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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Terry S. says:
June 27, 2011 at 10:28 pm
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Ron Priest says:
June 27, 2011 at 10:42 pm
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John A. Mozzer says:
June 27, 2011 at 11:04 pm
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David Stacy says:
June 27, 2011 at 11:05 pm
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David Stacy says:
June 27, 2011 at 11:47 pm
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Larry says:
June 28, 2011 at 2:21 am
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Richard Day says:
June 27, 2011 at 11:50 pm
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David Stacy says:
June 28, 2011 at 12:00 am
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Techwizard says:
June 28, 2011 at 1:16 am
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Paul Escamilla says:
June 28, 2011 at 1:46 am
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Frederick Jackson says:
June 28, 2011 at 3:24 am
← Older Comments Newer Comments →Ouch – Apple Final Cut Pro X – wow – Sorry Apple. LOL I am letting do many typos slide through tonight. Sorry about that Larry.
Reply to TERRY S.
Hi Terry, I just wanted to say I appreciate your following comments:
“I really do feel your pain and frustration Larry as well as many of the others posting here, but Apple never, EVER, created Final Cut Pro for the entertainment industry profession, it created it for all video professionals, especially the freelance videographer who has to cut their own video. The creative professionals in the entertainment community chose Apple products for what they always do best, making our lives easier, no hassles to create something.”
This is so very true and I’ve just about decided that I’m simply going to give Apple the benefit of the doubt, and continue to trust them with this and see where it all goes. When it comes right down to it at the end of the day, Apple hasn’t ever really let me down since I originally left the PC and Adobe Premiere back in late 2006 when I purchased my first Mac Pro. So I’m going to hope that they aren’t going to now either. We shall see.
I just got back from a Final Cut Pro workshop for one-to-one members at my local Apple Store. Beforehand, I checked a few computers in the store, and found only FCP7, and not FCPX, on them . The instructor, a fellow whom I respect, said he hasn’t touched FCPX yet. (The workshop was on FCP7.)
Strange marketing . . .
I called Apple today and made inquiries about Apple certification for FCP 7, FCP Suite, and FCP X. All information from Apple’s Professional Applications department staff and from the Apple certification website verifies that all previous certifications for FCP is continuing. Again, Final Cut Pro 7 training and certification is posted, scheduled and ongoing.
I verified this with an authorized Apple Training and Certification center, All4DVD, in Irvine, California. All previous Apple certifications are ongoing, including all the discontinued applications.
All4DVD anticipates that new FCP X training books and Certification tests will be available by the end of September. They admitted that they have no direct information and are guessing. To be fair in reporting, the Apple staff also had no direct knowledge beyond anything that was published on Apple’s website. I tried to squeeze information from them about FCP 7’s compatibility with the new about to be released operating system, but they were just as uninformed.
Alex, below is the link you requested that I based the content of my previous blog on:
Exclusive Interview: Michael Wohl (One of FCP’s Original Designers) Speaks About Final Cut Pro X, from an interview with Rounik Sethi.
http://www.macprovideo.com/hub/interview/exclusive-interview-michael-wohl-one-of-fcps-original-designers-speaks-about-final-cut-pro-x
PLEASE READ
Apple’s Post: Before doing a dual installation to have both FCP 7 and FCP X on your computer (Last Modified: June 27, 2011): http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4722
Highlights:
Update the following first before installing FCP X on a drive with FCP Studio:
1. Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later
2. ProKit Update Version 7.0
3. The latest versions of the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications
Next, Install FCP X
CAUTION: Before using FCP 7 Open and Close Motion 4.
“Important: Make sure to open Motion 4 first, before opening any other Final Cut Studio (2009) applications.”
NOTE:
“When you install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same startup disk as Final Cut Studio (2009), the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications are moved to a new location (/Applications/Final Cut Studio).”
BUT,
“Final Cut Server, Podcast Producer, Software Updates for Final Cut Studio (2009), and some third-party workflows and tools may require that the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications remain in their original location in the Applications folder.”
APPLE’S WORKAROUND:
Read: “Restore the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications to their original location”, found on the same link above.
Larry,
How many times and in how many titles did you instruct us not so use the local drive to store media? Apple didn’t listen!
Apple: “Note: By default, Final Cut Pro X saves imported and rendered media files in your Movies folder in your home folder (/Users/username/Movies/). Final Cut Pro X Templates (generators, effects, titles, & transitions) and Motion Templates created in Motion 5, are saved to the Movies folder as well.”
I guess I shouldn’t jump at Apple because the FCP Studio’s default was to the local disk too, but…they designed FCP X to handle 4K! How much space do they think the “average” consumer has on their local drive?
David:
You are correct – both FCP X and FCP 7 default to storing media on the Boot drive. However, changing the scratch disks is easy in both applications.
And, I just downloaded the release version of FCP X and did not partition my boot drive. Seems, so far, to be working great. (Which is good, as I am not a fan of partitioning in the first place.)
Larry
If Apple has admitted that FCPX is currently aimed at the single user, not at a collaborative workplace environment, why would Apple discontinue their group workflow product, FCP 7?
Gamma Issues?
An interesting post from Chris Marquardt notes that the gamma that Final Cut Pro X uses in the Viewer is different from the gamma used in QuickTime X.
He notes that he thought Final Cut Pro X was supposed to handle color issues through ColorSync and solve problems like that:
“It took me a while to figure out that the viewer in FCP X needs a color profile with a gamma of 1.8 in order to show things the way they are.”
See his full comments here:
http://chrismarquardt.com/blog.php?id=7379490227447333704
You nailed it Larry. Frankly I too was a little worried you had gone over to “the dark side” but it’s a fair take. Now might be another good time to take Apple up on their offer to talk directly to the product team again. Maybe this time they will listen with their ears.
Thank you, Larry. As someone else said, you’re still my hero.
I am personally experiencing a disgust for Apple that is far more intense than any dislike I ever had for PCs. PCs may have seemed clunky and complicated to me, but they never seemed to be outright malicious and deceitful.
I have been one of the world’s biggest fanboys for over a decade. No longer. I was about to buy myself a new Macbook or Mac Mini for home use. That won’t happen now. I will be looking to buy my first ever PC.
And at work, I will switch to either Premiere or Avid within a few months. I am just totally blind-sided. After 10 years on FCP, I never saw this coming.
I waited patiently, I even purchased a New Mac Pro in anticipation. I am totally miffed. So how do I hit back …… I just dumped Apple and moved over to AVID.
Jobs needs his brains looking at for allowing his Muppets to release the worst disaster ever in Apples history.
RIP Final Cut my copy died today
Fred