Re: Working Over the weekend...

[Walter Soyka] "They are creating FUD about themselves!
"

But is that a strategy, or merely an artifact of the fact that they're keeping their eye on the game of development, rather than wasting too time explaining themselves. I remember back at FCPv1 when a bunch of us "discovered" 2-pop.com and a guy named Ralph Fairweather who could actually answer questions and help us understand how the then new software operated. It was many, many months before we discovered that Ralph was actually part of the FCP development team.
My point is that they didn't do this publicly, they did it quietly and the few of us who stumbled into the right place at the right time benefitted. You could claim that not having "official spokespeople" even back then was also driving FUD - but the difference is that back then, nobody much cared about FCP. All I see is Apple doing precisely what's worked well in the past (keeping things close to the vest and letting the work speak for itself) and that the only thing that's changed is the massive perceived "need" in the minds of thousands of us on boards like this that being privy to their plans is the only possible key to our happiness.



[Walter Soyka] "Why wouldn't a cross-platform workflow be smart in any market?
"

I actually don't think so in a lot of cases. In some ways I think it's like an individual trying to be both a guitar and a banjo player. You can become "competent" at both. But to really excel, I think most musicians typically concentrate on one instrument. There are exceptions, and I suppose it's a bit based on whether you want to see the editor as a "technician" (operating a variety of tools) or an "artist" (attempting to achieve absolute mastery of one). Both views are rational. Pick one, I guess.

[Walter Soyka] "What's the big differentiator for FCPX? What's its unique disruption? "

Good question.

I think the answers is that it presents TWO compelling "market differentiators" to editors at a time when increasing numbers of people are interested in exploring the skills for their personal purposes.

Price is clearly one. Its a two thirds cut in the cost of entry. (Actually more if you compare X+Motion5 to Studio Plus Motion in the past) So the barrier to adoption and use are significantly lower.

And the second "differentiator" is its new editing paradigm - which I view as a good match for the kinds of practical projects that will be increasingly common in the future. To expand on that, I used to make lots and lots and lots of 30 to 60 minute duration corporate training videos. I haven't had a job like that in years. Today, the market wants significantly shorter, web deployable "modular" training. Not monolithic "sit in a room for a day and get trained" content. And I think that's a clear "sweet spot" for X.

It's the kind of content in the "Videos" section right here on the Cow.

That kind of common "web site" embedded content didn't exist until VERY recently in your timescope of "the past fifteen to twenty years"
And now it's increasingly the NORM in audience expectations.

So I think that's where the "content" market is increasingly headed.

Whether we like it or not.

"Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions."-Justice O'Connor