3 altogether). I did have to reload a station with software and I could find no good reason to load all the FCS3 apps. I only loaded soundtrack pro, motion and compressor. I thought they might be of some use. I did load the entire suite of Prod. Prem. CS5.5. (50% off now from Adobe for those that want to switch).

I'd really like to believe that most of this discussion, while certainly warranted, is the result of reasonable individuals placed in unreasonable circumstances. It isn't graceful, or even consistent at times, but it's a valid kick in the pants to the application's creators. It's meant, I'm sure, to spur them on to fix glaring problems with a 1.0 release. I'm aware that this forum is intended for the user community, but come on... to say Apple isn't even looking at all of this is improbable to the point of impossible.

This is one of the most decent and levelheaded assessments of our current dilemma that I've read to date:

http://finalcut.maccreate.com/2011/06/26/final-cut-pro-x-apples-worst-launch-of- their-best-app/

I hope it helps us to remain civil, at least.

Clearly written by someone who doesn't edit or know how to edit. Any editor working with iMovie would be tempted to poke himself in the eye with a sharp stick. Apple has created a beautiful interface that returns us to linear editing.

Very true, but I also hope within 12- 30 months FCP X will have developed.

Despite the uproar, I believe FCP X will grow and become be widely used as FCP 7 is. Although it will take some time. So PP or FCP 7 in the meantime.

So much has been written about Apple's desire to provide for the consumer/prosumer and abandoning 'Pros' but Motion still exists and so does Compressor. Quite sophisiticated 'apps'.

So I think this 'ugly duckling' will have its day

I love Motion. It almost feels, though - with the way that FCX interfaces to it - that rather than the motion graphics powerhouse it is with compositing, etc - that's it's been relegated to being FCX's EFX generator - its FxScript replacement.

So I take little heart in it as evidence of FCX's bright future...

Adobe Premier CS5.5 vs FCP - http://www.creativecow.net/interstitial.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Flibrary.creativecow .net%2Fkobler_helmut%2FFCP-vs-Premiere-Pro%2F1&id=0

Very informative.

Why people say that it is v1.0 so it is like a beta?

If yes, then, it is not a Final Cut Pro. It should be called Final Cut 1 or something. But if we talking about Final Cut Pro it is a version 8.0 and there is no place for any excuses that something is missing.

Aple had the best editing application up to one month ago. Nobody can understand why they didn't upgrade it? They shut it down and moved the brand "Final Cut Pro" onto another application which is Editing SOftware for amators and it v.1.

PS. I am tired with calling it iMovie Pro, because it not even pro, it is iMovie upgraded.

While it's awfully nice of Apple to give us this space to process our grief without them making a single comment, we have another conversation going on over here. I invite you to join it:

http://www.brainyvideo.com/blog/2011/07/apple-leaves-the-building-the-end-of-fin al-cut-pro/

A few months ago, I put up a post on this forum that asked if Apple was abandoning FCP to Adobe's Premiere. Within nano-seconds I was severely chastised by a five-star guru and the post was pulled for not contributing to the forum's content.

After reading the article by Helmut Kobler that videpixels posted from Creative Cow, I see that all I was doing was pointintg out a few of the items that Helmut listed about the trend of Apple's lack of development/dedication to professional video editing:

===============

"Yes, well before all of Apple's recent shenanigans, I started to sense that Final Cut, along with all of Apple's professional apps and gear, was slowly being strangled to death. Here are a few of the harbingers of doom that caught my eye over recent years:

• Apple took nearly 2.5 years to upgrade Final Cut Studio from version 2 to 3 (and v.3 was only a moderate upgrade at that). Until then, updates had come at a much more aggressive pace.


• Apple cancelled the popular Shake, promising to replace it with a new tool that never came.


• Apple got lazy with its Logic Pro app as well, letting development creep along with an upgrade about every two years.


• Apple stopped updating the Pro page on its web site long ago. There hasn't been a new item posted in almost two years: http://www.apple.com/pro/


• Apple took more than a year to fix a glaring Final Cut 7 bug that made its Close Gap command unreliable. To break a core Timeline feature like Close Gap and not fix it for 14 months was offensive and inexcusable.


• Apple cancelled its Xserve RAID then its Xserve hardware.


• Apple started taking longer and longer to release Mac Pro workstations, and absolutely phoned in the latest upgrade last July. 511 days in the making, the newest Mac Pro was one of the most un-inspired hardware upgrades I've ever seen from Apple.


• Apple pulled out of industry trade events like NAB.


• Multiple rumors (and confirmation of rumors) of significant layoffs in the Pro Apps division.


• Multiple rumors that Apple was trying to sell off its Pro Apps division.

========

So I feel vindicated that my thought process was not heresy. The writing has been on the wall... the surprise was how abruptly Apple the corporation decided to abandon their small but loyal customers known as professional video editors.

Great article, Helmut.

No need to apoligize, FCP forum editors.

Well, other than the "take it or leave it" delivery, I salute Apple for its courage.

Final Cut Pro was previously the domain of a few high-level pros...the software was expensive and really difficult to learn. Now, the software is far cheaper, and accessible to anyone with the skills to learn iMovie.

Is a Macbook Pro only for "Pros"? The Pro designation indicates a more advanced model. This new version is spectacular.

Apple said that in a few months much of what is missing will be added back in.

Why not admit that there is no way to have a piece of software that will include all that the Pros on this thread want, and still be accessible to the majority of video editors, home or wherever? Apple decided to go with a single architecture. Apple will announce selling somewhere around 15 million iPads soon. The markets are changing, the world is becoming video crazy, and most video in a while, including professional, will be delivered for watching over the web. True?

If it takes losing the glamour of having some movies made with FCP to get this wonderful software into the hands of the world...I am one home consumer who is glad. I am not glad that it will mean huge changes and problems for the movie and tv editors. Apple didn't abandon anyone, they are making changes that will help their bottom line and the majority of their customers. That is what they need to do.

Like I suggested way back, I wish Apple would have a FCPX for prosumers thread, so we could learn and feel comfortable...That is not happening here at the moment.

Hugh

The unholy alliance is Sony/Apple. This may be getting closer to the head of the beast: http://www.sonypictures.com/ If anyone knows people who are working on any of the Sony projects, please e-mail me, what part of the country or world they are from, what hardware/software/production equipment they are using.

I fear Apple has been deceived into believing that crooked practice is the only way to prevent laying people off.

bnn said:

"Why not admit that there is no way to have a piece of software that will include all that the Pros on this thread want, and still be accessible to the majority of video editors, home or wherever?"

I don't think anyone here has a problem admitting that. Professionals use their tools in different ways than hobbyists do, and so demand different features and capabilities, many of which would mean nothing to even an advanced hobbyist.

The problem is that Apple had previously positioned and sold FCP as a pro application, and it had gotten to the point that it was very functional in that capacity. Then they killed it, and replaced it with a product aimed at the other market you speak of, but pretended that they didn't. They pretended that this was intended to be a pro application when it clearly wasn't. That's the primary problem for people who had grown to depend on FCP to make a living.

"Like I suggested way back, I wish Apple would have a FCPX for prosumers thread, so we could learn and feel comfortable...That is not happening here at the moment."

Try here.