Since Apple launched Final Cut Pro X last Tuesday, I’ve had more than 3,500 emails that range from “I’m enjoying FCP X and creating useful projects,” to “FCP X will destroy my ability to make a living.” (And, ah, far worse, I’m sad to say.)
When I first saw Final Cut X, I was excited by its potential, but warned Apple that this release would be intensely polarizing to the editing community. It does not give me pleasure to see that I was right.
Worse, Apple has alienated the very people who can make a very visible statement as to the inadequacy of the program. No clearer example can be found than the public ridicule of FCP X on the Conan O’Brien show.
Or, as David Pogue wrote in his New York Times blog: “…let me be clear on this point — I think Apple blew it.”
With the possible exception of the launch of MobileMe, I can’t think of an Apple product launch which has spun more wildly out of control than this one. Apple did not just blow this launch, they went out of their way to alienate their key customer base.
Which is a shame, because FCP X has such great potential — but now, Apple has to concentrate on damage control, rather than getting people excited about the new program.
After the launch, Apple compounded their problems with three extremely poorly timed moves:
1. Canceling Final Cut Studio (3) and pulling all existing product from the market. This is devastating to shops that can’t use Final Cut Pro X. The two applications can co-exist on the same system — killing FCP 7 will not boost sales of FCP X to those shops that can’t run it. All it does is set up a black market for FCP 7.
2. Not providing – then publicly stating (thru David Pogue’s New York Times blog) that they do not plan to provide – a conversion utility from FCP 7 to FCP X. Not only does this render a HUGE number of past projects inaccessible, it sets up the obvious conclusion that if Apple is willing to discontinue support for legacy applications with no warning, what’s to prevent them from doing so again in the future? Every time you watch a movie that is more than 6 months old, you are dealing with legacy assets. Not providing a conversion utility is completely inexcusable.
3. Leaving the support for interchange formats – XML, EDL, OMF and others – to third-parties; or not supporting them at all. Yes, the video and film industry needs to move into the current century. However, Hollywood is very reluctant to change what works. Meeting deadlines is far more important than adopting new technology. Apple’s walled garden approach is totally at odds with the nature of post-production, where the editing system is the hub around which a wide variety of other applications revolve. On any editing project I routinely run 5-10 other programs simultaneously — only three of which are from Apple. I am constantly moving data between programs. This, combined with a lack of support for network-based storage, highlight grave development decisions in determining what features to include in the program.
NOTE: Apple told Pogue that they are working on providing the specs for their XML API. This is essential for any third-party developer to access conversion “hooks” in the program. David didn’t report that they mentioned when this would be available, however.
When I was talking with Apple prior to the launch, they told me that they extensively researched the market to determine what needed to be in the new program. In retrospect, I wonder what people they were talking with.
As I was working with the program, developing my FCP X training series, I often felt that the program was developed for two different audiences. Some features, effects for instance, are clearly geared for the iMovie crowd, while others, like trimming or 4K support, are geared for pros. The program sometimes felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be when it grew up.
In FCP X, Apple got some things amazingly right. But they also got key features amazingly wrong. And if they don’t change course, this software, which has significant potential, is going to spin further and further out of control. At which point, its feature set is irrelevant, its reputation will be set. We’ll be looking at another Mac Cube.
Apple does not normally ever comment on future products – though they did this year, prior to WWDC, because they needed to reset expectations. Because of the visibility of this product into an audience that can cause extensive PR damage to Apple, I suggest that Apple break its usual vow of silence and do three things:
1. Immediately return Final Cut Studio (3) to the market. If it is not compatible with Lion (and I don’t know whether it is or not) label it so. But put it back on store shelves so consumers have the ability to work with the existing version until FCP X is ready for prime time.
2. Fund the development of a conversion utility – either at Apple or thru a 3rd-party – and announce the development with a tentative release date.
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.
I have written in my earlier blog (read it here) that FCP X has a lot of potential, and, for some, it meets their needs very nicely. I still believe that.
I was also pleased to provide training on FCP X so that new and existing users can get up to speed on it quickly.
