Lots and Lots of video tracks...

Question

Hello Ya'all:
Just reporting some bugs/discoveries I made in FCP 5.0.3, when using storage which is almost infinetesimally fast. I know FCP supports a maximum of 99 video tracks, but I wonder how many have actually been tested (realistically): Here's some problems I have when doing lots and lots of video tracks:
Qty. Description
Up to 10 Fine - no problem.
12 Program intermittently crashes with no error, when
sitting idle.
14 The scroll bar on the right side of the video
portion of the timeline stops drawing properly,
but the crashing above goes away.
16 Crashing is back - scroll bar still not operating
properly.
20 Crashing stops, but scroll bar still not drawing
correctly.
24 Same as above.
25 Seem to have hit some sort of maximum, as the
video portion of the timeline header turns red.

Answer 1

I rant for lots of reasons...as does Jim.
I rant when someone with NO CLUE as to the post production process tries to tackle a complex process thinking that FCP is easy. Especially when said people, who previously edited home movies or short films on FCP, suddenly think they can edit broadcast television.
I rant when people think a simple plugin will edit for them, or suddenly make everything ready for broadcast.
I rant when someone assumes that FCP can do something it cannot, and is mad for FCP not being able to do it.
I rant when people don't do their research, buy gear, shoot hours and hours, only to find that it won't work on ANY system...and they blame the system for not working with the new gear, even though the gear came out AFTER the system.
But mainly I rant for the first reason. Too many people think that editing is easy and that they can just buy a G5, monitor, camera and a few books and be ready for Prime Time. No no no. Even Robert Rodriguez, the ultimate film rebel, took a long time to learn what he learned. I have spent a large part of my career learning post production...broadcast standards, specs, color correction, show timing, audio post...not to mention the art of storytelling. And it really gets on my nerves when someone thinks that they can take an Mac Mini and camcorder and edit a broadcast show...and get angry at Apple for things not working properly.
Get the proper tools. Get the proper training. Cut your chops by editing a lot and a lot and a lot. Research everything before you buy and jump into a project with a huge deadline. I am venturing into HD...I start editing next week...I have been researching the topic since July and am STILL testing gear and my workflow.
I am sure there are plenty more reasons I rant, but those are the ones off the top of my head. I just have little patience with people who think that editing is easy and instantaneous. It is hard and time consuming, and if I didn't love it to death I wouldn't do it.
Shane
"There's no need to fear, UNDERDOG is ranting!"