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If you are a professional, FCPX is unusable

First of all, I'm not in the target group for this app. I'm a video professional, I run a post production studio. This is, despite the name, an upgraded iMovie and has little to do with Final Cut. It has tons of more features than iMovie, but that doesn't change the fact that this is an app for the beginner, hobbyist and not the video professional. If it was called iMovie Pro I would not object. But calling this Final Cut, giving this app the name of this brilliant, but aged, peace of software is nothing short of misleading marketing.

We cannot use an app which main screen is dominated by the message "Import iMovie events". We cannot use an app where you use drop down menus to select resolution. This makes me concerned, what will this leave us? I decided to leave Avid behind long ago, and I definitely haven't changed my mind. Premiere? Maybe in the future, but it still feels too clumsy. I guess we have to stick to good, but flawed and old, Final Cut Pro 7. Just the way we use QuickTime Pro 7 and not QuickTime X.

When Vista came I decided that we couldn't use that and we couldn't stick with XP forever. So we made the switch to OS X, despite the fact that 3D and compositing apps were lagging behind on the system. We did it because we felt there was no future in Windows for us, we couldn't stick with an old system. Now, sadly, I feel the exact same about Final Cut, except I have no other system to go to.

If you are a video professional, I strongly advice you not to buy this app, despite the low price. If you are a hobbyist that like iMovie and want more powerful features, you will love this app.

And, Apple, if you find ONE video editor working on a professional level (no, not a wedding photographer or hobbyist music video maker) that does not agree with the above, please let him explain to me why I'm wrong.

Final Cut Pro X-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.7), Mac Pro 8-core, 16GB RAM, 4xSSD

Posted on Jun 22, 2011 10:10 AM

37 replies

Jun 22, 2011 10:48 AM in response to PetterGoodmotion

I am currently using AJA. This pdf explains some of the new ways aja and fcpx work: http://www.aja.com/news/index_article.php?id=147

Jun 22, 2011 10:52 AM in response to marcfromlewisville

Ok, fair enough. For your professional purposes it works, noted. I still think that for most, especially if you work in a complicated post chain with VFX and a lot of people involved FCPX will be very insufficient.

Jun 22, 2011 10:54 AM in response to PetterGoodmotion

I completely agree. I was simply responding to his request for one video professional who could use this version. There are definitely a lot of workflows that have been rendered useless. We will see if apple delivers on their promise to add many of these missing features "soon".

Jun 22, 2011 10:56 AM in response to marcfromlewisville

That should read: There are definitely a lot of professional who cannot use this program with their workflow. Woops!

Jun 22, 2011 11:09 AM in response to PetterGoodmotion

I want to say that the original first post was very well said and underlines what most users of Final Cut Studio feel about a new app that uses the very words of "Final Cut" in it.

On the very core of this product, if it was named "iMovie Pro" or something else, I honestly believe there would be less negative criticism and more praises for an consumer app that was built to use all of Macs new computers processing power (something everyone likes).

I obviously have been reading the forums and Apples website regarding Final Cut Pro X to develop an understanding that this product will not help my post production.

What I dont understand is, why did apple remove Final Cut Studio from their website? why not keep the idea of still providing a Professional product for real post production houses.

Im going to continue to use Final Cut 7 until they stop providing support for new codecs, or stop developing party plug ins for next generation cameras. But I think once the music dies, Avid is the smart choice (not priemier or vegas).

I only hope that Apple is secretly making a Studio Version of X for advance users. But im not holding my breathe.

-P

nlbford

Level 1

141 points

Jun 22, 2011 11:17 AM in response to marcfromlewisville

The problem is, as far as I have seen, Apple hasn't promised to replace the missing features, soon or otherwise. The claims that have been made that Apple has promised to return missing features have not been supported with any actual quotes from Apple in that regard - at least not anywhere I have seen.

Jun 22, 2011 11:25 AM in response to BeachFront Filmz

Thank you, that is exactly the way I feel. I think the answer to your questions regarding why is that the "prosumers" are a heck of a lot more than the true professionals, who need high end tools. I think the important thing that they are missing is that these "prosumers" will always want to use what the real pros use. If the pros leave Final Cut, it will not be as appealing to the average hobbyist than if the pros say it's the best app in the biz.

