iMovie Pro... WHY?

Okay, so this may be a slightly incendiary thread, but here it is...

After listening to the new Terence and Philip show
[www.theterenceandphilipshow.com]

...and reading Larry Jordan's description of the new FCP as a "jaw-dropper", as well as various rumblings around the web, I've come to a gnawing realization/theory...

The new FCP is iMovie Pro.

Caveats: This may not be the case. They are only (somewhat informed) rumors at this point. But in my computer industry experience, where there's smoke, there's probably fire.

Mostly, I'm referring to the interface (no "source" monitor, "event" browser, etc.). We all know the underpinnings would change (64-bit, non-Quicktime based, etc.). But the entire paradigm?

Now I understand the reasons in FAVOR of this, primarily being that it's a unified interface moving vertically through the consumer, pro-sumer and professional levels, cutting down on the re-learning of programs within the Apple ecosystem. I get that. They're doing it with Garageband/Logic. It's not a major plus for me, but I get it.

But - to me - the negatives of completely redesigning the interface FAR outweigh the positives. From what I know of the iMovie paradigm, I'm not a fan of that workflow. And with EVERY major non-linear editing system using the same two-source-window/timeline/browser paradigm, it prompts the first question...

1. WHY?

Why change everything? Is it an attempt to "think different" and distance themselves from their competitors in a major way? Is it a "post-PC" (Steve's recent words) world of iPhones and iPads, where the interface is simple/dumbed-down. Or is it just pure, unabashed arrogance? And the second question is...

2. WHAT do you do, as a professional editor, if it's true?

Would you move over to the reinvigorated AVID platform (which is what I learned on first)? Or Adobe Premiere, for it's integration with the industry-favorites Photoshop and After Effects? Would you try to relearn a whole new way of doing things?

If it IS true, what are your guys n' girls (speculative) thoughts?

HA! You're funny. iMovie Pro... I don't know why on earth you'd think that.

People want a 64 bit system...and FCP needs to be re-written from the ground up. So it will be different in a lot of ways. But iMOVIE PRO? What possibly leads you to that conclusion? I fail to see how ANYTHING mentioned would lead to that conclusion.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

To be clear, they would not rename it, it would remain FCP in name.

But, as the extraordinarily informed Terence and Philip point out, EVERYTHING points to the gigantic interface change. I'm sure we will hear more and more about it as whispers dribble out from that meeting in Cupertino, but all the whispers (and even the Apple-approved quotes from Larry Jordan) point squarely to this being the case. Apple is clearly managing the expectations of editors, trying to get them ready for a GIANT change.

I, for one, as a veteran FCP editor, am currently watching tutorials on iMovie (and I don't like what I see)...

So an interface change instantly means that it will look like iMovie? I just don't get your leap in logic.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Well, Terrence and Philip explained it better than I can, but essentially it comes down to Randy Ubilos.

Randy was in charge of the iMovie '08 "re-imagining". And staunchly defended its' paradigm shift, even while prosumer editors the world over balked. Randy is ALSO in charge of FCP.

Is it possible that FCP has had a giant interface change that does NOT resemble iMovie? I guess. Kinda. Maybe... But IMO, highly unlikely, seeing how Apple has unified their other consumer/pro lines of software.

One thing is FOR SURE. Gigantic interface changes. No other reason to put people under heavy NDA's... they wouldn't be paranoid about someone leaking that there's "more real-time" or "less rendering" or a "toggle source/record timeline".

I just HOPE it's not iMovie style.

Meh. Me too. I don't need to relearn all that crap. I need to work.

Randy designed the first FCP interfaces too. I doubt that he'd make a professional NLE look and act like iMOVIE. Give him credit...and the other people on the staff, many that are ex-editors. You are being reactionary. "THE SKY IS FALLING! RANDY'S GONNA MAKE IT iMOVIE PRO!"

>But IMO, highly unlikely, seeing how Apple has unified their other consumer/pro lines of software.

Such as? What other professional software suddenly looked like consumer software?

>One thing is FOR SURE. Gigantic interface changes. No other reason to put people under heavy NDA's...

I doubt it. They have people under those HUGE NDA's (me included, BTW) for other reasons. FEATURES would be a big reason.

> they wouldn't be paranoid about someone leaking that there's "more real-time" or "less rendering" or a "toggle source/record timeline".

They are paranoid about everything. iPhone...iPad...FCS2. Knowing that Color would be wrapped into FCS2 FOR FREE. They have many reasons they are secretive. I don't agree with most of them, but whatever.

OK, I'm done coddling you.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Yeah, I was playing around in iMovie 11 yesterday and I'm not that crazy about it. It's got some cool things I wish were in FCP though!

I don't think it's time to panic quite yet. Wait until you see the interface first before loosing sleep over this.

