Re: Final Cut Pro or The First Cut Is The Deepest????

Dear Andy, curmudgeon of the year,

No one loved Avid more than I; I saw it's potential from the very first, even when the images were postage-stamp sized and of such low quality that you couldn't even see lip-sync. Over the years I watched Avid grow and revelled in landmark features like simultaneous video out. Sure, it was expensive, but nothing else changed the post process as dramatically; nothing else added so much to the bottom line.

We keep upgrading the system to full "uncompressed" Media Composer. Long since paid for, the Avid continued to facilitate post and earn profits. So why would I sell it at a give-away price on eBay? Because Final Cut Pro was simply better in every important way and had much more potential for the future. The King is dead; long live the King.

Some specific responses to your diatribe:

1. "it’s poor non standard interface" You're kidding, right? Exactly what standard are you referring to? It's a Mac, Andy; it's so easy a child could do it. Come to think of it, a couple of my editors are children...

2. "it needs some really good books to “help you through it” No, it doesn't. I don't own, nor have I felt the need for any of them. Not that they aren't valuable, and I'd probably be a more effecient editor if I used them...

3. Rendering. Print to Tape. OK, so you need to render some things. So do systems like Smoke. Yes, they're four times faster, but they cost a dozen times as much. Editing to tape is real-time.

4. "most serious video’s are mainly cuts and dissolves" No, they are not; at least not in my shop. Almost everything is either keyed, colored, painted, picked up, or saluted. If your "serious" work is mainly cuts and dissolves, what's the point of your "rendering" complaint.

5. "FCP is Apples cash cow" So? I hope they make a ton on it and continue to offer truly great products that empower us.

Here's a suggestion, next time you're on your way to the lovely beaches at Gulf Shores Alabama, stop by. We'll feed you BBQ, grits, and fried green tomatoes and show you how FCP works for us. We'll leave the light on for you...

Best regards,
Leo