A couple of days ago, I began writing about my thoughts on Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. As I was writing that post, I realized it would take me at least a couple of writings to complete my thoughts.
I had no intentions of using Final Cut Pro X any time soon, but recently a project came along that had been started elsewhere in Final Cut Pro X, so I either had to be stubborn and rebuild the project shot by shot in Final Cut Pro 7, or I could be adventurous and dive in to the ‘uncharted territory’ headfirst. This wouldn’t be the first time I had to jump in knowing nothing. Throughout my career in post-production, the editing platform I use has changed based on what has been available to me. I first worked on a $99 program called Avid Cinema. At the time it was awesome! I was in high school, and I had never even seen a non-linear editing solution before. It was perfect for what I was doing, but I knew it had its faults and that there was surely something better out there. Then after graduating high school, I got a job at a little place called Action Video Productions where I worked on a Newtek Video Toaster. That was an entirely different experience with a vastly different learning curve and approach, but an entirely better one at that. Newtek had literally thought of everything! And then a couple of years later, my world changed again at Oklahoma City Community college where I discovered the magnificent wonder that was the professional end of the Avid family of products with Avid Express DV and Avid Express. Meanwhile, at home I had been able to get my hands on a copy of Adobe Premiere and tool around with that! So within the time frame of about two years, I had edited video on at least four completely different platforms. They were all Greek to each other, but each carried the basic editing principles through in one way or another. At this time I hadn’t even TOUCHED an apple computer. In fact, I used to tease the girl that lived across the hall from me in college for having a silly looking, trendy, superficial iMac G3.
But then in 2004-2005, it changed again for me when I got my first ‘real job’ making training videos for a cellular provider. They didn’t have a PC. They didn’t have Avid or Premiere. They had a PowerMac G5 and a copy of Final Cut Pro HD. Man, was that dumb. How the heck am I supposed to do anything with this? I had ZERO mac experience, and certainly none with Final Cut Pro! I could see hints of Avid, and perhaps even premiere in there somewhere, but it was different. Some things were cool, and some things were duuuuumb. But just like I had done time and time again when exposed to a new system, I adapted. Before I knew it, I had made the switch from PC to Mac at my own home, and I had the entire Final Cut Studio suite installed. I had fallen in love (though there were and still are things I like better about Avid). And though I still work that rare freelance gig on an Avid system, I have comfortably called Final Cut Pro my home for the past six or so years.
I suppose my point is what I’m sure many professional editors would agree upon: The platform on which editing is performed is sometimes the least important tool in the box. In my opinion, a good editor survives by doing three things: Understanding stories and trends, understanding technology, and adapting. And I don’t necessarily mean adapting from one to the next to the next in a progression, but rather a coexistent circle where you can bounce back and forth from one platform to another. If you have the means to do that, and can stay updated on each platform’s evolutions, you’re in business!
But the software developers need to hold up their end of the bargain, too! In the next post, I’ll get into more of the specifics of how and why Apple and Final Cut Pro may have turned their back on us.
Epic dorkery will ensue.