FCP X – FIRST MUSINGS

Filmmaker by David Leitner

Final Cut Pro X (version 10.0) arrived 8:30 a.m. yesterday morning at the App Store for $299, unleashing torrents of criticism about missing features and a perceived drift from professional product to one that consumers might find friendlier.

So far, so good.

Let me explain.

I, too, had an advance copy (version 9.9.1.77) and wrestled to overcome personal expectations of what a 64-bit next-gen Final Cut should be, given the countless hours of my life spent in front of this revolutionary NLE since it first introduced us to FireWire and DV editing back in 1999.

As I wrote last night to Filmmaker editor Scott Macaulay, who has been keenly tracking FCP X since its sneak peek at NAB in April, “I’ve had problems with FCP X too, but since when is the unfamiliar a comfortable ride?”

To force myself through FCP X’s new paces, I’m in the process of cutting a small 6 to 7-minute promo for a tribute CD honoring, for a good cause, the work of a seminal rock & roll legend. I’ll have more to say about the practical experience of cutting with FCP X a bit further down the road, after I finish this assignment.

In the meantime, check out the best overview of FCP X that appeared yesterday, written for MacWorld by the estimable Gary Adcock. Chase that stiff drink with a close reading of Phil Hodgetts’ incisive Q&A exploring specific features and workflow concerns. Don’t neglect the hundred or so comments at the end, fired off by emotional pro editors hashing deeper issues. read more...