Final Cut Pro X Information & Resources 3

Looking at the Color features
Patrick Inhofer looks at the color features in Final Cut Pro X, and how they compare to the existing features in Color. His initial take is that it's simple to learn and more powerful than the color correction in Final Cut Pro 7, but it's not more powerful than the color correction in the Color app, and it's using a completely different paradigm to that used in Color and other professional grading apps.

Re-stated: Apple killed the color wheel paradigm in FCPx – and these Young Guns may never understand how the color wheel works or why pulling out those Red overtones are introducing Greens (which it does in the Color Board – and as it should… color science being – science). And when they step out into almost every other NLE or Color Grading app in existence – they’ll be starting from scratch since there’s no common reference point between the Color Board and anything else on the market (before you flame me on this comment, I address this in the next section).

TheTaoofColor: Has Apple’s Color Been Merged Into Final Cut Pro X?



Comparing Adobe's Warp Stabilizer and Apple's Final Cut Pro X Stabilization
This test was made by a guy at Adobe, and NoFilmSchool makes the following comment:

Yes, the After Effects one looks smoother. The FCP X video has a jump in it that After Effects corrects. However, this test is also a good example of the divide in Adobe and Apple’s (new) philosophy: Adobe’s stabilization requires a separate motion graphics app, while Final Cut Pro X‘s is built-in.

NoFilmSchool: Adobe’s Warp Stabilizer vs. Apple’s Final Cut Pro X Stabilization



New CreativeCOW Forum: Final Cut Pro X Techniques

New Tutorials up at CreativeCOW: Final Cut Pro X Forum



Richard Harrington's response to David Pogue - updated
Richard has continued to update his response to David Pogue's "Professional Video Editors Weigh In on Final Cut Pro X" column, with some additional - and extensive - clarifications from other's, including Gary Adcock.
RichardHarrington: My Response to David Pogue’s “Professional Video Editors Weigh In on Final Cut Pro X” *Updated June 25*



Full Review at Macworld - 3 1/2 stars
Gary Adcock's full review of Final Cut Pro X is now up at Macworld:

For the time being, as someone that needs to work for a living, I am not giving up my hardware-based version of Final Cut Pro 7 just yet, especially since Apple makes it possible for users to have both FCP X and Final Cut Studio functional on the same computer.

I regret that the older suite of tools has been removed from the Apple Store, but I plan to start using this version of Final Cut Pro for my direct to web deliverables and keep testing while I wait for App Store updates and additional features.

Macworld: Apple Final Cut Pro



Larry Jordan Weighs In
Larry has posted another article about Final Cut Pro X, and this one is even more negative than his previous one [while Larry didn't ignore negatives before, he was much more on the positives than the negatives in the first couple of articles. I expect him to announce he's switching to Premiere by the end of next week. -Ed]

He does list some things he thinks Apple has to do to get past the current problems:

3. Publicly announce a road-map for FCP X that just covers the next 3-4 months. Apple needs to be in damage control mode and the best way to defuse the situation is to communicate. Answering the question: “What features will Apple add to FCP X, and when?” will go a long way to calming people down.

LarryJordan: Apple’s Challenges




I know I said I wasn't going to post links to any more opinion pieces, but there are still some interesting things turning up...

What Will Apple Do?
Josh Mellicker, who produced the first FCP training course and was the first to demo FCP 1.0 in public, offers his perspective on the Final Cut Pro X release:

If most the people who download FCPX, whether professional, prosumer and consumer, have a frustrating first, second and third experience, give up and head back to FCP7 to cut that trailer, commercial, movie, industrial or kid’s birthday party, and Apple does not reverse course and put FCS3 back on sale (which I predict they won’t), it could mean trouble for the Pro Apps division.

He then lists some features he thinks Apple will roll out over the next 90 days, including XML import and multi-cam support.

While I think/hope/pray Apple will eventually do some/most of these things, I'm not sure they can roll it out in 90 days.
DVCreators: What does the guy who led the original Final Cut Pro revolution think of the Final Cut Pro X release?



The End of Pro Apps?
A poster at MacRumors forum points out that Apple may not care about Pro Apps:

• Apple stopped updating its "Pro" page almost two years ago, here: http://www.apple.com/pro/
• Apple stopped attending NAB, and other standard industry events.
• Multiple rumors that Apple was trying to sell its Pro Apps division....

MacRumors: iMovie 08 was originally call "First Cut"



Sanity?
Nate Orloff at The Final Rewrite puts together a bit of a defense of Final Cut Pro X, though much of it is on the order of "it's geared towards a different audience," and "it's the future."

No, Apple has not rewritten everything yet. In it’s current iteration, I can’t use it at work and most likely, neither can you. Why should you care then? Why not just spend $995 and switch to Avid? Because the foundation they’ve created in X is amazing. The NLE that Final Cut Pro X can be could change everything. I want to trust that Apple was at NAB because they are serious about this software, that the foundation has been built and they want to build on top of it.

TheFinalRewrite: Sanity in the FCP X Debacle



A Requiem for Color
Patrick Inhofer at The Tao of Color posts a requiem for Color:

Apple Color, being bundled with Final Cut Pro, revealed to 2 million professional and prosumer content creators that color correction isn’t just a plug-in… color correction is a craft with its own unique toolset. And there exist artisans who practice it.

Patrick's a great guy, and a great resource on color grading, but if he thought that it was ever Apple's intention to make the masses aware of artisans practicing a craft, then he's seriously mis-read Apple's goals. Apple's goal - I think - is bringing power to the masses by making it easy and understandable. If it works for Pros too, then good, but I don't think Apple ever intends to cater to them, or even promote them.
TaoOfColor: Apple Color 1.5: A Requiem




And for those migrating away from Final Cut
Walter Biscardi offers a video tutorial on moving a project from Final Cut Pro 7 to Adobe Premiere.
Vimeo: Transitioning: FCP Project to Adobe Premiere



Premiere Keyboard Shortcuts
Joseph Dano looks at Premiere again and notes:

I come to notice that Premiere can be a little more interesting with Keyboard customization! voila! I can now edit on Premiere using FCP7 shortcuts, who would think this was possible. You can also use AVID shortcuts for those who transfer from AVID to premiere.

If you want to make PPRO a little more like FCP7, you can also take the color of PPRO and make it lighter or darker, if you want the light color skin of FCP7, lower the settings in the appearance window and BAM you got it.

JosephDano: What to do when FCPX failed you?

This weeks $9.99 eBook Deal of the Week: Editing with Avid Media Composer 5: Avid Official Curriculum!