Borrowed from  www.geekanthem.com

by Jeff | Categories: geeks, technology

Geeks don’t cry. But today is different.

Today we say goodbye to the greatest visionary of the last 50 years–perhaps the greatest visionary since Leonardo di Vinci.

Steve Jobs was the founder of Apple Computers, but he was so much more. He believed that people with a passion could change the world. And he not only believed it, he lived it.

Steve Jobs had a vision of the world that no one else could see.

Steve Jobs dared to ask the boldest “what if?” questions, and he dared to do something about them.

Steve Jobs gave us computers we could actually do something important with: Create art. Celebrate life. Connect with the world.

Steve Jobs gave us things we can’t live without.

Steve Jobs inspired us to think different.

Steve Jobs had the courage to disagree with anyone. (And sometimes everyone.) And he was usually right.

Steve Jobs single-handedly revolutionized the computer industry, the music industry, the telephone industry, and, if there is such a thing, the innovation industry.

Steve Jobs created genuine perfection.

Steve Jobs put 10,000 songs in our pocket.

Steve Jobs connected the dots that no one else was connecting.

Steve Jobs knew what we wanted years before we wanted it.

Steve Jobs gave us a new financial ecosystem that anyone can be a part of.

Steve Jobs proved that design matters.

Steve Jobs gave us the best advertising in the history of advertising. “I’m a Mac.”

Steve Jobs gave us Pixar.

Steve Jobs gave us magic.

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for making my life infinitely better. Geeks don’t cry. But today we do.

There has been a lot of collective wondering going on lately. People keep asking me and many others why we are so upset by the release of Final Cut Pro X. Why is it a bad thing? Both apps can still be installed … right? The price is more affordable … right? The needed updates will come eventually … right?

The release of Final Cut Pro X was the defining moment for many. In my line of work, I get to interface with a lot of video editors and other video professionals. I have spoken at numerous user groups and conferences. As a forum leader and podcaster for Creative COW, I have been hearing complaints for years. I also get to sit in edit suites with clients. The waiting for transcode on import as well as the 32-bit nature of Final Cut Pro 7 has caused a lot of impatient waiting in edit suites around the globe.

Final Cut Pro X was supposed to fix this. At least that was the belief most held. It would be “awesome” we were told. I guess that can mean different things.

People are not breaking up with Apple because of what Final Cut Pro X is. They are ending their relationship because their fears have been confirmed. I present to you a summary of the issues that have people freaked out. Please pass this list on to anyone who asks you what the big deal is. These are my 10 reasons that people are switching.

These are just opinions. Opinions formed by my interactions with many and my professional experiences and connections.

The Long Wait

The release of Final Cut Studio 3 was seen by many as a stopgap. DVD Studio Pro removed its HDDVD features. Color saw a .5 bump up. Other apps saw improvement but nothing “killer.” The biggest feature seemed to be the Share menu (which added several export capabilities and speed). And we got more flavors of ProRes (nice, but nothing that impressed my clients). In terms of life, it was an appetizer to hold us over to the main meal.

Here is the summary of events according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Cut_Studio).

NAB 2007 – Final Cut Studio 2 [14]: Final Cut Pro 6, DVD Studio Pro 4, Motion 3, LiveType 2, Soundtrack Pro 2, Color, Compressor 3

July 2009 – Final Cut Studio (2009) [15]: Final Cut Pro 7, DVD Studio Pro 4, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5

The pent up demand from 2007 made this feel like a four year wait form many. A wait filled with little communication about the vision or future. In tough economies, people want leadership that is visible and clear. They want to be able to talk to the companies that work with at industry events and trade shows, not just their local shopping mall.

The Warning Signs

There were lots of warning signs that had people concerned about the future of Final Cut Studio. For example:

• iPhoto got several key features like Faces and Places well before its professional sibling Aperture.
• Aperture saw its priced slashed several times and its sales soar on the App Store. I think this proved to Apple that make applications approachable and affordable could make them more profitable.
• The App Store model also doesn’t offer upgrade pricing. Currently, a person must pay nearly $400 to get three applications. In the past, they paid $500 for seven applications as an upgrade (in fact it was only $299 for FCS3).
• This article here (http://t.co/ET3Qa3w) does a great overview of the demise of Apple’s pro products like Shake, Cinema Tools, Logic, and more.

This of course takes us to the current release. People are nervous when updates to applications like Color, Soundtrack Pro, and Cinema Tools are gone. Broadcasters and large facilities which spent significant resources investing in Final Cut Server are also less than pleased. People aren’t sure what to think when such large holes are left open and no one is talking from the company.

The Market Evolves

There have been a lot of questions about how people could be jumping ship so quickly. How can you go back to Avid? Why are you switching to Premiere Pro? People did not make these decisions overnight.

I myself stopped by both the Adobe and the Avid booths at this year’s NAB. Both companies have also been actively supporting user groups (even groups that use to be exclusively Final Cut Pro). Professionals have been looking over the fence since the release of Final Cut Studio 3.