I don’t mind helping a product develop into its full potential. I enjoy providing feedback and helping people to learn new software. I don’t even mind that FCP X is missing some features; this is to be expected in any new software.
But I mind a great deal being forced to adopt a product because other options are removed, forced to lose access to my legacy projects, and forced to work in the dark concerning when critically needed features will be forthcoming.
This launch has been compared to Coca-Cola launching New Coke – resulting in a humiliating loss of market share.
With Final Cut Pro X, however, the situation is worse — with New Coke, only our ability to sip soda was affected. With Final Cut Pro X, we are talking losing livelihoods.
Let me know what you think,
Larry
253 Responses to Apple's Challenges
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Funderbunk says:
June 27, 2011 at 8:58 am
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Mike Chapman says:
June 27, 2011 at 9:22 am
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Mike Chapman says:
June 27, 2011 at 9:23 am
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June 27, 2011 at 9:44 am
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June 27, 2011 at 9:44 am
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Kit Lammers says:
June 27, 2011 at 9:52 am
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June 27, 2011 at 10:17 am
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June 27, 2011 at 10:18 am
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June 27, 2011 at 10:22 am
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Bill Dawson says:
June 27, 2011 at 10:27 am
← Older Comments Newer Comments →The killing of FCP7 is the real problem, and it’s going to be the cause of the migration away from Final Cut where I work.
We’re upgrading our edit bays and adding two more here in a few months. The plan was for new Macs, new monitors, Black Magic cards, etc, the works – and there wasn’t even a question we were going to stick with Final Cut.
Except now we can’t. FCPX simply won’t work for us. The things missing aren’t features, they’re functions. We can’t even go with FCP7 because Apple pulled it, so there is no way for us to actually add those two additional bays.
Putting off the purchase until Apple “fixes” FCPX to at least be usable isn’t really an option. Who knows when exactly that will be? Apple hasn’t actually made any official announcements about adding anything, and somehow I suspect that there are some things that simply won’t ever come back.
Even if we had a set date, trying to delay this project isn’t really a possibility when you get corporate budgets and purchasing involved.
No, we’ll be getting new edit suites this summer. It just looks like now they won’t be Final Cut suites.
We certainly aren’t the only facility making equipment purchases in the next 12 months – and right now, the state of FCPX and the killing of FCP7 is mandating a move to another editing program. Apple wanted to “shift the editing paradigm”, and they did – right to their competitors.
Right on the money. Not much to add except that I hope Apple does some serious damage-control, rapidly. Saturn showed that you can make a potentially disastrous move (in their case, filling the radiators of early Saturns with potentially damaging anti-freeze; they exchanged the affected cars for new ones, no charge!), but you have to do it QUICKLY and LOUDLY. Apple isn’t known for eating crow in public, but this would be a time to do it.
What I meant to say was, “Saturn showed that you can make a potentially disastrous move – and recover from it – but you have to do it quickly and loudly.”
Last Friday I went and bought FCP Studio, just in case Apple decided to pull it off the shelves. It is amazing how out of touch Apple is with its proffesional base.
I think I will need to make sure I get a Mac before they ship them with Lion only.
Adobe is at a crossroads right now, they can seise the opportunity to engage editors as Apple did years ago with Avid users. I will now start to check Premiere Pro as a viable alternative.
Thank you for stating the case for all of us Larry. Very well written.
Please stay on this issue “like a fly on stink”!
Lots of comments. I agree, but Apple needs to act fast, lots of editor friends have been telling me how great Premiere Pro is and maybe it is time to give it a look.
I am afraid I am like the author below…I think I will be clicking that little purple square that I have never used. I’ll milk my FPC 7 until it is no longer useful and then off to Premier I go. I have been with FCP since it first came out and have been a huge supporter/evangelist…I am to the point that if I could get a good “clone” I would not even buy another Apple product save the OS.
