Thoughts on FCP X from a Final Cut Studio Master Trainer

Hi List,

I've been an FCP user since version one, and a Final Cut Pro Trainer since the program began. About 10 years ago, as working Avid editor and part-time trainer, I began to specialize in running editors through Diana Weynand's Final Cut Pro for Avid Editors curriculum, and I had my first taste of hearing editors rant about the "missing features" of Final Cut Pro. It's been many, many long years since my first class, and since then, whether in a classroom or on-site, I would say I've probablu heard more complaints than any other person outside of whatever poor chap has to read all the FCP Feedback submissions.

As such, I had to learn a way to address editors' fears and concerns, and in some cases even calm them down, and I began to affectionately refer to my technique as "running the editors through the "de-bitchifier machine."

Phase one is complete. We've all had a chance to vent (myself included, though not on this forum), but know it's time for phase two: realizing what this software is and what it is not.

To that end, this forum and many like it should serve as a constructive guide for all of us, because quite frankly, my 10 years of experience and Master Pro Certification just became worthless, so I'm a student as well. But as a former expert and trainer, I want to repost something I thought might offer a different perspective.

I think the crucial word that a lot of the negative criticism is missing is "foundation." As a longtime Avid editor (and de-bitchifier), I see some CRUCIAL improvements under the hood (i.e. beneath the GUI) that we've been clamoring for. I believe it's the AV Foundation that's responsible for the improved sound of the audio when playing faster than real time, and probably the skimming (which is much better than scrubbing, you must admit). Other foundations include the new media strategy, which uses a database just like Avid does, the metadata tagging, which offers a huge number of options for organizing, sharing, and cataloging media, both inside and outside the app, than any previous versions of FCP, or even Final Cut Server for that matter.

Do I think the real-time trimming options suck? So far. Do I wish I could have more than one sequence per project? Maybe, if it turns out that the Project Library can only hold so many projects or so much duration before it becomes more unstable than Lindsay Lohan during a lost weekend. Am I scared I'll even be able to cut without being able to lay out my tracks the way I want to? Maybe. I have to try cutting a real project first before I'll know all the pros and cons of this primary/secondary storyline paradigm.

Thing is, even if I'm not satisfied now, one thing is inescapable. Apple has CLEARLY rewritten the entire app, which means NEW CODE, based on MODERN technologies. Guess what that means? It means this is version 1.0 of the new FCP. FCP 1.0, as many may recall, had NO AUDIO METERS. Now that was a deal breaker. What we have now is very annoying on many levels, and truth to tell, I'll probably be "playing" with FCP X for a year while I trust paying gigs to FCP 7 or Avid 5.5. However, I would have done the EXACT SAME THING with an FCP 8 or an Avid 6. I fully expect Apple to start adding back the features that a lot of professionals need, like multi-cam, XML or some equivalent for imports and exports, etc.

But when I look at the FOUNDATION that is laid here, I see that an impressive bit of architecture is possible when they finish building it.

I think I speak for a lot of editors out there when I say if Apple had delivered FCP 8 with the same GUI, the same outdated QuickTime architecture, and those useless speaker icons in the Trim Edit Window when you choose to view audio tracks, I would have lost my @#$%& about that.

This is the beginning, not the end, according to the chief architect, so let's all have some faith, some patience, and some fun.

Steve Kanter
Avid Certified Trainer and Editor
Final Cut Studio Master Trainer and Editor
Certified Xsan Administrator and Workflow Specialist
(323) 823-6952
steve@editdog.net
www.editdog.net