They want the following features:

• Native Editing – True ability to import media without having to transcode first. We got that in FCPX sort of… it just keeps transcoding in the background.
• 64-bit Support – We buy expensive computers, please see those processors and RAM so we can make our deadlines.
• GPU Acceleration – This too is implemented in FCPX. Unfortunately the hardware requirements were released after FCPX and after many found out that their systems would not be supported by the new application.
• Support for Third Party Hardware – Final Cut Pro boomed thanks to great manufacturers like AJA, Blackmagic Designs, Matrox, and others. The ability to use a wide range of hardware (as well as storage choices) was the key selling point to many customers. Products like Avid were a closed technology for many years (but even they have changed). Apple says they are open, but shipped a product which for the most part ignores or cripples third party hardware. Folks aren’t mad about the $299, its what that $299 does to the monitor, deck, and capture card (estimated price $10,000–$50,000). I have also heard from film editors and colorist who are baffled why they control surfaces for color grading and audio mixing don’t work.

Open Standards

In a given week, I will use most of these formats: XML, layered Photoshop files, AAF, OMF. I will also capture and output to tape (far more often than I like to).

With Final Cut Pro 7, Avid and Premiere Pro, I can exchange projects. I can go to ProTools, Audition, or Soundtrack Pro for an audio mix. I can send to Apple Color or DaVinci Resolve for color grading. I can export via XML and easily exchange footage with After Effects for compositing or motion graphics.

Professionals want to run around the entire playground, not just sit inside a single sandbox (especially when that sandbox keeps getting smaller).

Open Communication

In today’s market … it takes vision. New products are not visionary if customers can’t understand them. Customers don’t want to be told what they want, rather they want to feel that their company of choice is listening.

The amount of noise on the net over this release is insane. Look at Twitter with the hashtag #fcpx. Visit the Final Cut Pro X forum at Creative COW (http://forums.creativecow.net/finalcutprox). Read my response to the New York Times (http://www.richardharringtonblog.com/files/fcpx_response.php)…. They changed their review the next day thanks to people like you.

What’s missing in all of this is a statement from Apple. Instead they have responded through a few bloggers and trainers. What people want is a road map. What features do you intend to keep. What can we expect to see in the future. I know its difficult to say when… but something. I really like what Adobe did here – http://tv.adobe.com/watch/industry-trends/adobes-vision-for-professional-video/. I also like that they are all over social media and blogs and forums. I can interact and I can get answers. That really does matter and is the greatest factor when it comes time to decide where I spend my money.

Native/RAW Workflows

I know we mentioned this point, but it bears repeating. Native and RAW workflows matter. Camera technology is amazing these days. Efficient codecs for storing video in high definition. Several camera even offer raw capabilities (whether shooting stills for time-lapse on a DSLR or market leaders like RED and Alexa).

Last week I got the joy of working with Vincent Laforet (http://www.laforetvisuals.com) for a few days. We did a bunch of Raw time-lapse and played with RED Epic footage in 5K HDR. My mind was blown away by what we could do with the source material. This is the future. By the way we have something in common, he’s switched to Adobe Creative Suite.

But every day at my own shop we are pulling in tons of media shot on Panasonic P2 cameras and DSLRs. I can work with this material immediately in Adobe or Avid.

While some say that you can in Final Cut Pro X, you’ll quickly notice a key difference. The material wants to transcode to ProRes. Even if you import natively, as soon as you adjust or modify it transcodes. It wants to transcode on import, you can disable it. But time and time again, as soon as I work with the files, they begin converting. In the course of a normal edit gigabytes of render files (even unused ones) pile up. Why can’t I pay the render tax on final export instead of filling up my drives with files I don’t want?

An Existing Ecosystem

Apple was a popular solution because it worked so well throughout the facility. We had hardware options for storage, capture, and monitoring. We had a rich system of supporting applications like Plural Eyes, After Effects, Photoshop, and more. We had thousands of plug-ins to choose from.

We are told that we will have those choices. What I hear often is that Apple was so secretive that they have only released some of the technology needed at this point. Most developers and hardware makers got their copies of the software that I did.

It’s a partnership. We bought into Apple because it was the captain with a great team behind it. What we get from others (and even Apple in the past) is support for entire workflows on day one of launch. People don’t want to give up on their total investment just to get a few new features. Especially when those features already exist in other tools on the market.

The Version 1.0 Argument

Most of the Apple Certified Apologists (not my term) keep arguing that this is a version one product. Don’t worry, the features will come. Surely we’ll see XML and multi-camera support and the ability to import projects. What makes you so sure?

• When you launch Final Cut Pro X it says version 10.0. (For an interesting commentary see Steve Hullfish’s article – http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/shullfish/story/proof_that_fcp_x_is_really_just_imovie_-_directly_from_apple/)
• When you have 11 years of functionality, you don’t expect to have to start over. (For a laugh, watch this – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgXUh1HrYOw&feature=share.
• There are paradigms that people want to follow. Just because you invent something new doesn’t mean you destroy the way people have worked for centuries. Good software is flexible, allowing people to work they ways they like. If a new (or “better”) way coms along, you let people choose to migrate at their own pace.

