TOPIC:

This week I'm going to be using on-set data recording using QR Slate. There was no support material for procedures with FCPX, so I emailed the developer to answer some questions.

His complaint with FCPX was that the XML limited the fields he had access to. In his words,

QRSlate Desktop turns the metadata into keywords and markers stored in an FCPXML file, and that is brought into FCP-X.

So unfortunately as it is, SCENE and TAKE metadata can't be translated into their proper fields in FCPX, but rather get lumped into the notes field. Sill useable as searchable text, but not as good for organizational purposes.

Let's hope we see another expansion of FCPXML in 10.0.6 that gives developers access to these fields. I could see apps like QR slate dramatically speeding up post.

I'll start a separate topic when things get going so you can all read about my experience with the software.

I would send this to apple over there feedback form.

It's been over a year, when are the control boards for color and sound mixing coming out for FCP X? I can see the possibility of an iPhone/ipad control board, I thought somebody would have done this by now, maybe that is the plan for the next update which could make FCP X a 10.1.0 instead of a 10.0.6.

I only know about colour board control for dedicated CC applications like Resolve or Color. Do any NLEs have good control surface interaction? I honestly have no clue on that one...

I've often said that I think there's an opportunity for Apple to augment the FCPX interface by being able to use a paired iPad as an extension of the keyboard for specific tasks like color correction and audio mixing.

I believe I asked Philip Hodgets about it one time, and his assertion was that there wasn't the hooks in the software to allow for that kind of external control yet.

But tomorrow's another Tuesday, and maybe we'll find out what Apple have planned.

Hey! There's only 13 Tuesdays left in the year, so our odds are improving substantially every week.

Something like V-Control Pro or vWave Lite would be awesome.
The problem with the first one is the lack of audio tracks, but maybe roles could configured as tracks when using the "iPad interface". And a more powerful colorboard controlled with an iPad interface would be a killer feature (create power windows on a real image from our timeline showing on the iPad, saving looks and recover them with a swipe to the left, etc.)

There are control boards for STP and color but they are no longer supported, my assumption is that the development team would have thought out a transition with FCP X. I just had a computer scientist genius look into the possibility of making an iPad app or whatever to have color board controls on an iPad. What he came up with is that there are not enough parameters that you can get access to make a color board app through an iPad. I say "Dang".

I also looked into this, combined with other control ideas, about a year ago and it sadly came back as a no go too.

If enough of us fill out the feedback page about it, control surface support may appear some day.

You could put together your own control commands if you own one of the euphonix devices.

Thats what we did.

I use Euphonix surfaces, you need to map them to existing keyboard commands. I find there's simply not the commands you need available as keyboard shortcuts.

It works great out of the box with the Transport, but the Color and Mix are pretty much useless with FCP X.

But if anyone has a mapping for the Color and/or Mix control surfaces, I'd love to get a copy of those from you.

So, another Tuesday.

As the great Willie T. Stokes says in Bad Santa, "Wish in one hand, s*** in the other. See which one fills up first."

BenB wrote:

I use Euphonix surfaces, you need to map them to existing keyboard commands. I find there's simply not the commands you need available as keyboard shortcuts.

It works great out of the box with the Transport, but the Color and Mix are pretty much useless with FCP X.

But if anyone has a mapping for the Color and/or Mix control surfaces, I'd love to get a copy of those from you.

We don't have the MC Color but if you do, you could map them yourself. I will check on the MC Mix and pop up here.

Welcome to page 13. I'm now confident we'll get to 15 by the time the update hits later this month.

I've been using FCP 7 for the last 5 weeks and absolutely hating it. Though ALL the editors at this facility have written FCP X off completely, without even trying it.

Perhaps we could start a pool wagering on either how many pages this thread will be when the new release comes, or if it will indeed be on a Tuesday?

Seanus wrote:

Welcome to page 13. I'm now confident we'll get to 15 by the time the update hits later this month.

I've been using FCP 7 for the last 5 weeks and absolutely hating it. Though ALL the editors at this facility have written FCP X off completely, without even trying it.

i have to pay the optimist and say the day is young!

On your other point. That is the critical challenge for adoption of FCPX. First off, it has a bad reputation, and it's critics are insanely vocal. Secondly, FCPX is different enough that it's not like the first time you sit down with it you have an epiphany that everything is better. For any editor with experience in any NLE from the past 15 years, there's going to be a period of frustration before you begin to see the benefits. So the challenge is twofold- to get people to sit down in front of it at all, and then muscle their way though the uncomfortable first couple of weeks to see the advantages.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. A little bit more time spent on PR and a defined transition period, and I think a lot of editors would have been infinitely more receptive to the new ideas.

I certainly think Apple has to rethink their PR for FCPX.

As someone with about 30 years experience in Post going back to CMX340 days, FCPX is my preferred NLE but I do think it'll be a hard sell to experienced editors. Unless they have the mindset, they will keep thinking in old methodology.

I recall a friend who was English as a second language, even though he was very comfortably fluent. Always though, was the constant strain of real time translation going on in his head. One morning he was excitedly expressing to friends that he now knows English. Of course he had been speaking English rather well for years. The breakthrough though, was that the night before, he dreamt in English. He found that he no longer was doing the real time translation. After years, he'd internalized the language.

Basically it's very rough for people to get to that stage and unless necessitated by a job, they're going to avoid it.

FCPX though, can win an attrition battle. People new to editing as well as those growing up on iMovie, will much more intuitively grasp FCPS. Overtime they will be the ones starting the new small facilities sans legacy gear and legacy mindset.

What we're seeing is editors like myself are apparently the extreme exception when it comes to FCPX adoption.

One thing you allude to, but not otherwise mentioned in this thread, is that beyond software updates with new features, is progress in Apple's marketing of FCPX. With the potential for a big feature update comes yet another opportunity for Apple to engage in aggressive PR. That's an update I'm also hoping for.

I agree completely. I haven't been in the game as long as you, but long enough to have cut film, A/B Roll, and then onto NLEs for the past 15.

I would love to see Apple really attack this PR problem after the next release. Informational tours and demos. Regular updates to their FCPX Success Stories page (both big companies AND successful indy producers). And mostly, I'd love to see Randy back at NAB next year to demo a 10.1 if it's ready. Putting your head back in the lions mouth as it were.

Seanus wrote:

Welcome to page 13. I'm now confident we'll get to 15 by the time the update hits later this month.

I've been using FCP 7 for the last 5 weeks and absolutely hating it. Though ALL the editors at this facility have written FCP X off completely, without even trying it.

And what is their solution? Sticking with 7?

We have thrown out everything else. FCPX with Motion and Resolve rock.

Seanus wrote:

Welcome to page 13. I'm now confident we'll get to 15 by the time the update hits later this month.

I've been using FCP 7 for the last 5 weeks and absolutely hating it. Though ALL the editors at this facility have written FCP X off completely, without even trying it.

You should show them way of the force!

Scrubelicious wrote:

You should show them way of the force!

I did. Some producer were trying to cut some audition videos together. All shot with a little handy cam that results in MP4 files. Trying to cut them in FCP 7 was almost impossible. App would constantly crash.

They came and asked me for help. I told them to download the free trial of X and cut it in that.
They couldn't believe I suggested it. Anyway they took my advice and did it. Job done!
Now they've bought the program.

Inch by inch....