Final Cut Pro X Babbling

Been a while since I spouted off on anything, but here we are. 🙂 FCP (not X!) 10.6 was released this week and, along with some bug fixes (that are actually listed!) and some cool new features – Apple Easy® Object Tracking & Cinematic Mode – it has unleashed the predictable Chorus of Disappointment™. :sigh:

It never fails… Excitement builds! Rumors fly! The big day arrives and… it’s just not enough! No Roles mixer! Can’t flatten multi-cams! No built in collaboration! Etcetera! Apple. Hates. Pros! …c’mon, get a grip people.

Now, I should point out that I would love it if any of those features were to appear. (especially the mixer thing 😉) But I really just don’t understand people who are/were champions of FCP, constantly announcing to the world their intention to jump ship with every point version upgrade of FCP. What’s the, uh, point? Seriously. If Resolve or Premiere or Media Composer or Lightworks or Lumafusion or whatever better suit your needs… use them.

I mean, when FCP can’t do something another NLE can, I just use another NLE. Broken record here, but for me, FCP is the easiest, most enjoyable app to work in. Easiest by far with which to find images (Filmstrips and Skimming). Easiest (only?) NLE to do great titles/GFX/compositing without leaving the timeline. Easiest on the eyes and, because of the trackless timeline, the easiest to just… cut.

I’ll spare you the re-hash of why I prefer FCP and use it alongside other NLE’s when I’m using them. Which I do. If I’m part of a team using Premiere, I use Premiere. (while finding shots and doing quick comping in FCP) If I need to do compositing/color stuff FCP can’t easily do, I jump into Resolve. If I need to open an Avid Bin, I use Media Composer. What’s the big deal?

Anyway… I do hope FCP get the ‘missing’ features we all crave. But their absence doesn’t change the fact that cutting in FCP kicks ass and, like all the previous updates, this latest version has some great additions. The lack of a mixer, or collaboration or whatever doesn’t change the fact that I can cut faster and have more fun and be more creative in FCP than any other option.

As for all the ‘useless’ features the have been added over the years… I actually do use 3D text. I use the audio signal path features all the time. I use the shit out of Filmstrips, Clip Skimming, Roles, Lanes, Audio and Video effects, and everything else that is built into FCP.

And now, I’ll be using the new Object Tracker too. It’s ridiculously simple, and you can kinda mimic Power Windows for color correction with it which is very handy. Cinematic Mode seems very cool too, though I’ll probably never use it. Well… until I shoot my new spec script on my new iPhone that I don’t own yet. It’s gonna be a great film! The working title is STFU.

K, rant over. See ya in a year or so! lol