So the big question for today is will we see FCPX in the Steve Jobs keynote presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference?
Our money would be on FCPX being shown running on any new hardware that might be announced. What better way to keep the forums and Twitter alive with new rumours and add more excitement as we get nearer the launch date.
The Worldwide Developers Conference is probably the biggest meeting of Mac geeks out there. We know, we've been, twice. The keynote is the highlight and if you want a good seat you have to get outside Moscone West for about 6AM.
The keynote is the only presentation that is public, all the others (there are many presentations over the week in smaller rooms) are covered by an NDA. So why would this bother us? If you were a developer for FCP then you would want some answers about FCPX pretty soon. As we discussed before, will FxScript be supported? What about XML compatibility? Normally there are sessions for FCP developers and plugin writers, will these happen and will the Apple staff be allowed to talk FCPX? We did try to take a peek at the sessions but alas you have to have a WWDC ticket to view the schedule or download the iPhone app.
Will Lion be available to download later today? Here on the FCP.co campus we have backed everything up so we can be running the moment it's released. Rumours are you don't need to be running Lion for FCPX. Twitter comments over the weekend pointed to the date for the FCPX release (via @philiphodgetts) to be June 21, apparently it went to GM (Golden Master via @flo_muc) a few days ago. Does this mean that FCPX will be a download only as we can't see there being enough time between now and June 21 to get the software translated, copied, boxed and shipped. Interesting.
At the moment we cannot find a link to the keynote for live video streaming, no doubt Apple will post the video on Tuesday, but we would like our industry news slightly quicker than that! We will be watching a variety of 'live updates' on websites, take a look at:
Engadget (Says there is a live video feed but this is probably not inside the hall)
Gizmodo (Looks like a roundup from other sites as they have been banned due to the iPhone4/bar incident)
The fun starts at 10:00 am in San Francisco (Pacific time) 18:00 UK time
We will post the keynote video as soon as we can - it's going to be a good one.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
