Top 10 things I’d like to see in Final Cut Pro 7
I really don’t know when Apple will announce Final Cut Pro 7, aka the editing app in FCS 3. Yes, it could be tomorrow at WWDC, but no one really knows (well, I’m sure someone must!). I also know that whatever I put here doesn’t really matter at this point, sniff- its already been decided by some some really hip, cool, engineers that know what we want…right?
I’ve edited on Final Cut for quite a while – since V. 1.2 on a Digital Voodoo card (remember that?). Before that, I was a staunch Avid fan (DS, Symphony, Media Composer, Xpress, and…ahem, Illusion). Of course, After Effects has been in my toolset all that time as well. Along the way, I picked up things that I really liked from each app, things that make me more productive, creative, and help me have a lot more fun through the editing process.
So, I thought I’d come up with an informal list of things that I’d like to see in the next iteration of Final Cut Pro, whenever that is…
Disclaimer: I know there are lots more that you all can think of and (hopefully) Apple has thought of that will further this craft even more. Also, with so many types of workflows out there (film, TV promos, motion graphics, reality, web, music videos, instructional, live event IMAG, yada yada…) there are bound to be just as many different needs and opinions for a great editing app. With that, I heartily welcome your comments, your own wish lists, additions, etc. Let me know what you think…This is by no means comprehensive or in any particular order, mostly things that I run into on a daily basis that would make life a little eaiser in my edit suite.
Top 10
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Leopard-like Quick View of footage with TC, markers, I/o points – I actually use the finder now to scan footage!
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Colored and customizable markers. Or different marker icons for different functions (chapter, compression, takes, etc.)
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Bigger icons and buttons in the UI- maybe I’m just getting older, but they’re are just too small!
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Better media management- need I say more?
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“Send to” commands available for external apps like After Effects
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Improved keyframe editor with kb shortcuts, snap to kf, etc
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Better render management (i.e. when you undo, you don’t lose renders, DS had render mgmt. mastered)
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Render & export in the background (DS and Liquid could do this years ago- at least render)
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iTunes-like project searching
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iLife – like icon scrubbing
Final thought
If Apple does happen to announce Final Cut Pro 7 (FCS 3) tomorrow at WWDC to help show off the new speed advances in the forthcoming Snow Leopard, then it will be fun to see what, if any of this, makes the final cut. (sorry) If not, we can hope for next time.
Happy editing!
UPDATE: So WWDC came and went, alas no FCS3 update. See Scott Simmons’ post about that here. I expect we’ll see an update in July or August to precede the launch of Snow Leopard in September which it reportedly will depend on so much.
I was just telling someone today its getting hard to see the fonts in the UI. I had to move the monitors closer to keep from getting eye strain.
Dan Wathen
I may have missed this since I’m not a power user like yourself but I’d like to see them give us the ability to add transitions to more than edit at a time like avid did, oh and bring back heart wipes…I try to use them at least once in every project I do.
devin pense
I increase the font size in the bins, but sometimes its just too crowded. You must bee getting old like me, haha!
Dan
Yeah, I would like the add transitions to multi edits too- like how you can add an effect to multiple clips in the timeline right now… Make sure you put a nice fat border on the heart wipes too- and then rotate and modulate- Grass Valley style;)
Dan
If only video toaster had Final Cut filters. I remember the transition of the lady pulling down the window shade.
Dan Wathen
improved keyframes and motion tab in general would be awesome. i just want FCP/AE/Color to become one super program.. i can dream.
brandon thomas
To add to the list by @evilschultz on Twitter “multiple people in same project or a better sharing AND true multicam”
Dan
Lots of good points here. The FCP UI which was cutting-edge for 1997 is perhaps the most dated UI in an Apple app these days. Even Stickies got an update!
Here are my thoughts on what I’d like to see in Final Cut:
http://www.michaelcritz.com/2009/04/15/final-cut-studio-3/
Michael Critz
[...] A number of posts have gone up around the web as to what editors would like to see in Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Studio 3. If they would just fix my bottom 10 issues I’d be happy. [...]
The Editblog » Linkage: June 09
[...] my earlier post, Top 10 things I’d like to see in Final Cut Pro 7, I outlined what I hoped to see in the imminent next version of Final [...]
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