As is usual at this time of the year, Greg tallied up our software releases for the year. Well, more accurately his software releases, as I do not write the software. Surprisingly, we’re still updating software for Final Cut Pro 7.
57 releases for Final Cut Pro X apps, including two new apps: Producer’s Best Friend and Change List X, with the rest being updates. What’s amazing is that we’re still finding outlying cases that trip up one or other of the translation tools. We’ve worked very hard since their original release to make 7toX and Xto7 work as well as they can with Premiere Pro, so many of the updates were to support that.
But there were also 13 updates to our various Final Cut Pro 6/7 apps. Our Final Cut Pro 7 apps are selling in roughly the same numbers as they did before the release of Final Cut Pro X. For us, Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro, have been additional business.
2013 was also the first year that Apple have made one of our apps irrelevant by improving Final Cut Pro X in the 10.1 release. We released Event Manager X within a couple of weeks of the initial release of Final Cut Pro X to fill the perceived need to manage the visibility of Events and Projects. Event Manager X grew quickly into a highly capable Library manager for Final Cut Pro X.
Now, the new Libraries structure makes Event Manager X irrelevant, other than to manage the upgrade. So, we made it free so everyone could upgrade the easy way.
We have a great year planned to make the workflows in post easier so there’s more time to focus on being creative.
7 replies on “A year in Software Releases”
As an editor, your FCP7 sales do not surprise me at all. First and foremost FCP7 is still a tremendously effective editing platform. Like everything else in this world, it’s come of age, and new technologies have been introduced. What amazes me are those people that are practically on a crusade trying to convince people NOT to use FCP7 for anything ever again. While I’m definitely in tune with the world being all about change and moving on, there are still many of my clients that require I use FCP7. Don’t get me wrong, I love FCPX, but it’s just another editing platform, nothing more, nothing less. FCP7, for myself, is like an old muscle car, it may not be as comfortable or as efficient as it’s present-day model, but make no mistake, she can still run with the best of them!
I think the majority of FCP 6/7 users are still FCP 6/7 users. However, unless you have complete control of your workflow where you have all your editing assets delivered as ProRes, then I am with those that say “get moving”. In 2014 a 32 bit application is not a good idea for the majority of people who have to edit whatever the client brings. If you’re in that class then you need to get to a modern app asap.
As for the muscle care analogy, it’s a muscle car that can’t keep up on modern roads with other modern vehicles. As a show piece or in limited controlled circumstances, it could still be useful.
I would agree with the 32bit ProRes situation, but unfortunately, MANY, and I’m NOT one of them, have not made a switch to a 64bit editing App. If a client brings me a project to be edited in FCP7, and it needs to be transcoded, that’s added revenue. I’m not about to tell that client, no I can’t edit this, because I just don’t edit in a 32bit world. I’m an editor, I’ll edit it in Screen Flow, if that’s what they want and it suits the edit.
” If a client brings me a project to be edited in FCP7, and it needs to be transcoded, that’s added revenue.” Until one day they’re talking with an associate who says “What? You’re paying for transcoding?” Or “What, you can’t start editing straight away?”
Why the heck is a client dictating what tool you use to do the job you do? Do you tell your garage what brand of gear to use? Do you tell your Dentist which drills are better and which shouldn’t be used?
So why is a client dictating the tool? You’re not a button pusher, you’re an editor.
Philip, why so aggressive? Relax brother!
The client is dictating what tool I use because they need the FCP7 edited project for distribution and archiving. It’s called business, if that’s what they want so-be-it, it doesn’t ruin my day.
Seriously? If I go to a dentist and he only uses silver fillings and I don’t want that, I find another dentist, that doesn’t use silver fillings, it’s called choice.
If I needed a specific type gear, yes, I would tell my garage what gear to use, and if they didn’t have that particular gear, I’d find someone that does.
Client isn’t dictating, he doesn’t have a gun to my head forcing me to edit in FCP7, he merely is looking for an editor that will edit his needs, which in this case, entails using FCP7.
Should I approach every client with a “hey you’re not going to dictate what I use, if you have a FCP7 project, piss off, I don’t edit in that because now you’re dictating what I edit with?” Huh? I don’t think so.
You could ask why they care about what you use to edit.
Well, I am in the team of people who think it’s beter to start moving before the train has departed instead of trying to catch it up too late.