I have a Confession

Ok so I have been having problems with my FCPX, but I know how to fix them...yet I don't have the money to physically own the software itself because I'm 16 and I don't have a job. So I know I can't upgrade the ripped version I got and I probably won't be able to update much. Furthurmore, I just wanted to let you all know this instead of thinking..."how in the heck does this kid get this kind of software?!?!" I got it off of youtube...and I wanted to be honest with you all. I'm pretty sure you guys look down upon pirating the software, but how can I do what I love if I can't get what enables me to do it?

Just wanted to let you all know and I hope you don't hate me for this

What are the issues you're having. I highly doubt you need expensive software to fix it. We can probably help you find a simple, cheap, if not free fix. But not specifying an issue doesn't contribute to the forum.

And some of use are in a position with Apple that we really can't help anyone who we know to have pirated software.

Just updating in general for FCPX. When I try to update in the App store it goes and says "To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it." Yet I got it with the account that I was originally on. So I'm a little confused.
Would you be able to help me on that?

And with the Apple/pirated bit, I understand.

Because its pirated software it won't update as the account is bogus.

Final Cut Pro X only costs $300. Which of course is a lot for a 16 year old.
But here's the thing. Once you own it you can share it with some friends, I think your actually allowed 5 seats? So why not band together with some friends and purchase it as a group?

Also. Do you have access to discounted iTunes cards? I can often pick them up for up to 25% off. So I actually only paid $240 for my copy of FCP X.

Sell some stuff on eBay, pester your parents, do odd jobs, ask for iTunes gift cards for presents/rewards, offter to edit friends and relatives videos if they make a donation to your software etc..

Basically do what it takes. In the mean time download the trial of FCP X as it's fully functional and gives you the latest software free to use for 30 days.

Oh and your honesty is to be commended. Good luck!

And there's iMovie.

Monsieur slidetackle,

If FCP was a physical type of object that you couldn't replicate, digitally,
I'm absolutely certain you would find a way to pay for it.

Once upon a time, I dreamed to work in the record making biz.
When I was sixteen, "virtual instruments" didn't exist; recording on a computer
was uncommon or completely out of reach and Cubase was for complicated
midi sequences (but most just used a hardware sequencer or drum machine).

Even the "low end" consumer/prosumer products added up to $1000's of dollars.

I don't know your (family's?) financial situation; but if you have a macintosh computer, it's safe to say that it isn't the worst it can be.

Personally, all of my income, at 16, was expendable. Minimum wage was $3 and some change an hour. I managed to afford plenty of toys working like everyone else.

$50 a month Adobe Everything, $300 FCPX, $30-200 professional effects, $400 t2i's,
$30 vintage primes. .... Video Editing/Filming/Animation/etc. has become infinitely more in-expensive than any other profession I know of.

You can make a slick film for less than it costs to rent a recording studio.
You can make a slick film for less than it costs to re-model a bathroom: DIY.
You can make a slick film for less than it costs to order a meal at mcdonald's every
day for a month.

You're honesty is good. I'm not judging you. I understand that pirating is what
everyone is doing these days. I also understand, in most cases;
piracy has no effect on sales.

However, if you're telling me you can't work at McDonald's for a few days at minimum wage after school... .... how are you going to work in film?

I agree in all aspects of what you're saying, however, my family's financial situation is not great, but it's not bad either. You could say that I'm well off, but I consider myself lucky to get a macbook pro laptop for graduating the 8th grade alone. It's intended purpose was for essays, projects, and the likes, little did I know that I'd fall in love with the film industry (mainly editing). And little did I also know how much everything on my "wish list" would cost.
I also agree with the McDonalds bit you mentioned. But in this day and age, it's a little tough for the average 16-year-old to find a job.
Funny thing is, our economy is in the toilet because we have no jobs, yet we have loads of legal working teenagers looking for a job...whats wrong with that picture?

So I guess my last question now is how old are you?
Kind of strange, but since we are talking about the age we started/can work at, I figured I would ask.

Sweet, long gone youth <sigh>

You know how to mow a lawn, do you? And I bet you know where to rent, borrow or steal (don't take that literally) a lawnmower. Now ask around in the neighborhood, and you might have the dough together before your legal trial version expires.

If you don't find a job, become an entrepreneur.

Good luck

30, my friend.

However, you and I, coincidentally, are on the same path, simultaneously.
That's a lot of commas, btw.

I'm not going to lie to you; I haven't been able to hold a day job in about 8-9
years. Lost one reputable job, because I'm an idiot. Spent 8 years taking any (legal)
job I could....which meant working for people that even the most hungry would know better than to rely on. There's credence to it being saaaad out there.

My father ragged on me this entire period, discounting my claims of how the current job market is. He gave up his mega-high paying job a few years ago via standard corporate acquisition. Once he started looking to work for someone again, one year ago, oh... he began to understand. :lol:

It's human nature to quickly recollect our lives in the past, yet, completely oversee
how the current environment will modulate the experiences of others.

I could say, "mow the lawn", however, that activity became a fallacy well before Michael Jackson started wearing that silly glove. :0

I pissed away a whole bunch of saved money last year; unexpectedly, I'd love
to have it all back to buy a new Mac Pro when it comes out. I'll settle for what I can afford.

