OK so over the past 2 weeks, Apple has gotten slammed over its latest and “greatest” release of Final Cut Pro. The industry has been buzzing with “IT’S AMAZING” to “IT’S HORRIBLE”. Being a self proclaimed Mac Addict, I started really trying to understand Apple’s position.
Most of the major complaints have been from the “pro” users. Those folks who have been using Final Cut Pro for years and years. They are saying things like “There are some things that are missing, its not organized, it doesn’t make sense” and so on and so on. Being a photographer, things really started becoming more clear. The photography industry has just gone through (and in many cases is still going through) a similar transition regarding digital. The major complaint has been that there are so many new photographers in the market and the camera manufacturers are making it so easy for anyone to pick up a camera and call themselves a professional photographer. Many of the complaints came from seasoned veteran photographers who cut their teeth during the film era. A time when there was a certain mystique to their processes and business. Starting to sound familiar?
I think that the major concern for the legacy users of Final Cut Pro is that there will be so much more competition. So what that the feel of FCPX reminds people of iMovie. Apple is obviously targeting what they feel is a more appealing market. They are catering to the masses. They are watching our industry and seeing where things are going with the Canon 5D Mark 2 and the other quality digital image and video cameras that are recording in 1080P HD. It’s actually a very smart move and like many other big technological pushes, the focus is becoming less and less on the gear but instead is turning it’s head towards who can be the most creative.
Apple is also introducing a very interesting business model. In years past, they had a reputation for focusing their products to the high end market and to users who were often called “Apple Snobs”. Now things are changing. A company that was interested in just computers is now including affordable iOS devices and ground breaking digital software delivery in the Apple Mac store into its line of products. Through the Mac store, they are able to offer lower prices on software and entice people with a “get it now” mentality. With Apple being recently voted as one of the most recognizable brands, is this where the future is going?
Like with the new age of digital photography, Final Cut Pro X (now only $299) will really be beneficial to those who are not only the most creative but have a fantastic story to tell. This is definitely going to be an interesting ride!
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