My six week editing course (using FCP 4) has just finished week 4. The class itself has been great and I've learned a ton about the aesthetics and craft of cutting. I've also learned that I hate FCP. I've ALSO learned that FCP people drive me frickin' nuts. I'm sure they're sick of me as well, but my only basis of comparison is Vegas. It's all I've used, so when I ask questions I typically speak from a Vegas frame of reference. I am SOOO tired of their condescending attitude (thinly veiled) whenever it comes up. Sample conversation: ME - "This DV clip has some terrible humm/buzzing in the background. Is there an easy way to remove it in FCP?" THEM - "Sure, just co into the effects menu and use the EQ to cut off the frequency that is making the humm." I THINK TO MYSELF - "What a hugely ineffective and time consuming way to TRY and fix it. That's like doing surgery with a spoon. I could do this in 10 seconds with Vegas and my noise reduction 2 plugin (I have SF too, so I guess it isn't a totally fair comparison. But I can get all of those Sony products for less than FCP)... So I mention that I have a tool that will easily fix the problem, and that I'll take care of it over the weekend, only to get a lecture about how that sort of problem will typically get fixed by "the audio guys" when the editing is done...

To add insult to injury, one of the instructors continued working on the humm and said he wanted to show me a really AWESOME new feature in FCP 4.... He called the other folks around to see it (including the other, less experienced instructors). "You see, if you select an IN and OUT point in your sequence, then hit SHIFT + BACKSLASH, the area between your IN and OUT points will LOOP!!!!" he says.... The other instructor (who is a certified FCP 4 instructor - and I'm not exaggerating a BIT here...) says, "WOW! That's AWESOME!!!"

I about crapped my pants. That's their "awesome" new feature in FCP 4??? LOOPING?????????

Oh, lordy, lordy... Kill me now.... Take away the pain....

Thanks for letting me rant.