The Walled Garden

So here’s the truth … when it comes to hardware, I give most of my money to Apple. I’ve been buying Macs since my days at Drake University in 1990. For more than 20 years, I’ve chosen Apple hardware. For ten years, I’ve stood in front of professional conferences and presented off Mac hardware.

I’ve bought every iPod, iPhone, and iPad. I have filled my company with their products as well as my home. I think I’ve convinced more than 100 people to get an Apple TV.

I am an Apple fanboy (but perhaps I am now recovering).

I’ve started to use other people’s stuff. I’ve played with a Droid phone. We have some smoking fast PC’s in the office from Dell that just chew through motion graphics and video production tasks. I have more choice.

Choice isn’t always good … it can make support difficult. But choice is becoming less and less a factor with Apple products.

• I cannot choose where I buy their software. The VAR network offered a valuable service of configuring machines and supporting them to many clients.
• I can only get support on the software on day one from the two trainers they choose to give advanced access to the software.
• I cannot choose third party tools or hardware with any confidence.
• I have to wait months (if not longer) for small developers to catch up and get plugins working. Many are choosing not to or are at least taking a wait and see approach.

The Trust Factor

This takes us to the final point. Can you expect that the investment you make today will work in the future? Can you invest in training your employees so they are ready for the future? Can you trust Apple?

I am going to speak no further … that is a personal decision for you to make.

-Richard M. Harrington, PMP

1. ALWAYS carry on the camera. I usually shoot with the Panasonic HVX200, so I’ve purchased a Pelican Case 1510 for it that I can carry on board. I once had a gate attendant try to get me to check the Pelican case, but I absolutely refused; another attendant saw my predicament and let me board with it. The camera is my bread and butter, there’s no way I’ll let it out of my sight.

2. I always carry on board all vital gear that I can’t live without, including: at least one wireless mic kit, all my batteries, P2 cards and hard drives, computer, battery charger for camera, camera light – just in case. The camera batteries I always put into individual ziplock baggies, this prevents accidental contact or short-circuiting, plus it’s recommended by the TSA.

3. I check a Pelican case with the rest of my gear. Pelican makes the best, sturdiest cases, plus they are water proof! I usually throw in a couple of lights, my 5-in-one bounce kit, grip gear, gels, gaff tape, and anything else I think I may need. This is especially important when traveling to more remote or third-world countries. There’s not always a rental shop nearby, so if I don’t bring it, and I need it, I’m out of luck.

4. For gigs that don’t require a hefty tripod, I pack a Manfrotto 190CX3 Carbon Fiber tripod in my suitcase. It collapses to 22″ and is light as a feather, yet gives my camera great support; it also can double as a monopod if needed. When I need the bigger tripod, I check my primary one in its travel bag. The tripod bag also can act as a case for light stands from my Lowell kit. I can fit about two light stands plus the tripod into the case.

5. Weather gear. Always pack your camera’s rain gear; especially if you’re in a tropical location, or have a chance of shooting anything outside. You never know what the weather’s going to do.

Traveling for a gig is always fun, always challenging, and I always wish I could have brought more gear.  Before you go, always check the TSA web site for updates on the latest regulations, you don’t want to be caught off-guard at the airport and have to leave gear behind.

Safe travels!

So, I was quite perplexed the next morning when I jumped into the shower to get ready for my day and the shower head didn’t seem to be working properly. The stream of water coming out of the shower was really wimpy, so I tried adjusting the shower head but couldn’t seem to get it working the way I thought it should.  Since I had a very busy day ahead of me, I didn’t spend too much time messing with it, but after a second morning of a poor shower experience I decided to tell someone – well, actually I decided to tweet about it.

Before my arrival at Nemacolin, I had sent out several tweets about my upcoming trip to the resort. Surprisingly, someone at the resort responded to my tweets and stated that they looked forward to my arrival.  So at 9:51AM I sent out the following tweet:

At 10:22 (30 minutes later) Nemacolin tweeted back:

By the time I got to the room that evening, the shower head was replaced and in excellent working condition!  Of course I thanked the folks at Nemacolin with a tweet:

That’s the power of using social media to get things done! Could I have simply picked up the phone and called the front desk? Of course, and I would likely have received the same level of customer service as I did using Twitter. But it was much more fun using Twitter.

My point is this, Nemacolin’s marketing team is in touch with their customers. If they hadn’t been following their Twitter traffic, my Tweet may have gone unnoticed and my frustration would have grown.  But since they responded to my Tweets and actually followed through by called engineering to repair the problem, they’ve earned a fan for life!

Customer service can make or break your business plan; using social media won’t improve your customer service, but it will help you stay better connected to your customers so you can provide the level of service your clients expect from you. That’s what Nemacolin did for me!

So what are people saying about your company?  Are you keeping up with your Twitter stream? You better!

PS. I can’t wait until my next trip to Nemacolin Woodlands!