How did the LAFCPUG "Final Cut Pro X Update Night" meeting go?

I presume that some of you went to the LAFCPUG meeting on the 27th!

Which was billed as....

"Final Cut Pro X Update Night"

How did it go did any new Info come out about FCP X or was it just all show.

The only info I found on line was that there was someone new from Apple doing a demo in FCP 1.0.3

And that there was nothing new what so ever?

Is this correct?

Nobody took notes etc?

greetings from Berlin

Paul

A line has 2 Sides

[finalbug.net]
[paurray.de]
[lostsensemedia.org]

It was a very fun night but those who felt it was going to be a night of presentations of new features were disappointed. Even after my many attempts to tell everyone not to expect anything new. But we were grateful that Apple took the time to show us what they have and hope they do more of these sorts of things all over the world.

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

Apple is just not doing very well lately in the "department of Good News"

They need a new director of the DGN!

There's some irony in that people are truly eager to hear about yet to come features in FCPX.

On the other hand there's lots of impatience when Apple is working very hard to try to clear up some misconceptions about FCPX.

Good news? Apple is attending road shows (like the Blackmagic road show I saw them at) and user groups (like this) in person again. They're a bit rusty in knowing the audience and what they want to hear but they are making the effort.

They just have to learn which audiences need clarification and which audience need to know the roadmap.

The problem was that the Next Meeting page said "Significant new feature releases". I don't see how that could not be interpreted to mean that new features would be announced and released in the very near future (like that night or the next day). It should have just read "Overview and demonstration of recently released new features". Then it would be clear that it was just new features that were already released. Also, why were they only using 10.0.3 when the current version is 10.0.5? And I know the Apple stores only have 10.0.3 on their computers. It just seems like a lot of missteps by Apple lately that just don't make sense. Hopefully they will come around, but things have been going this way for a while now ever since Steve Jobs stepped away for his medical leave and Tim Cook took over. I hope it's just a coincidence.

MikeH Wrote:
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> The problem was that the Next Meeting page said
> "Significant new feature releases". I don't see
> how that could not be interpreted to mean that new
> features would be announced and released in the
> very near future (like that night or the next
> day). It should have just read "Overview and
> demonstration of recently released new features".
> Then it would be clear that it was just new
> features that were already released.

Yep, I believe that was the main issue with the entire evening and more evidence of Apple PR missteps. Just saying an "overview of FCPX" would have much more clearly defined exactly what the presentation was going to be. Saying "significant new releases" naturally leads audience expectations to see something they haven't seen yet. Further bolstered by the fact that it was Apple itself doing the presentation, not a trainer or professional editor who might not have access to "new features" not publicly demonstrated yet.

It's interesting how Apple has completely bungled the X release to the professional community it says it wants to serve and simply continues to make missteps along the way. Even their "will they / won't they" comment about the Mac Pro in 2013 is just stupid PR for professionals as if I'm supposed to just sit here and wait to see what this "something great" is going to be in 2013.

Tough to run a business around what "might be" and just bungling a simple meeting message just gives me less and less confidence about a supposed "pro division" at Apple. Adobe, Avid and Autodesk are definitely on a roll right now and as so many people have direct communications with the development teams for all of those companies, I just feel a hell of a lot more confident trusting those companies with our professional careers an my company. Working in a vacuum and feeding me information "whey they feel it's appropriate" just doesn't work any more.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
biscardicreative.com

Sadly, it might be time....

*LAFCPUG*

LosAngeles
Avid
Final Cut, and
Premiere
User
Group

Travis
VoiceOver Guy and Entertainment Technology Enthusiast
[www.VOTalent.com]

Apple doesn't seem to know how to market to professionals.
That doesn't mean their products aren't professional.

I think FCPX is growing into a professional product. I think if a facility were making purchases today, there's little reason to chose
Apple products. FCPX probably needs several more updates to cover some of the issues. They have no current feature competitive desktop computer. Those factors may be very different by the middle of next year though. What is apparent is that Apple is not targeting current facilities. I think by next year their target will be new startups. We'll have to see next year though.

While I may want a desktop this year, I'm willing to wait as I have no personal motive to move to Windows. FCPX's mode of operation suits the way I prefer to edit. I'll wait for the features and wait for the desktop. It'll be more cost effective for me. That would not be cost effective for others though. One has to evaluate one's own business model. There's no "one size fits all" in that regard.

At issue is whether there's interest in application specific user groups.
Personally I'd say yes but that does not mean LAFCPUG has to be such a group. NYFCPUG became MoPictive several years ago.

Apple DID tell the group some of the features that will be in future updates something they rarely do such as dual viewers a I can't remember the rest and I wasn't allowed to tape it so I don't have any video to go back to.

------------------------
Dean

"When I see you floating down the gutter I'll give you a bottle of wine."
Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica.

Dean Wrote:
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> Apple DID tell the group some of the features that
> will be in future updates something they rarely do
> such as dual viewers a I can't remember the rest
> and I wasn't allowed to tape it so I don't have
> any video to go back to.

They did that when they talked to Larry Jordan and others at NAB.
The change is that rather than leaving it to intermediaries, Apple is publicly owning those statements now. Nothing new though since NAB which was in April.

Dual Viewers
Audio Mixing
MXF support
Red support

Supposedly there's another big thing that was hinted at with Jordan but no specific mention then or now.