Apple is to Multimedia what Adobe is to Desktop Publishing
One thing that not many recognize is those that changed the world. Of course, desktop publishing and digital content creation are definitely not going to be recognized for changing anything. But trust me, what Adobe did for the desktop publishing market with not just their software but their technologies has changed everything. It has made workflow faster, publishing cheaper, and has made it easier. With technologies like, TrueType cross platform fonts, PDF, and Postscript, Adobe has made a lot possible. Even Quark would not have the success they have today without Adobe�s work. Apple has done the same. Back in the day (5 years ago), many were still editing with these huge rigs of equipment. Now, a filmmaker is a guy with an HD camera, a tripod (optional) and a Powerbook with Final Cut Pro. It is amazing how things have changed and how good it is because of Apple�s contributions. Of course this is what Apple is known for. They did it with the Mac, and they did it for digital media.
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The frameworks that make all of this possible is QuickTime. Often overlooked, QuickTime is the heart of all of their software. QuickTime is the framework for many games, software, movies, and even cell phones rely on it. It all started with QuickTime, but the potential of it in the movie making market was not implemented until Apple released Final Cut Pro. The 1999 release of Final Cut Pro was far from a cinema class product but it was a move in the right direction. Five years later, Apple has released the most affordable HD editing solution, the most affordable DV professional editor (Final Cut Express), an inexpensive pro-level DVD production tool (DVD Studio Pro 3), and the most dynamic and have I mentioned affordable animation and titling tool (Motion), to have a suite that can hang with the big boys. More and more movies are being made with Apple�s jam-packed tools. It seems like every independent film maker is using Apple�s tools, and many production houses are moving to it, as their old technology needs an upgrade.
What does this mean for Apple? They have changed the industry, but ultimately this means more computer sales for Apple. Of course, they can always port these apps to the other side, but if they are making 1000 bucks for Final Cut Pro, then sell a $3000 dollar Powerbook or G5 alongside it, that is more cash for them. It is the convincing of moviemakers that their tools are more elite compared to Avid, or traditional editing techniques. Those of us that have used Apple�s tools know how easy it is to figure out the software and start making movies, music, and DVDs in minutes, but others don�t. That is Apple�s next mission.
Those that have not used Apple�s tools just think of another company making software. It is when you look at the facts that you see exactly how Apple has done for digital media what Adobe has done in publishing. Apple has made exceptional tools at an affordable price. It was not until I had to make a video for my school, and I bought a copy of Final Cut Express 2 w/ Soundtrack that I noticed Apple is doing something big. If everyone in the industry just test-drove a copy of Apple�s software they would be blown away. I played around with it for about an hour and went to a bookstore to see what all of the buttons do, but after that it is pretty simple. Capture the footage, splice, edit, add titles and effects, export it back to the camera. I did all of my work on an 800Mhz G4 iBook. I even made a song in Soundtrack, and using the highly affordable, iLife �04; I made a movie with some pictures and got an �A� on the assignment. I did about 8 hours of editing on a 15 minute clip, but I had about 2 hours of footage to work with, and of course had never used Final Cut before, so that was time spent learning the interface as well. After arranging the clips in the timeline, it was only about 2 hours of work.
Apple has everything they need to complete the puzzle. They have Pro Video Editing, Composition software, DVD Production, Motion Graphics, Composite Video Effects, and of course iLife �04. Don�t think that iLife is not a part of the puzzle. It is definitely a key player. Sometimes, I use iMovie to arrange iPhoto pictures for a movie so I don�t have to do it in Final Cut. I also use iDVD for small DVDs instead of worrying about DVD studio, and garage band�s instrument effects are better than in Soundtrack so I will usually lay out tracks in there, first. Oh and did I mention Xserve, Xserve Raid and Xsan? If you need high quality processing power and storage get an Xserve Raid, an Xserve and set up storage network (big movie houses would need this) and you have a very affordable system.
The reason why digital movie editing had a slow adoption rate is due to many factors. There is the speed of the computers, the amount of storage, and software that has features to make an all-digital workflow. Apple is the first company that has done that. Let me give you a setup that a typical movie house would have. They would have a few guys working across an office doing editing on the same movies. They would be using G5s and large monitors. Then using Xsan, they would capture their footage to the 14 terabyte Xserve Raid, and then both of them could edit the footage of the movie at the same time and do their own work. Then the DVD production team (either in-house or contracted), would take the final movie straight from the Xserve and move it into DVD Studio, of course there is the rest of Apple�s software that would come in handy, but Apple makes the workflow complete from filming (cause don�t forget QuickTime is used in cameras to capture DV or HD), then onto the computers or RAID servers, edited, exported, produced and sold to consumers, all without leaving the computers. This saves time, money and man hours.
When it comes to the average consumer, we win as well. We can have an iMac with Final Cut Express, and iLife �04 and still make an award-winning movie. Well it may win a movie at the local Elks lodge, but regardless, awards will be won. Back to story, they can shoot a movie, edit it, and add pictures, music and other things to make a great movie. From there, they put it on a DVD and show it off to friends and family. This, once again is a winning situation for Apple because they will sell software and computers. So Apple has definitely revolutionized the digital content creation market. I have only touched on video. I can�t even begin to talk about Logic Audio software, Motion graphics software, or Shake composite effects software used in movies like Lord of the Rings to make it seem like Elijah Wood (a Mac user) was in Middle Earth, when he was actually climbing a plastic rock with a green screen. It is this workflow that has and will continue to change media for the better. I just hope 10 years later, we will have the same respect for Apple as we did for Adobe when we notice how much they both changed how desktop publishing and digital media.
