FCP X alternatives

digitalfilms by Oliver Peters

Final Cut Pro X has been out in the wild for over a month. Some of the hysteria has died down, but professional editors – those working in film, broadcast and at post facilities – have started to make some decisions regarding their next move. As a 1.0 application, FCP X doesn’t fulfill the needs required in many established workflows.

FCP X is a love-hate relationship. The people who are drawn to it feel that it’s the next revolution in editing technology. The folks ready to switch to something else point to the lack of advanced features, a radical redesign of the editing metaphor and the loss of compatibility with legacy projects. So, what do YOU do?

Option 1: Adopt FCP X

I certainly don’t feel that Final Cut Pro X is either “junk” or “useless”. Clearly, if you like it and feel that it works for you, then the answer is to dive in, learn it and develop workflows that utilize it to your advantage. If you don’t like it, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be helpful for some jobs. Even if you don’t want to use it as your primary NLE – or if you just want to hang on and wait to see what improvements Apple has in store – it can be an asset in your current toolkit.

I see several areas where FCP X can augment other NLEs. For example, HDSLR-based projects shot on a Canon 1D/5D/7D. FCP X handles H.264 files extremely well, so use it as a “pre-edit” tool. Ingest the native H.264 camera files, align double-system sound (such as from a Zoom H4n) using built-in synchronization and color-correct/stabilize shots. Once you’ve done that, assemble a loose string of selects (with handles) and export a self-contained ProRes QuickTime file for further editing in the NLE of your choice. read more...