FCP X - My thoughts.

Here’s what I think… so far.

Final Cut Pro is many things to many people. For the past decade many of my friends have been using FCP as the center hub of our post production workflow. We cut in it, and then we go to outside apps, as needed, to finesse bits and bobs. We may use ProTools for audio, we may use Soundtrack Pro. We may use After Effects for animation, we may use Motion, we my also go outside to one of the REALLY smart 3D animator types out there, if need be. 

Initially FCP works as an editorial application where trimming and cutting and slipping and sliding is very important. In the PURE editorial world the most important thing to me is how well and HOW FAST it allows you to make tiny tiny changes to get your flow down.

Then in the finishing stage as you export bits for additional processing and have to bring those bits back FCP becomes more of a clip player… you may have a bunch of AE composites that you need to play back in order… and at that point FCP is your tool for that. 

Both jobs important, both unique. 

In order to pull this off you have to have many ways to export or “Send” to outside apps and also be able to bring them in.

Very few jobs are completed without some help from outside apps.

So far, we don’t know how FCPX is gonna work with other apps. Does it care? Is a file a file?  We don’t know. As an editorial machine. we don’t know. I will tell you this. Much of what I saw tonight looked a lot like iMovie and I am NOT an iMovie fan at all.

The metadata that was discussed was interesting. Most of us don’t put metadata in our clips cuz, well, its hard. If they make it easier to embed metadata, and maybe even give my producer a way to log at home… that would be cool.

Clearly, its too early to say too much about FCPX. All we know for sure, is how to spell it.

Comments

[Thomas]

If they (Apples Randy Dandy and it's gutless Team) continue shipping what they have shown at the sneek peek, FCP X will be shit, from in to out, i promise you.