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Deciding between Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro X and Avid for pro video editing? Here are a few thoughts and opinions to help you make that call.
However, it seems safe to say that while Final Cut Pro X does have a more straightforward UI and faster rendering times, it loses out on some of the compatibility and support offered by Premiere. Adobe Premiere Pro CC: 4 Apple Final Cut Pro X: 5 Tie: 8. As you can see, for most topics, the two apps are at parity. Apple has a very slight edge, numerically, but keep in mind that this is a.
As a decade-long loyal and faithful FCP editor, the time seems to be coming of the true death of FCP7. When you start to encounter workflow slowdowns and workarounds that would not otherwise be needed when working in up-to-date applications, it feels like it's time to start looking around at other options.
The options are still basically what they were five years ago — Apple, Avid, and Adobe. But while that hasn't changed, other things have.
Apple dropped the FCPX launch so spectacularly it is still embedded in the popular consciousness (even though FCPX has come a long way since then). Adobe is freaking people out with their Cloud move. And Media Composer is chugging along, (possibly with company-wide financial difficulties), but is still seen by many as the only choice for large institution-sized outfits.
There have been many discussions online and off in the last two years about the merits of Final Cut Pro X versus other video editing applications. This post is not intended to prove which video editing system is the best, but rather look at considerations of each and how it may affect your choice of primary application.
So, what is an editor to do?
Well my first thought would be to download the free trial of each app, cut something on it, and see how you go. Googling articles like this one probably won't supply you with the information you're really after — what's it like to actually use the video editing program? However, articles like this one can supply you with other useful information and resources, so do keep reading!
Budget: Premiere Pro vs. Final Cut Pro X vs. Avid Media Composer
If you're a cost-conscious creative, then what does the scenario look like? Avid Media Composer is now available for a steady $999 and comes with Sorenson Squeeze thrown in. You pay once and you can keep it forever. Avid are still releasing free point patches for old versions, and upgrading between versions will cost you a small fee (the upgrade from Media Composer version 6.5 to 7 is $299).
The cost of Final Cut Pro X, purchased via the Mac App Store, is only $299.99. Motion 5 and Compressor 4 are both $49.99. Openshot windows 10. Again, you get to keep the software for as long as you like and (so far) all of the updates to FCPX have been free.
Adobe currently has two options available. Buy a suite of software like Production Premium CS6 for $1899 or move to the Creative Cloud versions for $49.99 a month. With Adobe CC, you've got access to every single Adobe application, plus 2GB of online storage. So, how does that shake out in the long run?
If you bought Production Premium CS 6 and kept it for three years it would cost you $1899. $49.99 a month for three years is $1,799.64.
If you only want one application like After Effects CS6 ($999), Photoshop CS6 ($699) or Premiere Pro CS6 ($799) as a single app, CC rental ($19.99/month) after three years that would be $719.64.
In product development terms, even three years is a long time. So if Adobe does not increase their monthly prices, and this quote from VP of Professional Business in Adobe's Digital Media Business Unit Mala Sharma seems to try to allay those fears, then moving to the Cloud could save you a few bucks and keep you up to date.
My only rational response to that is that we can't [push up prices]… It's in our best interests to win our customers' trust – as every month they're going to be choosing whether they want to stay engaged with us or not. We have never been more vulnerable, in my opinion, than in [moving to a subscription model]. It's a really big bet.
But Adobe's Creative Cloud is still more expensive than either of the other two competing video editing options (though that's not a fair direct comparison when you consider the number of applications involved).
Premiere Pro Cc Vs Final Cut X Pro
Common Opinions
The Internet is awash with opinions on whether or not to move to the Creative Cloud — just check out the number of comments each of these articles has generated. Oliver Peters, who's usually right on the money, offer this cautious recommendation:
My suggestion for most users in similar shoes would be to buy one of the CS6 bundles now as a perpetual license. This gives you a fallback position. Then if you want to move forward with the Cloud, run the numbers. If you are a power user of Photoshop, Premiere Pro or After Effects and want to have the latest version of that one application, simply buy a single-application subscription. If you use three or more applications on a regular basis and want those all to be current, then the full Creative Cloud subscription makes sense. You still have the CS6 versions if needed, as long as you've maintain backwards project compatibility.
Aharon Rabinowitz has written a couple of excellent blog posts (Part 1 and Part 2) that cover his opinions, interactions with Adobe, and his readers' thoughts. It's worth reading through the blog posts (if not all the comments), as Rabinowitz covers quite a few of the common concerns creatives are raising.
