Apple responded to recent reviews of over 100 top film and television editing professionals on his management of Final Cut Pro (FCP).
April saw the release of an open letter praising Apple’s flagship video editing softwaregoing so far as to call it “the biggest leap forward in editing technology since going digital”.
However, signatories – including big show names like blood red sky and Bridgerton – also said the company isn’t doing enough to “publicly promote Final Cut Pro and add the few remaining features that our industry has always said we need.”
Now Apple promises to shake up its plans for FCP.
promises, promises
Addressed to the “authors of the recent open letter regarding Final Cut Pro in the TV and film industry”, Apple’s response begins by highlighting the “many compelling projects created with Final Cut Pro to date”.
After pointing out that Apple “believes[s] we have plans in place to help you meet your important feature requests,” he admits, “the need to leverage those efforts and work alongside you to help support your film and TV projects.
The result is a series of commitments from the Cupertino company:
- Launching new Apple Authorized Training and Certification products for professional video starting this month with our partner Future Media Concepts
- Establish a panel of industry experts for regular consultation, starting this summer
- Expand the content and frequency of Final Cut Pro workshops for major film and television productions
Industry Thoughts
Talk to TechradarProJosh Beal, one of the editors who signed the letter, said:
“I’m frankly surprised that the letter received a public response. It encourages me, especially their suggestion to open a line of communication with a panel of industry experts. We’ll have to see what it all comes down to in the end. , of course, but I certainly appreciate the response and the fact that they seem to take the issues raised by the letter to heart.”
Knut Hake, another signer, told us, “It’s great to see Apple openly committing to Final Cut Pro and our small but influential part of the business. I didn’t really expect a response and I think it really matters.”
Apple’s renewed support for its video editor offers good news for dedicated users.
However, at present the plans are vague and not specific. Many hope that the full FCP roadmap is kept under wraps until WWDC in June.
The anguished cry of industry creatives has finally been heard. But it’s worrying that it took the negative publicity surrounding the letter’s release to force Apple to reevaluate Final Cut Pro’s trajectory.