"Such as? What other professional software suddenly looked like consumer software? "

Garageband and Logic. iPhoto and Aperture. Does Apple have ANY consumer/pro software lines that have NOT started imitating each other, other than Final Cut?

iMovie for iPhone was released. iMovie for iPad was just released... by Randy Ubilos.

Again, I'd love nothing more than for this NOT to be the case. But...

Get.

Ready.

I think it's Garageband looking more like Logic, and iPhoto looking more like Aperture. But I could be just seeing things ;-)

I have to agree with Russ. I see iPhoto and Garage Band evolving features from their pro equivalents.

I could certainly see FCP 8 getting a major UI overhaul that is closer in look and feel to the recent iMovie changes. However, it's also a pro app, and I think it will have the same sort of user preferences that will allow you to tweak things to your liking. As you point out, there is a new generation that's growing up with the iMovie interface. So, it could bring a lot more people to a FCP or FCP Express. At the same time, I don't think Apple will want to alienate their core users, who happen to be very vocal on the interwebs.

I don't know. Perhaps Larry Jordan is so excited about the upcoming changes because they are so drastic. Maybe he's seeing dollar signs, imagining all of current FCP users needing his training services.

You get put on NDA even if there's very little to report. It's just a standard thing.

"You get put on NDA even if there's very little to report. It's just a standard thing"

True. But you don't fly Walter Murch and a Who's Who of Editing up to Cupertino to see a standard thing...

But you DO do that to have several prominent people tell that they saw the new version of FCP, and that it was actually being worked on. To quell the stupid rumors that Apple wasn't working on anything.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

iMovie already exists - why duplicate it? There is no need whatsoever for a "pro" version, which would be an oxymoron anyway given its target market.

I am certain that FCP 8 will borrow certain features from iMovie but with Avid and Premiere looking great right now, it's not in Apple's interests to make huge changes that send FCP users to their competitors in droves.

My software:
Pro Maintenance Tools - Tools to keep Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro running smoothly and fix problems when they arise
Pro Media Tools - Edit QuickTime chapters and metadata, detect gamma shifts, edit markers, watch renders and more
More tools...

Ok, lets take this thread into a different direction and let me ask, "Why NOT make a radical change to the NLE UI?" Nothing much has changed since Avid came out with their UI and Premiere and FCP and all other NLEs have pretty much copied it in one form or another. What's wrong with a radical new approach? Yeah, I know human beings hate change, especially radical change, but everytime I read a discussion like this I go back to that famous Henry Ford quote where he said "If I asked the public what they wanted they would have said a faster horse." Radical change is happening every day in our world. All of us embrace change it seems. We have embraced the change from Film to digital and tape to tapeless. Yes I know, not without a bit of screaming and ranting, but we have embraced it and we are dealing with it and as long as we are given something that works better, we will use it.

So I'm asking; What's so wrong with completely changing the NLE UI? What's to be afraid of here? Who cares if it looks like iMovie? You know it can't BE iMovie or it wont work in a professional environment.

And no I have not seen the new Final Cut and know nothing about any changes. Just throwing the question out there.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Well, it is an interesting question. I know that when Apple switched to OS X, I hated it for two+ years. Now I can't believe I put up with the crashing of OS9. So, yes, a paradigm shift is always uncomfortable at first. But, to be fair, for the first few years of OSX, it was barely usable.

Which begs the question, would we as professional editors jump ship for a few years to another platform while the "new" FCP (if it IS a huge change) matures? It's risky to learn a new way, if that new way doesn't end up being adopted. I for one have kind of stopped learning Motion because it's great for a few applications, but so few companies use it compared to After Effects, and it's just not as powerful.

It's almost like a sports team in a rebuilding year... you hate those years as a fan, but you know you won't win a championship in the future without one.

Valid question, Mike...but sometimes we also have to say, "Why make a change just for the sake of changing?"

Amazon hasn't changed its basic layout, checkout, product interfaces etc. ever since I started using it, around 1998. And it's still one of the easiest sites to navigate, while MySpace over-designed itself into oblivion. And everybody bitches about Facebook's navigation even though they're changing things all the time...and none of the changes ever improves things. In my view, YouTube is one of the sites that has consistently changed for the better, by and large.


www.derekmok.com

Quote
"Why make a change just for the sake of changing?"

Those who make changes do so because they believe their way is a better way. Then its up to the users to agree or not.
Simply to make a change for change sake does not work. There is little motivation for anyone to do that, certainly not if you wish to make money. Changes in Facebook and Youtube and other web site UIs have been incremental, not radical. You might not like the changes they have made but millions of users still use the sites. Why? Because it works. And yes, My Space made a bunch of bad choices and look what happened. They should have made a RADICAL change, but instead let Facebook do it before them.

Michael Horton
-------------------

If it's change for change's sake, I guess those of us who haven't really got the time to learn a whole new UI wouldn't upgrade. I wouldn't. If it brought something incredibly useful and time saving, then I'd take the time to learn it. But I'd bitch about having to change the whole time.