Apple have no real interest at the very top (Steve & Tim etc.) of supporting pro users period. Mid level managers may try to sell the idea that they do, however the strategic direction Apple is taking shows the truth: The dumbing down of Aperture, vacating the server hardware market, and now the rape of FCP.
They want to make and sell cool high-end consumer devices. They want to sell cool high volume software to those devices and they want to do it via their own online store. iTunes-movie rentals-iphones-iMacs and son the new TV that will be launched spring 2012 with full cloud media distribution. Their other priority interest is enterprise communications & devices.
They don’t care about pro creative users, there are not enough of us to make a difference. Apple are only interested in markets that generate many billions, not hundred millions.
More revenue can be generated by taking limited resources and applying them to their consumer markets and new enterprise efforts. They have told you, very clearly, what they think of the FCP market by their reent actions and in how they threw FCP7 into the trash. They could not get rid of it fast enough.
They are not interested in creating software for the thousands of pro editors who have the ability to edit the next big movie, they are interested is selling devices that will play the next big movie to many millions of con consumers as well as to digitally distribute that blockbuster to the world within their walled garden.
This has been very easy to see if you have been going to their annual share holder meetings, reading their guidelines and listening to their strategic updates.
Apple is not a stupid company. They launched FCP X the way they did to create buzz about the new consumer product for consumers and to get rid of the pro users as quickly as possible, they will not, (and don’t want to), waste resources on the people who have helped make Apple what is once was but no longer is.
Now that they have killed the server hardware product line, you will see their current line of computers start to follow suit starting in mid 2012, the focus and power will be to consumer mac and iOS hardware. Tower machines with lots of space for powerful GPU’s will start fading from the product line by late 2012.
Better get to know Adobe products inside out because that is what you will have to start teaching soon (If you want to remain be the outstanding teacher you really are) , and Windows too because as Apple retreats from the pro hardware market, Adobe will have to focus on only the hardware that can support their goals for their software.
What a mess. But wasn’t the writing on the wall?
– Apple is a consumer electronics company, not a pro user company
– everything Apple does will support their primary mission, consumer electronics
– Apple doesn’t make much money in the pro markets compared to what they make on iphones and ipads, which is clearly their future
– this isn’t a PR dust up because typical iphone/ipad users don’t care one bit what pro video editors have to say, and investors only care about the stock price, which FCP does not support (regardless of what any apologist would say)
We all knew it was coming. We all knew that FCP was dead. The only thing that survives is the name, which is meaningless because what they delivered is actually iMovie Pro.
It turns out to be a mistake to trust a consumer electronics company to take to heart the needs of video pros. I adopted FCP in 2005, invested countless hours and dollars in software, hardware training, seminars, conferences, etc., and now all of that is worthless. Should I start over and trust Apple to be the cutting edge video software company that I need? That would probably be foolish, since that is not their mission. A better strategy is probably to cut losses and look to companies that see creative pros as their market and producing software tools for them as their mission.
Furthermore, Apple has shown itself to be arrogant, secretive and unreliable with respect to pro users? Is it wise for video pros to count on them as partners? Are there any video pros who feel valued by them? Apple’s software products are designed for consumers who own Apple devices. Unless my business is based on producing work that’s shot on an iphone, they’re not my partner.
I feel especially bad for the Larry Jordan’s, Rich Harrington’s and Steve Martin’s; FCP trainers that I consider mentors and friends (though I know none of them personally). They served as guides and helped me learn the ropes, answered my questions and filled me with the possibilities of desktop video. These are great guys (and there are others) who I hope don’t get stuck trying to convince pros that this product work for them. Instead, I hope they begin training on Adobe stuff, because that’s where I’m headed. Hey, how about video software that’s 64-bit, cross platform and well integrated with a suite of quality apps that comes from a company that has supported creative pros for its entire existence? Sounds like a much better bet to me than trusting a consumer electronics company to keep me up to date in the fast changing, demanding world of pro video.
Apple clearly made a business decision to de-support the pro users.
I’m not happy about that but it’s their decision, not mine.
What I really don’t understand is why would they tick off people
with access to the media? After all, the pro users ARE the media.