Jahron Schneider from Fstoppers also walks through the Adobe Creative Cloud maze and comes out in favor of it:
If the software and delivery of that software makes your life easier, it's a good thing right? That's what you should focus on when contemplating the Creative Cloud, because it does make your life easier. I'm comfortable saying that the Creative Cloud is better for Adobe and better for the consumers. It's a great service, and one I'll continue to use.
For a short video covering the major new features in Adobe CC (and a few extra thoughts on the future of FCPX), check out this post-NAB 2013 comparison between FCPX and Adobe CC.
What About the Future of Final Cut Pro X?
A lot of pros still claim FCPX is unusable, and although the Coen Brothers might be moving to Premiere for their next feature, plenty of other folks are cutting 4K feature films in FCPX. Apple is working hard to frequently update FCPX, and with the growth of third party apps, more and more one-man-band operations are embracing the affordable app.
One of the people who has shared their FCPX workflow in detail is Sam Mestman. If you want to see FCPX with fresh eyes, check out his presentation below.
As a quick nod to Avid Media Composer 7, you can check out the official MC7 site listing all the new features from Avid and also this quick round up from NAB 2013.
As the FCPX launch proved, things in this industry can change quickly and dramatically. Knowing every system well has distinct advantages. If you're a one-man band or small post house, you'll want to choose a video editing application and stick with it for a few years.
Which NLE is your favorite and why? Share your opinions and experiences in the comments below!
Most of the time, when you start a project in Premiere Pro CC, you'll want to finish the edit in Premiere. However, there may be reasons that you need to move a project from Premiere to Final Cut in the middle of an edit; for example, you need to change editors and the new editor is more comfortable in Final Cut.
You CAN move projects between apps and this article explains how.
But…!
Premiere and FCP X use two different versions of XML (similar to English and French). So, in order for one app to read the XML of the other, it needs to be translated. This requires a utility called: 'SendToX.'
This translation process isn't really difficult. A more fundamental problem is that the underlying software architecture between Premiere and Final Cut are very, very different and not everything in your edit will successfully transfer. You need to understand these differences in order to determine if and when is the best time to move projects between software.
This process applies to any Adobe Premiere Pro CC sequence or Apple Final Cut Pro 7 project that you want to send to Apple Final Cut Pro X.
NOTE: Here's an article that explains how to move projects from Apple Final Cut Pro X to Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Adobe 8 0 update.
The best time to transfer projects is during the rough-cut process, before you start adding transitions, titles, color grading or effects.
Moving rough-cuts between software will almost always be successful.
In order to transfer between Premiere and Final Cut Pro X, you'll need a utility called: 'SendToX.' Developed by Intelligent Assistance, it is available here in the Mac App Store. The reason this utility is necessary is that Premiere and FCP X speak two different versions of XML; this utility converts between them.
Also, for best results, install and run SendToX on the same system that has Final Cut Pro X installed. The original XML file can be moved between computers with no problems.
WHAT TRANSFERS SUCCESSFULLY
- Media generally transfers successfully. However, all media needs to be online and using the same path names for both applications.
- Edit points, timecode, clip in, out and durations
- Cross-dissolves. Default dissolves, as opposed to dissolves added from the Effects panel.
- Opacity, position and scaling settings
- Constant speed changes
- Markers
- Audio levels and pan settings
NOTE: MP4 with timecode has caused problems for several people, the reason being that sometimes FCP X supports MP4 timecode but mostly it does not (unless the files have been ingested by FCP X itself). So in SendToX's Preferences is a checkbox 'Ignore MP4 timecode' which is on by default, but there might be cases where turning this off works for the media.
WHAT TRANSFERS MOSTLY
NOTE: Because not everything transfers between applications, SendToX adds red to-do markers to items indicating what has changed or been substituted. The easiest way to view these markers is to open the Timeline Index and click the Tags button. As you review these substitutions you can change each marker to Completed by clicking the red checkbox in the Timeline Index.
- After Effects comps need to be rendered, exported and relinked as video files before creating the XML file.
- Hold frames and still frames need to be exported as media, then relinked before creating the XML file.
- Multicam clips become 'collapsed' clips containing the active angle(s).
- Titles transfer, but are converted to black clips, named after the title text.
- Nested clips will transfer, but effects applied to the nest will not.
- Reel, Scene and Shot/Take metadata are added to the clip's Reel, Scene and Take fields, while other log notes and comments are added to the clip's Notes field.
