Mac Soda wrote a blog post with a number of unsubstantiated claims concerning Final Cut Pro. It’s entitled Final Cut Studio: The Inside Scoop, but I find that title misleading. Basically the Mac Soda post said FCS 4 is coming soon (they say between 1/2011 and 4/2011), is awesome, and here are some of the changes. As a Final Cut Studio user, all that sounds good to me. However, there is not a single shred of evidence shared, not a single source mentioned, or even alluded to. It’s all assumed; beyond the “inside scoop” title there’s not even a weak attempt to suggest there is a secret source for all this info that nobody else seems to have. There seems to be an assumption that somehow by simply writing it, it must be true. If this was just a few of the typical FCP rah-rah rumors, or perhaps spoken less authoritatively, I’d give them a free pass. But when you make grandiose and detailed claims like they do, you need to pony up some facts and supporting sources. As the saying goes, “Extraordinary Claims Demand Extraordinary Proof.” They offer no proof, and as such I personally don’t believe a word of it. Here’s a few choice excerpts:

“Apple is quite aware that Motion is a joke, and that After Effects runs circles around it. That’s why they’ve had a team working exclusively on making Motion more powerful and easier for editors to use. The software has been in the works ever since Apple scratched Shake, and Motion is going to end up being a hybrid which utilizes the power of Shake with the usability of Final Cut Pro. Also, Motion’s UI is supposedly getting a major overhaul, and will resemble Final Cut’s way more, making it more familiar for editors. The team is working hard to change the timeline and browser of Motion to match Final Cut Pro’s. Whether or not these major changes will be ready in time for the next upgrade isn’t a guarantee at this point… but if not FCS4, then definitely FCS5. But odds are, Motion will finally be the powerful, usable program it has the potential to be when the next upgrade hits the shelves.

Native RED support hasn’t come yet due to bickering between both Apple and RED… neither will compromise the licensing negotiations, so native RED support is a technical go, but a legal stalemate. Whether or not the legal issues will be resolved by the next major release is uncertain.”

Another person who has an issue with this article is Philip Hodgetts. He’s written a solid rebuttal of the major premise of the article (that a new FCS version is coming soon), and also attacked a few other unsubstantiated statements. Philip offers some logical arguments to back up his responses, and I’m more inclined to accept his version of future events over this Mac Soda drivel.

As a side note, posts like this give blogs a bad name. Blogging is a very democratic and powerful tool, but it’s all too easy to make authoritative statements without any regard for facts and truth. Yes blogging is often about opinion, but there needs to be a certain level of journalistic integrity and a personal responsibility to release factual information. I’ve not linked the post because I think they are simply traffic-baiting and are showing zero journalistic integrity. If you wish to read it, you can find the post via Philip Hodgetts response link above.