The annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show is officially underway in Las Vegas, and pro editor Larry Jordan has hit the ground running by documenting an on-the-record pow-wow with Apple discussing the future of Final Cut Pro X.
Larry’s Blog is reporting from the NAB show, where he had an on-the-record sit down with Apple to discuss where the company plans to take its Final Cut Pro X software. The video editing app received a major overhaul last summer and it wasn’t to everyone’s liking -- but it appears that Apple is listening, judging from four updates since the original release which has largely returned most of the key functionality from the prior version.
“Apple stressed that FCP X is a long-term project and that they are fully committed to it,” pro editor Larry Jordan reveals. “(In other words, because I asked, there is not a Final Cut Pro 8 waiting in the wings.) Apple views Final Cut X as the future of video editing.”
The discussion ranged from why the Mac App Store is the best platform for delivery (“a wider end-user license, greater distribution flexibility” and security) before leaping into Apple’s plans for Final Cut Pro X “coming later this year.”
Although Jordan didn’t see a demo of the planned features, they include multichannel audio editing tools, dual viewer windows, MXF plug-in support and RED camera support. “Audio mixing in FCP X is still weak,” Jordan notes. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the new tools provide.”
Jordan inquired about a feature on his own short list -- retaining In and Out markers in clips when viewed in the Event browser -- but Apple refused to comment beyond the four announced features. But he also came away with the sense that something else may also be in the works to complement Final Cut Pro X.
“I also got a sense they are working on another application to join FCP X, Motion, and Compressor,” the editor concludes. “(There are several that would be very useful, we shall have to see what develops. I don’t expect anything announced immediately.)”
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