i am having final cut pro issues. it's a really picky program, but when it works fine it's an amazing piece of software. last year in the summer when i used it for the first time, i didn't have issues with the software so much as i did with hardware. i used it at a computer lab on campus for a film class i was taking and the lab workers didn't know anything about video. pretty much all of us in the class were new to final cut and were struggling. most of the trouble seemed to be with the mini dv/vhs duel deck rather than final cut. i had no problem capturing clips as i played them, in fact that's the only way i think that i captured clips. i wish right now i was having as easy a time with it!

i was trying to use final cut outside of the labs thanks to some friends but was having digital skips and timecode drop issues, even though there should be nothing wrong with the timecode on the tape. i decided to bring all the stuff to the campus lab today, thinking that the lab would be better equipped. wrong! i had the same problems. if the timecode is screwed, at least you can use "capture now" to get the clips but when i would try that, it was like the software would freeze up. i'm not a patient person but i would wait 5-10 minutes and the screen still had not fully loaded so i would force quit the program because i don't have time to wait that long. i have to digitize as many clips as i can in the short time that i have at the lab.

tonight i will be more patient and see how long it takes for the capture now screen to load but i swear that it was much faster and easier one year ago. i asked around and looked online for some tips so i've got some things to consider along with my own speculations. i wanted to try out one of the tips but i wasn't sure where to find the menu option they mentioned. so i opened the help file and that took forever to load as well. i gave up and force quit the help file because it wasn't being helpful! a rough cut of the project is due in one week and i am starting to freak out because i haven't shot everything yet and i haven't digitized all the footage i have because of the problems i've been having. what sucks is that there is only one lab with final cut pro. someone suggested using the special editing stations this campus has for other film classes because those are much nicer with less issues. but those are locked up and i just don't have the time to hang around there waiting for some student to finish so i can sneak in right after them.

the labs will be closed next tuesday due to the holiday. they also have shorter hours on weekends, when i am the most free because i am not working. the way things have been going, it looks like i am definitely going to have to take some time off work for my project. i just don't know if i will be allowed to or if i have enough vacation hours to do it. the crap part about this job is part of the winter break is a forced vacation. they pay you for a couple days off but you are forced to use your vacation time for the other days. you're not allowed to work during those days, you can't use sick time, and if you don't have all your hours accounted for then you won't have full benefits for that month (you might not accrue the full vacation/sick time due to you). fucking sucks doesn't it?