You're sixteen, so here it comes:

1.) If you elect to go to college, choose a state school or university.
Don't waste your time with anything else. Certainly don't take out
a student loan. Period. If you or your parents can't pay for it, outright;
it's just the same as racking up a bunch of debt: because that's what it is.
If you go, it damn well better be for "insert prefix here" engineering.

2.) Don't touch a credit card, ever. Unless, of course, it's a debit card.

3.) Skip "film school", and secure a paying job.

4.) Take advantage of high school time to learn your butt off about how to make
money without working for someone else.

5.) Don't ever convince yourself you "need" something unless you know it will
directly translate to a profit. If you can't afford it, make the client or boss
pay for it.


I don't work in film/video/post/etc, I'm currently not planning on it.
But considering these "rules" pretty much apply to everything but
becoming a lawyer, healthcare professional or certified teacher; I'm confident
in my blabbering.

If not, I'm sure others will chime in.

cgbier wrote: Sweet, long gone youth <sigh>

You know how to mow a lawn, do you? And I bet you know where to rent, borrow or steal (don't take that literally) a lawnmower. Now ask around in the neighborhood, and you might have the dough together before your legal trial version expires.

If you don't find a job, become an entrepreneur.

Good luck

Touche haha. And I'd love to (trust me I would), but in California everybody has latino/hispanic workers to do the lawn mowing, leaf blowing, etc for them. And that's not even the rich people. That's practically the entire Middle class too.

But one thing they haven't done is take out trashcans
I'v had my own "business" per say however I only get payed a measly $10 A MONTH....like thats going to help haha

Hmm, looks like the jobs ARE available and it is only a question of a good marketing strategy for you.

The folks in the area surely know you. They know you as the nice young man who does good in school, is always friendly, helps gramma crossing the street,..... (you don't have to tell them that you are pirating software). You have your image as a starting point. Now just go from door to door, tell them what you are in to (don't tell them that you are pirating software). If they don't have a contract with their lawn care, I'll bet you get the one or the other gig,

...and who knows, maybe you have a career. My former boss started out with a lawn care business and ended up with a PhD in botany.

BTW: Motion goes for 50 bucks. With Motion and iMoie you can do a lot already.

I know a couple of high school kids here locally who shoot and help edit for wedding and event videographers. Great experience, they get to learn, show case what they've done, earn good money. Times are not THAT hard that you can't find some way to make money. Every fast food place in the country is hiring.

I've been self employed for about 15 years now. I had businesses off and on when I was younger. But I worked my ass of in my 51 years to get where I am now. I'm not getting rich, but I love what I do, and even in the worst of times, I've found ways to make ends meet.

"Storytelling with media is not about acquiring the expensive toys you want to craft a masterpiece you fantasize about, it's about using the resources you currently have to create beauty and art here and now."

I'm not quite seeing your problem as something that's insurmountable here.

You don't have the $300 clams to get a copy of FCP X. But you do have a fully functional laptop at your disposal, right?

There are a bunch of ways you can to 'do what you love' that incorporate what you already have to do it.


1. Use iMovie. Its not FCP X (though some will forever be loathe to admit it) but it edits video. Not only that, its FREE and its already installed on your laptop. What's more, whatever you cut in iMovie can be imported into FCP X later down the line.

2. Wait until May 28th (end of the month coming up - less than 30 days) for the release of Lightworks. Lightworks is a free open source NLE that you can edit to your heart's content with.
It means having to learn a new interface, but you're 16- that's what life should be about at your age.

3. If you don't want to wait and are a little adventurous, you can download a copy of Blender. It's a 3D modeling/animation/scripting/compositing application that also has a built in video sequence editor. Kind of basic but it lets you edit video (and its free! Plus, you might wind up learning and loving to work in 3D which can be a super useful skill set.)


Okay, that's 3 ways that I came up with that provide a way for you to 'do what you love' with the tools you already have available for no money whatsoever.

Here's one more:

If you're able to save up 80 bucks you can get yourself a copy of Premiere Elements. It gets the job done and adds a few more features than you'll find in iMovie.

Here's a suggestion that's worked well for me over the course of the last 10 years: intern. Volunteer.

There are organizations and companies all over that are looking for someone to help them with their videos. The might have an iMac, may have gotten a copy of FCP X (I mean its hard to beat $300) but never learned how to use it or (more likely) don't have enough time to do something with it (cause it didn't ship with the magic 'edit me now' button). Ask around. Maybe put the idea in someone's head (maybe your church is thinking about doing outreach videos or you've got an aunt that wants to do a commercial?)

There are a gazillion (okay, maybe not a gazillion - I don't know if that's even a real number) ways to put yourself in a position to edit some videos. Use your creativity and get busy figuring out how you can do that.

Hello owner of this site. Can we just take this whole thread down? It's just getting way to paternal and outrageous. Please. I think the kid can figure out his own life. I sure as hell did at his age. Why make it more difficult?

So, this is now a site for paternal guidance, or for technical support and sharing?

Seriously, get this whole thread gone. The kid doesn't deserve the amount of humiliation he's gotten here. Seriously.

Aww, Cmon BenB...I was just going to tell the kid how I financed my first Avid Media Composer by washing 3 million cars

I delivered newspapers, on foot, in the snow, no shoes, uphill both ways.

In Louisiana.

Of course! It snows here all the time! New Orleans is famous for it's major snow blizzards.

I agree with BenB. I surely achieve the distinction of being
the most guilty party; with post 1 and 2, nonetheless. :blush: