FCPX – Not Even Ready For Daytime
Day one
A few weeks back upon my initial test run with FCPX I posted an article titled FCPX Not Quite Ready for Primetime. Well after weeks of dabbling with it I finally decided to go all out on a paid gig with a deadline. After all how can I really know what it is made of if it isn’t tested under real working conditions. This particular project was shot with two cameras; the Panasonic AF100, and the Canon 7D. Since FCP does background rendering with a wide variety of file types I thought this would be perfect for a real run. To my pleasant surprise FCPX background redered both the .mts and .mov files seamlessly. Next I logged in all my clips using keywords and favorites. The favorites function is amazing. Simply by setting in and out points and hitting “F” on the keyboard, your clip is highlighted and available for selected viewing. Next I started placing clips on the timeline and started working with the magnetic features which is as good as advertised. It’s also so different from the previous versions of FCP that it requires that you forget almost everything your learned. By the end of a long day one I shut it down and looked forward to day two.
Day two
As I started to get more into the edit, I realized that I was getting a constant spinning wheel. I had this issue on day one but I assumed it was because of the background rendering. All the background rendering was now finished so I wasn’t sure why I was getting this problem. I have a new MacBook Pro with a 2.2GHZ Quad core 7200 RPM and all the bells and whistles. So I moved my project to the External drive yet the problem persisted. Next I wanted to find my logged files using a keyword search. To my grave disappointment the keyword search does not include keywords you enter in it’s searches. It only gives results for filenames, and meta data. Come on guys! Increasingly I started to long for my reliable FCP7 sitting on my dock longingly waiting for me to come back to her faithful arms, but I persisted… I needed to give FCPX a fair chance.
After hours of editing which consisted of waiting for the spinning wheel to stop turning as much as it consisted of actual editing I was ready to shut it down. But I knew that I would lose two full days work with a project that is due in two days so I stuck with it. It was only when I tried to find a previous version of my edit that I broke down and threw my arms in the air. You see in FCP7 if you realize that an error was made hours earlier or you lost something you thought you had you would go to your Autosave Vault to pull up a saved version, copy and Paste in the current edit, problem solved. However FCPX doesn’t keep autosaves. The workaround requires that you keep duplicating the project if you want to keep earlier versions. Even in FCP7 I got into the habit of duplicating timelines at the start of each day just as an additional but not necessary step. Constantly duplicating projects, or “Events” as a necessary step is such a workflow killer and a hack workaround that I just lost it. Goodbye FCPX.
I went from sheer excitement (Final Cut Pro Is Here!), to disappointment (FCPX Not Quite Ready for Primetime), to vile contempt in this posting “FCPX – Not Even Ready For Daytime”. This “upgrade” should not have seen the light of day. In my opinion Apple should have focused on incorporating the magnetic timeline into FCP7. Just that little addition would have thrilled us all! Instead they give us this. #FAIL!
Day three
As I rise at this ungodly hour of 5:30 AM I am invigorated by the shedding of my cloak of denial over the promise of FCPX, I am relieved that I can take it off my dock and commit to the my old reliable beauty FCP 7. Another reason for being up so damn early is I wasted two days of editing on FCPX and my project is due tomorrow so I will need as much time as I can get. I am glad that my first love FCP7 is there for me during tough times like this.
TrVZ
FCPX – Not Quite Ready For Prime Time
A few months ago I was excited with the announced release of Final Cut Pro X at Las vegas NAB 2011. This weekend I purchased FCPX which has been much criticized for being more like iMovie Pro instead of FC Pro. This is my initial assessment.
Right out the gate I loved the look of it. This version makes the previous versions look clunky and arcane, like an old 8 bit video game. The FCPX navigation feels modern with components that move around the way you would expect an Apple product to move. Then I started getting into the organizational functions which are well thought out. Features like grouping clips with keywords and favorites, or automatically identifying clips by the number of people in the shot, or if the shot is wide, medium or close are all additions that are leaps ahead of what the old FCP could do. There is also a built in audio sync feature but it doesn’t seem to work well with multiple clips. Another addition to FCP that I loved is the background rendering which speeds up the work flow exponentially. However what got me the most excited is the magnetic timeline which is a thing of beauty and has to be experienced to be truly appreciated. Moving clips around on the timeline is less like stacking a deck of cards and more like moving apps around on your iPhone. These are great additions, and if it weren’t for the cons, I would declare this the best web based roll out since the first Macromedia Flash came out.
Well after my euphoria subsided, I started to get to the actual task of editing a project. The first thing you need to be aware of is you can’t open old FCP projects in X, but you can run both old and new programs on the same machine. After importing my separate video and audio files the first thing I tried to do was sync my audio and video files in the new synchronize clip feature. Doing one clip worked remarkably well but doing this with multiple audio clips was a big FAIL! I tried to go back to my third party plugin Plural Eyes but it’s not ready to use with FCPX yet. Next I wanted to give the movie filters a whirl. These filters might be great for someone who is use to iMovie, but if you use a program like Magic Bullet or After Effects they are not in the same league and might even appear amateurish, and if you were thinking you can just use Magic Bullet on FCPX you won’t… not yet at least. The color correction however is pretty solid better than the old FCP so I will probably use that instead of the turn-key filters. Many other features such as multi-cam, export to tape, and sound export are also missing. After giving it a spin for a couple of days, I can see why professional editors like Hitler (posted below) are in such an uproar. It seems like this upgrade gave iMovie users something really cool, and professional editors a dumbed down version of a the old Final Cut. Until they make the necessary updates for robust professional editing my advice is to work with the old version dabble with the new. Hopefully Apple will come up with some significant upgrades soon.
TrVZ
Final Cut Pro X is Here!!!!
Finally! A few months ago I posted an entry about the upcoming Final Cut Pro X from the Supermeet Las Vegas Nab 2011. Her is an excerpt…
“Final Cut X is a video editors wet dream. With FCP X Apple went back to the drawing board and pretty much made sense of the editing process. Revamping the way it handles image quality, color correction, organization, and editing on the timeline. No more worrying about knocking clips out of place, automatic audio sync, auto color matching, rendering in the background, a new magnetic timeline that groups and matches clips, an incredible new interface and a bunch of other revolutionary features. This is a game changer.”
Well it is Here, my god it is here and as I mentioned before it is only $299. I will be downloading this ASAP you should too. FCPX link
TrVZ
Indie Game: The Movie Official Trailer
This is the latest and official trailer from the film Indie Game: The Movie Directed by James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot this film is a fascinating look into the mind of the indie game creators. They are truly the Harvey Pekar’s and Robert Crumbs of our generation. I can’t wait to see the film.
For more info about the film log onto the Indie Game website.
TrVZ
Inventor Portrait | David Sasson – Inventor Of The Digital Camera
In my lifetime there are two inventions that intrigued me when they first arrived in the Public Domain. Wireless Internet and the digital camera. For those of you not old enough to remember the time before these technological advancements were readily available for consumption It may be harder to imagine just how trans-formative these devices were. If however you are old enough to have been using film and wired connections as an adult you may remember the marvel you had when these inventions exploded on the social landscape. The closest thing to that experience in recent times is the introduction of the iPhone.
The digital camera as you can imagine holds a special place in my heart because it is the medium that I use to express and support myself. David Friedman’s Inventor Portrait had the opportunity to sit down with the inventor of the digital camera, Steven Sasson. Through the short interaction, Sasson shows off his original prototype.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Greg’s Avatar Review
Check out this video from Paul Smith who is an amazing animator. The short features a character called Greg who is an avid Avatar fan and gives us his webcam review after his fourth viewing of the film. What makes this so cool is that the amazing motion and facial capture is made all the more real because we are somewhat distracted by how much of a geek Greg is. I also embedded a little BTS clip.
Enjoy
TreV
Cassius, I Love U SO – Video/iPhone Ap.
The Ed Banger creative team has done it again. Check out this really cool video by CASSIUS for the song “I <3 U SO” that uses an interactive iPhone application to create 8 mouths that you can place in front of yours. For more info log onto Ed Banger Records.
Enjoy
1980 News Report Predicts TV’s merging with Computers/Failing Newspapers
Eerily accurate predictions about media combined with now vintage TV Graphics and hardware makes for a really cool watch, especially if you alive back in the 80′s.
This posting courtesy of Mediaite.com
Enjoy
Trevz
Crysis 2 – The Wall – cinematic trailer
I am not a fan of video games, I haven’t played one since the 80′s, but I am a fan of the video game trailers. The really good ones are so cinematic and melodramatic which is how I like my movies. I ran across this trailer for the game Crysis 2 and thought it was brilliant! Check it out. Below that I posted the trailer for GTA 3 which inspired me among other things to think seriously about producing films.
Enjoy
Trevz
To All My Video/Art Geeks: Scion Installation 6
The Scion Installation 6 tour focuses on the medium of video, which emerged in the 1960s and has since expanded galleries into more experimental, kinetic and interactive spaces. ”Installation 6: Video challenged 10 artists to create non-narrative video installations that will transform five unique exhibitions. Previous participants include: Blek le Rat, Mr. Cartoon, Crash, Daze, Futura, Ricky Powell, Rammellzee, Kenny Scharf, and many others.
There will an open bar (Beer & Wine) So you don’t want to miss this. I sure won’t. Its happening at Eastern District, 43 Bogart Street Brooklyn.
We have a special limited guest list. To RSVP email spincontrolpr@gmail.com before 3pm Friday. Mention New Pop in the subject line.
Check out the promo vid and flyer below. See you there!
Scion Installation 6: Video – Brooklyn Preview from Scion ART on Vimeo.
Malcolm Mclaren’s Last NYC interview
Our friends at gakcity interviewed the legendary Malcolm Mclaren about technology, the industry and his past. Hard to believe that he is no longer with us. The fact that there is little editing somehow seems appropriate considering the gems that he is dropping. He will be missed.
Malcolm McLaren’s Last NYC Interview with Gakcity.com from GAKCITY.COM on Vimeo.
Unconfirmed pics of the iPhone HD!
Rumors are spreading about what appears to be the prototype of the new iPhone 4G (or iPhone HD) that was found on the floor of a Silicon Valley bar inside of an iPhone 3G case. According to Gizmodo.com the phone belonged to an Apple engineer. Yeah I’m a bit skeptical as to the authenticity of this story too. Apparently it has a front facing camera, and a slimmer ceramic backing instead of the curved plastic backing, and there is a flash!!! According to Apple the new iPhone will run multiple aps, a much desired feature that will also be available on the 3Gs thank god. The new iPhone is slated to come out this summer. Here are the unconfirmed photos courtesy of engadget.com. You can see the video at the website Gizmodo.com
TrevzNewPop
Hardwired Memories
So recently I have been looking into getting a used computer to improve my workflow. This got me thinking about all of the computers I went through in my lifetime. My first computer was an IBM ThinkPad that my Dad found in his Taxi in 1997. We couldn’t track down the owner (Yes we tried) so he gave it to me. It was on this computer where I first logged on to the net (remember the old dial up sound), and where I registered for my first email account. I also taught myself all of those obsolete html coding skills on this laptop. I still have that machine (pictured below), and it still works.
My next computer was a iMac G3. For years I was resistent to making the switch from PC to Mac. The old Carrie Bradshaw Power Book G3′s that were in vogue at the time looked very similar to every other PC, so there wasn’t any aesthetic incentive to make the switch. Then Apple came out with it’s colorful iMac G3 in 1998 and I bought one a year later. But even after this purchase my Mac sat in my apartment for almost a year before I stopped using my PC and decided to commit to the Mac. Since then I have been a die hard MacHead. I have had two MacBooks since. I must say in terms of design Apple has played it pretty safe since those colorful iMacs from the late 90′s. Those were my favorite, I still have mine prominently displayed on my work table. To this day Apple has the best industrial desingers on the planet, but the current white and grey color schemes can’t hold a candle to that candy colored palete of the late 90′s. Remember this ad:
TrevzNewPop
Armory Arts Week & Artlog
From Fashion to Food it seems like every industry has their week in the NYC sun or snow depending on what day it is. MY favorite week of them all, The Armory Arts Week started this past Thursday. The week’s main event, The Armory Arts Show takes place at Pier 94 exhibiting contemporary art from more than 30 countries. In addition there are dozens and dozens of smaller events and parties happening all around the 5 boroughs. So how does anyone know what are the best places to go, what parties are hot, or what exhibits are cool? The answer is artlog.com. Their slogan “Art and Culture in Real Time” says it all. This is the ultimate destination for real time updates on what is going on during Arts Week. They utilize social media via their Artlog live link where peoples tweets about Armory Art Week are redirected directly to the live section of their site. Recently as a part of the Pernod Creator Of series, I interviewed the founders Manish Vora and Dylan Fareed about Artlog.com and got a first hand demonstration of Artlog Live in action. Check it out.
Enjoy
TrevzNewPop
The Digital Magazine War is On!
Thanks to the folks at HypeBeast, for the third time in a month I have seen some prototype of the future of the Digital Magazine format. So I am making it official, I am calling it… The age of the Digital Magazine has officially arrived! You heard it here first. This week Adobe throws it’s hat in the ring with their version of the Digital Mag. How it matches up against the contenders remains to be seen? Will the front runner iPad take the title? Will underdog Bonnier steal the throne? Or will Adobe make another splash? (You flash geeks probably caught that reference.) Personally my favorite is the Bonnier device. It’s more elegant, smaller, has better graphics, and had the best video presentation. Yes that counts in my book. Check out the Adobe video below and do your own comparison. I included links to the other devices beneath the last embed. I also included a scene from Minority Report 2002. It’s the first time I remember thinking how cool would it be if they could invent a Digital Magazine/Newspaper like the one in that scene. Who Knew?
Enjoy
TrevzNewPop
Theophilus London in Complex Mag
Theophilus London The Hip Hop Crooner who has hosted a couple of episodes on New Pop has a feature in the February/March issue of Complex magazine. It’s a fashion feature so there isn’t much substance in terms of the Q & A, but the photos are great. Also there is a cool little widget where you can mouse over the fashion pieces and see a pop up window that tells you everything you need to know about the gear. Check it out here.
TrevzNewPop
Interview Mag brings in 40 on the iPad
I am still not convinced that the Apple iPad will have anything near the type of market penetration as the iPhone did. As I stated in a previous post which you can read here “I’ll use my iPhone as my mobile device, and my laptop for the heavier lifting. This has no home.” However today I ran across a video that caused me to take a second look. It is a preview of the Interview magazine 40th anniversary edition as demonstrated on the iPad. I have to admit it is supercool! What stood out is the integration of the video elements with the written elements. It is definitely a big jump forward in how we can consume media. However I’m not jumping on the bandwagon yet, I still think this will be a device that will appeal to a very niche art techie demographic. We will see.
TrevzNewPop
iPad. Big Fuckin Deal!
I am a big fan of the iPhone, and today’s iPad unveiling was a huge letdown. It’s a big iPhone. It falls somewhere between the iPhone and a Laptop. Guess what? It also falls somewhere between me wanting to pay for it, and ever actually paying for it. I’ll use my iPhone as my mobile device, and my laptop for the heavier lifting. This has no home. That Verizon misfit commercial where the iPhone lands on the isle of misfit toys would be more fitting for this device.
I prefer to use something like this. Check out this product by Bonnier
TrevzNewPop
Fiction Meets Fact. “E-Paper”
There is this clip from Minority Report (one of my all-time favorite films) where Tom Cruise’s character tries to flee capture by casually strolling on a metro train. Just then an image of him pops up on a E-Newspaper being read by a fellow passenger. It was one of the more memorable scenes from this movie that made me say, wow!!! I thought how cool it would be if someone were able to invent something like that. Well 8 years later it looks like someone is getting ever so close. Yesterday I ran across this really cool post on HypeBeast about this cool new device that just might revolutionize and save print. Its from Bonnier and it is what a true Digital Magazine should look like.
Check out the two clips I posted below. The first is the short clip from Minority Report that I mentioned above. The second is a feature on the prototype from Bonnier. Maybe one day you will see TheNewPop published on one of these babies