Bedroom Editor

Tutorials & Small Jobs

I love FCP too but if you are editing GoPro (MP4) I would either jump to the new FCP or Adobe Premiere. I have spent a lot of time transcoding GoPro footage to ProRes so editors can edit in FCP. If you want to learn how to edit, make it a priority. There are a plenty of online sites that offer FCP training. The minute you feel comfortable, start looking for small editing jobs. The only real way to learn how to edit is to put yourself in the editors chair.

 

Just like anything else whether its sports, entertainment and even juggling, it takes practice and lots of it.
You need a ton of experience period.
For video editing you have the whole internet to help you along the way from downloading tutorials to services e.g. lynda.com.
I'm not sure if you really need film experiences since the base output of these spots are HD and less. I haven't even seen a film res game spot in theaters to date.
I say learn all the apps one at a time if you can.
Do some projects on one then move onto another.

 

Its a blast creating your own stuff
I shoot a lot of GoProHD mostly skateboarding (snowboarding in winter) and havent really finished anything yet. I did my previous tests on FCPX and so far as good.
I use Avid Media Composer at work and at times Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.
Im mostly 3D and Motion Design so editing videos is at times just for fun for me
Keep it up, read and steal if you have too to learn

 

I would prefer to get all my footage in some sort of ProRes format too. If you want to same time, I would just edit the MP4 clips in FCPX instead of transcoding to ProRes.

 

Thats an iffy subject. What the pros use is what a person that makes money doing what they love. As a musician I play a PRS SwampAsh guitar. Then I see my bud playing a POS Epiphone copy of a Gibson SG and probably one of the worse ones made.
He blows me away and gigs solid cause he loves what he does.
So does he think that maybe he should move up to a PRS or an actual Gibson?
Get the drift
use what you can, dont let others tell you whats right unless your trying do something really stupid like driving and drinking
I know thats harsh sounding but with all the hate on FCPX lately you think Apple just released cancer

 

There's a lot of truth to what you say, but unfortunately it doesn't always work that way.

The OP should really work at honing the craft of editing. That of course can be accomplished with any tool, whether it be Adobe, Avid, FCP, or even FCPX. That's the single most important thing to work on.

However, knowing the "right" software is still pretty damn important in the job market. Employers are often looking for someone who can jump right in on their platform and hit the ground running. That's why they often list the software requirements in their job posting. A lot of NLEs do share the same underlying structure, so a kick ass demo reel may be able to sway someone to take a chance on an Adobe editor when their looking for an Avid person. That's the problem with FCPX though. It's wildly different from the rest.

Best advice would be to learn and use everything you can get your hands on. But if your goal is to find an editor position at some post house, production company/ad agency/etc. then FCPX just isn't a good idea at this point.

 

You get thick skinned over the years when it comes to software updates. I was there when Alias (now owned by Autodesk) changed PowerAnimator to Maya.
Talk about a complete change in workflow!
Just learn it and at the moment the amount of FCPX tutorials are amazing.
Lots for free and lots to learn

 

Ive been teaching FCP at local college for 8 years and this coming fall the school changed to FCPX.
I had no hand in that and would have done it with older FCP, Premiere Pro or Avid (heck even all of them but that would be nuts in a 9 week course).
Now that I have to teach FCPX (I love a challenge), I can only be positive for anyone thats trying. I can tell you some horror stories with my findings with FCPX of date but they are all at CreativeCow and no need for me to put out a bad vibe.
Its hard enough to learn these apps let alone add worries to a new user.
Yes dont learn FCPX if your really concerned about getting a job, but if you cant afford any type of upgrade path to Adobe CS/Avid MC 5.5 for the same as FCPX (forget FCP since its hard to find) whats a new learner to do?
Well there is iMovie or Windows Movie Maker