Re: I guess it's So Long and Thanks for all the Fish!

[Aindreas Gallagher] "Do we not have any culturally insistent and persistent craft delineations?"

We do, but some just conveniently choose to ignore them, because they want to operate in a 'anything goes' manner. They see standards like proper lighting, using the tripod, clean edits, etc, as restrictive and old fashioned. Although I suspect it is more about lack of knowledge, or not wanting to put the time in to do it right. So now we have untold hours of material put out everyday that looks like home movies, with a bunch of plugins slapped on them.
That is one of the things that always amuses me from the 'mad skills' crowd who rant on about doing great storytelling with any tool, which is that they see editing as an art, not a craft. They want to live in this subjective arty world, free from standards, and criticism.
Sure, if you are a good editor you can cut something interesting machine to machine if you have to. But do you want to use an inferior tool just to prove a point, or show your 'mad skills'? An artist can paint with his fingers, a brush or even throw paint at the canvas. And he can use found materials, paint, or even poop, a canvas or a sidewalk, because no matter what he does, he calls it "art", for which there is no standard to say it's not. The artist doesn't even have to be human. Several zoo animals have sold paintings. A craftsman doesn't work in this type of environment. A craftsman still knows what the proper tool for the job is, even if he finds himself in the position of having to make do with less. A craftsman works to an established, and definable standard, that is easily judged by his peers. A craftsman will always choose the best tool for the job, and is not concerned with being hip, or trendy, or how cool a tool is. His concern is with quality, and the ability to do what he needs to do without making excuses.
So there are those that want to be artists, and those that want to be craftsmen.
And going back to FCS vs X. I find it interesting when anyone criticizes X for lack of standard professional features, and the proponents use the 'it's the man, not the tool' argument to defend X. But if it's the man, not the tool, then why do you even need FCP X so desperately? And if you're an artist why is it so important that your peers like and accept FCP X as your tool of choice? IMO these positions seem to be in opposition to the 'it's the man, not the tool' argument used to support FCP X.

Scott Sheriff
Director
http://www.sstdigitalmedia.com


"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ---Red Adair

Where were you on 6/21?