A New Version of FCPX, Mavericks and the New MacPro

So, I wonder how many of you remembered that FCPX turned 2 years old on June 21st.

Yup, That’s right 2 years with a number of updates and the soon to be arriving “NewMacPro” people are wondering when the updates will happen, even though  Apple has confirmed that there is an official update to FCPX arriving at approximately the same time as the new desktop. Phil said it on stage, Apple focus on it in their PR messaging but now people are taking pictures of MacPro Screens on Apple.com and spreading them across social media.

Even Apple.com is telling us there will be a new version of FCPX this year.

Even Apple.com is telling us there will be a new version of FCPX this year.

Metadata is the new black
I am guessing most of these people did not watch the WWDC Keynote, or more specifically, the part where Craig Federighi showed the same Metadata Tagging like FCPX has had for almost 2 years at the FINDER level of OSX Mavericks. I think it is funny how that same type of info tagging was belittled and berated when FCPX  first came out 2 yrs. ago in June 2011?

Yet Apple’s engineers sought to bring it full bore into the mainstream of OSX directly, wisely so I might add, so that now the power that I referred to in the first releases of FCPX have moved forward to the point that we will be using that power invisibly while you are working. Isn’t this what we all want, instead of blindly looking around the plethora of available drives with failed searches because we have all turned off journaling for external drives.

What does this mean? 

We all watched as Apple took nothing short of a “ass-whoppin” in the media and on the internet about the changes to FCP when FCPX came to market. It took Apple months to add back some really basic functionality like outputting split audio tracks or using professional level monitoring and output for the Pro User. My Macworld.com review of FCPX was one of the more civil diatribes, while my comments on CreativeCow.net were something else altogether.

Move forward 2 years and that same Phil Schiller is talking live onstage talking at WWDC about a new MacPro and in the same breath is talking about FCPX being updated. The Metadata tagging originally featured in FCPX,  is shown in a fully operational manner at the Finder Level in demonstrations of the next generation of the OSX.

I think that this means Apple may have something else in mind, for I see a workstation that functionally remembers where all my content is, keeps track of all of my projects, media and the assorted files that traverse my desk as a working pro. No more lost images or captions, client logo’s stay organized on the server and available instantly, content pre-identified by the associated metadata. { I wonder will Adobe meta-tags from Photoshop and Lightroom might be seen by OSX at some point }

Hmmm.

NAB 2013 is just around the corner,

NAB 2013 

With the big show in the desert just a couple of weeks away, I thought I would offer some ideas and insights for anyone that will be joining us for what has become the largest conclave of media enthusiasts in the world.

With nearly 80,000 attendees, virtually all working in some field related to the creation and delivery of moving pictures, NAB is without a doubt, the place to be for the first 2 weeks of  April.

I will be offering insights and ideas about what I see on the floor as well as what is not at the show, as well as a full followup the week afterwards. 

What is coming?

Well, I know of at least 2 new camera’s to be shown (which means there will be 5-6) as well as established companies offering their adaptations of existing technologies. Even as I write this I see an email about new cameras to be shown by Hitachi ( and not one of the leaders on my list of camera companies) 

I expect to see some a couple of usable post tools, hopefully to simplify our lives, as well as a big leap as well as a major announcement from one of the 3 major NLE solutions at the show.

Image

Lighting too will be taking a huge leap this year, I was lucky enough to test some of the new @Litepanels Inca series fresnel lights for some Pre-NAB shoots and I have to say that it took me a couple of days to get used to a 2K fresnel that did not require gloves to handle! Even after being on for most of the day, the fans in the INCA keep the temperature of the light to less than a hot cup of coffee.

The last thing I will leave you with today, there is change ahead. I expect to see a couple of major Thunderbolt announcements, one that could possibly change the future course of the desktop NLE.  

Thats all for today, but there is much more to come. See you soon!