In my day-to-day efforts to test the portability of my PowerBook, I visit some interesting locations.
Last month I went to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The latest and greatest electronic devices for making films and producing television programming are always presented at this conference. It was my first visit and was an education.
Industry rumours suggested Apple could be announcing something special at the show and, because I could telepathically hear slot machines calling my name, I had no alternative but to attend.
One of the first events, even before the show started, was an Apple By Invitation Only press meeting and lunch. I have been to hundreds of these affairs and usually from two to 20 journalists show up. But this time, even though Apple had seating for 2,000, the presentation was packed and not even standing room was available.
Chatting with broadcast industry analysts and journalists at the pre-meeting reception, I was surprised to find that Apple's Final Cut Pro was fast becoming the standard for production editing for everything from hot sitcoms to blockbuster films. I had been aware of its popularity as a 'presumer' product - inexpensive, easy to use, get the job done without a lot of mess and fuss - and I knew it was the tool of choice for many independent filmmakers, but I had assumed that the more expensive applications actually owned the pro video production market.
Well, I was wrong. I learned that Apple's Final Cut Pro and Shake, Apple's special effects application, were involved in the editing of the last seven Special Effects Academy Award winners, including the most recent recipient, Lord of the Rings.
The crowd was hoping to see the release of Final Cut Pro 4 and Shake 3.5, and they were not disappointed. Apple actually announced Final Cut Pro HD (High Definition).