final cut pro x

Blogposts by Michael Cioni

Clearly I did not exhibit any foresight with regard to the emotional impact in which this particular topic has generated. Very interesting, very exciting and very important. Above all, the summer release of Final Cut Pro-X is an event that should be monitored carefully and evaluated as the program continues to mature every quarter. In effort to document some of the direct feelings I have on the matter, I have collected some of my posts from the RED USER forum and my contributions to the online podcast “Tech Media Planet.”

I have spent a lot of time not only evaluating FCPX, but also evaluating technological advancements in general since the late 1990’s. Pointing out that FCPX is missing critical components to professional users is warranted and (more importantly) a large percentage of the reasoning behind limited implementation of this application in the workforce. But to suggest that FCPX is a step backwards is a gross misunderstanding of what is happening in this program, programs like it and Apple in general.

While it’s easy to establish “WHAT” is wrong with FCPX, I encourage people to explore the “WHY.” And when you can figure out the “WHY” you can always determine the “HOW.” For example, there are components inside the new architecture that are simply so advanced that there is no way to easily or efficiently upgrade existing project files from a previous iteration. But even more significant than that is the philosophical approach Apple is taking on editing in general and I personally am 100% behind Apple’s stand on the matter, even though it means I cannot use the program for much of my work at this time.

What’s happening with FCPX right now is no different than what Apple did when they switched from OS9 to OSX. The problems, limitations, dual-booting, limited functionality, restricted horsepower - all of this was part of a massive improvement that starts with massive causalities. And while there were few online message boards at the time of the OSX turnover, I am willing to bet the opinions of those feeling “marooned” due to their contentment was similar to the feelings now. -They just didn’t have as easy a time of expressing it. But forward-thinking leaders like Apple (and there are many others) are able to identify when it’s appropriate to sacrifice the few to save the many. So is the case of the current situation of FCPX. read more...