[Frameworks] query for those who teach filmmaking

[Jason Halprin]

I think I'd like to second what Scot has said here: "it depends on what you're trying to teach." 

Over the last three years, I've taught at three different schools and have instructed with FCP 7, FCPX, and Premiere. I've had good results using all three, and I've had unimaginative, lazy projects in all three. 

With FCP X, I definitley had to design some assignment that demanded students explore the different interfaces, and specifically that they mix sound and tweak the presets on all of the effects. After doing this, however, I saw video newbies grow very quickly in terms of their comfort with the program, and they started thinking in terms of how to generate the images in their imagination, and not in terms of what the program was capable of doing. I don't mean to imply that this was universal amongst the students, but that creative, engaged students were able to gain a substantial mastery of the program in a short time.

That being said, the interface still seems like it perhaps has a limit in terms of a "pro" workflow - one in which separate programs and technicians are utilized for sound design and VFX. Sound controls are probably the most perplexing part of FCPX. Although you can utilize ALL of the plugins from Logic and access their interfaces from within FCPX, there is not a true mixing panel - meaning I can apply compression, EQ, reverb, etc, but I can't really do a final mix. And, to add insult to injury, without a 3rd party program, you can't bounce to ProTools (or even Logic) to accomplish this. However, there are some clunky workarounds such as utilizing the "roles" function.

OK, after that long explanation of some specifics, if I were rebooting the workflow of a program, and area specialization was part of department's pedagogy, I would choose Premiere. I don't think my Intro students have had substantial trouble learning it, it interfaces with other programs seamlessly, and most of the advantages of FCPX (real-time rendering, variety of plugins, ability to generate your own VFX) are there - or at least nearly there. FCPX is trying to be an almost All-In-One program, where you never have to utilize anything else in the creation of your video. Premiere is an editing program, with built in limitations designed for leaving higher level functions to other programs - much like FCP 7 was.

-Jason Halprin

On Friday, April 18, 2014 7:55 AM, Scott Dorsey <kludge at panix.com> wrote:
 
FCP X feels like it's intended for assembling TV news programs instead of
feature films.  That's probably fine for some things, but it depends what
you're trying to teach.
--scott
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