Jun 22, 2011 11:35 AM in response to nlbford

I went back to see where I heard that quote and you know what? You are right! I keep seeing these articles with the same quote from apple but I cant find a source.

www.ibtimes.com/articles/167680/20110622/apple-final-cut-pro-x-first-reaction-un impressive-give-us-our-money-back-apple-final-cut-pro-x-revie.htm

I keep seeing the quote at the bottom but I cant seem to find it from an official apple source.

Jun 22, 2011 11:40 AM in response to PetterGoodmotion

X was not designed for professionals and probably never will be. We've been forsaken for the kids and hobbyists. It couldn't be any more clear than the fact that you can't even purchase a volume license. You don't really think that Apple was thinking about the post houses with 12 machines and 12 copies of FCS and "hasn't gotten around to" addressing it.

RIP FCP.

Jun 22, 2011 11:45 AM in response to marcfromlewisville

This is a (slightly modified) quote from a user of this forum. The thread is just a bit below this. That's just bad journalism, Apple has NOT made a statement yet.

Jun 22, 2011 11:48 AM in response to PetterGoodmotion

I agree that is pretty bad journalism. I have seen the same quote in 4 different articles. Should change it from "apple responds with" to "some guy in a forum responds with"

Jun 22, 2011 11:52 AM in response to marcfromlewisville

That quote is fabricated or from a forum. Here's the truth about XML from Philip Hodgetts: Link

What about XML-workflows?

The XML workflows that we’ve known are no longer part of the package: no XML export or import. Final Cut Pro 7 did not support AppleScript, just a limited set of AppleEvents for accessing XML.

However, during my direct briefing, the Apple folk made it abundantly clear that the ecosystem was very important to them, and that there will be a new, and much improved, replacement for the current XML workflow. That’s entirely consistent with what I’d heard pre-release that there would be a new form of XML and that it would be accessed by some sort of SDK (Software Developer Kit). This seems like encouraging news, even if it will mean a lot of extra work on our own software to “get back to where we are”.

Unfortunately, access to these features is not available at today’s release, so we have to wait until Apple deem it complete enough to open to third parties like us at Intelligent Assistance.

Jun 22, 2011 12:24 PM in response to Chad Haberstroh

The thing is backwards compatibility is important only for professional who have deadlines and clients. The hobbyists can wait forever for updates but when (and if) they come, the pros will be long gone. Using Avid, Premiere or maybe something like this http://www.lightworksbeta.com/

Jul 1, 2011 5:29 PM in response to PetterGoodmotion

From my perspective, I'm more than a "hobbyist" but certainly not on a pro level as my number 1 source of income. I've done many different types of projects (commercials, promo videos, weddings, vacations, documentaries, etc.) using just Pinnacle Studio on a Windows laptop and I've managed to hold a very nice side business with this. With the move to FCP X and a MacBook Pro, this is certainly an upgrade for MY workflow.

I also realize that Apple is going to be continually adding features to the FCP X platform but really, the product right now is VERY nice so why should Apple hold onto that product and miss out on a lot of new sales. I'm sure there are thousands of people in my shoes that are loving the new FCP X. From what I understand, FCP in its infancy wasn't the full-fledged app that it is today. And with FCP X being a complete re-write on the 64-bit platform, it was a big move. It's a great app today and will soon be an awesome app just as FCP 7 has been. I'm looking forward to the new program and learning its features.

Jul 1, 2011 10:17 PM in response to PetterGoodmotion

One thing to note, and I have been in the film business for a long time. is simple editing functions have been altered in a way that make them more difficult, hidden, non-sensical or bizzare.

everyone is talking about features that are missing. the most important ones are simple editing stuff. I just tried to cut a short project and had to revert to fcp7. extracting, trimming oddities, overwrite, track assignments... simple stuff, that has been made harder.

it truly is a relearning curve in some areas that needed no fixing.

If you are a professional, FCPX is unusable