- Other custom metadata may or may not transfer depending upon the field it is stored in. System-generated metadata, such as codec, bit rate, frame size should transfer.
- Surround sound clips will import with multiple mono audio tracks. (See note on converting Multiple Mono to Surround Sound under Enhancing the Translation.)
- Keyframed speed changes are converted to a constant speed change that maintains the duration of the original clip and uses the average speed of the clip.
- Generators (other than Color, Color Solid, Gradient, Circle, Oval, Rectangle and Square generators) become a black custom generator named after the generator.
WHAT DOESN'T TRANSFER
Because the effects engines between FCP X and other applications are so different, anything that involves an effect won't transfer. This is why I recommend translating projects in the rough-cut stage, before effects are applied.
Here's a more detailed list:
- Keyframed speed changes are converted to a constant speed change that maintains the duration of the original clip and uses the average speed of the clip.
- Effects, including Motion Blur and all mattes
- Color settings
- Motion Graphics templates
- Transition settings, other than the standard cross-dissolve
- Captions
NOTE: For a complete list of what transfers and what doesn't, view the SendToX Help Files.
HOW IT WORKS
Here's a typical project in Premiere. Note that it has audio and video clips on multiple tracks, transitions, and titles. While this is sequence with a short duration, it will serve to show how the transfer process works.
NOTE: Because transferring between apps is best done before effects are applied, I have not yet added any color grading or effects to this sequence.
Select the sequence you want to move.
NOTE: While you could move an entire project, this works best when you transfer in smaller sections, such as individual sequences.
Choose File > Export > Final Cut XML.
First, Premiere simplifies the XML associated with this sequence, then opens a dialog where you can give the XML file a name and storage location.
NOTE: I tend to store XML files on the desktop while I am working with them, to make them easier to find, then move them into a dedicated location after the transfer is complete. This isn't required, it's just how I work.
Premiere generates, then exports an XML file to the location you specify.
Next, it creates a Translation Report of anything that won't successfully translate.
Here's what the Translation Report looks like for this sequence. Your Report will look different, depending on the contents of your sequence.
NOTE: XML files are simply text files. You can open them in TextEdit just to see what they look like. This is a small sample of the XML from the project I'm working with here. (Smile… you don't need to know how to read XML files in order to use them.)
At this point, you can quit Premiere Pro CC. We are done with it.
CONVERSION
Here's where the magic happens. Drag the XML file on top of the SendToX application – either in the Applications folder or the Dock. This opens the application and starts the XML conversion process. (You can also open the app and choose File > Open, but dragging is more fun.)
SendToX then analyzes the XML file and asks what you'd like it to create. If you are on the system that also includes FCP X, choose the default: Send toFinal Cut Pro X.
- Send to Final Cut Pro X. This creates an XML file, opens FCP X, and automatically imports the XML file.
- Save XML File. This simply creates an XML file. This is the best choice when you are creating the XML file on a system other than the one you want to use for importing the sequence.
SendToX then translates the file and opens Final Cut Pro X, which asks whether you want to add this sequence to an existing Library or create a new one.
Since you don't know how well the translation process will work, my advice is to always create a new Library. It will be easy to move the project and related clips to an existing library once you verify the transfer.
Final Cut X
In this case, I clicked 'New' and FCP X asked me to create and name a new Library. Normally, I would store this Library with the rest of my FCP X libraries, but, to keep things simple for this tutorial, I stored it on the Desktop. I'll move it later, if I need to.
FCP X then imports the XML file.
NOTE: When importing media via an XML file, Preferences > Import settings determine where media is stored and whether optimized or proxy files are created. Verify Preference settings before importing the XML file. Once you start importing clips, it's too late to change these preference settings.
At this point, you can close SendToX. You are done with it.
IMPORTING INTO FCP X
The final import step happens automatically: SendToX opens FCP X and tells it to import the sequence into a new Library.
Ta-DAH! There's your transferred project. Titles were imported as black slugs, named after the title.
NOTE: Again, I want to stress this point. Archive manager windows. Moving sequences between applications works best in the rough-cut stage. Most titles, effects and all color grading will not transfer because the underlying structure of the two applications is so different. This technique is best used to preserve an edit, not the look, of a squence.
EXTRA CREDIT
- Here's a link to SendToX on the Mac App Store.
- Here's a link to the Intelligent Assistance website that has more information on SendToX.
- Here's a link to the SendToX Help files.
