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Final cut/movies: learning recommendations?

wiseguy27

wiseguy27

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 30, 2005
420
0
USA
I'll be buying Final Cut (Studio) very soon, and I'd like to know if you have any particular books/videos/websites to recommend that would make it easier to learn and use.

I've never been into movie editing and I'm not going to be a professional movie maker. But I would like to learn as much as possible about using Final Cut as well as about movie making. I don't believe I should limit myself in learning just because I'm not going to earn a living out of this - so please do not hesitate to mention any kind of resource that might be useful. I've also made up my mind about the purchase - I'd appreciate it if people do not try to dissuade me.

I do know that the Final Cut package comes with some huge manuals and tutorials, but if there's anything that would help accelerate the learning process, it would be very much appreciated. I'm looking for resources that I could follow online or purchase - something that I can "have with me" when I need it (so attending some kind of a class is out of the question). Additionally, cheaper would be nice too (since I'd already be spending quite a bit in buying the product). :p

Recommendations at all levels are welcome (beginner, intermediate, advanced...).

Thanks in advance for your suggestions/recommendations. :)
 
Im not trying to disuade you but why buy something that serious when you havent done anything like it before. Use imovie, maybe premiere, learn how to shoot some stuff first and make basic edits and transitions. If your not going to school for it and not going to do it full fledge as a living why purchase something so expensive especially when you wont us 50% of its capabilities.
 
Here is my two cents...

Most of the work I've done proffessionally could have easily been done in iMovie, Premier or FC Express.....but I push Final Cut to the limits in my own personal projects. When you are your own client, you can choose how far you want to take something.

Therefore, I think buying FCP is a great move if you are really interested in learning it. It's an amazing package and a lot of fun to play with.

As for learning it, I would suggest just diving in by doing some projects and figuring it out along the way. Then push your knowledge further by interacting with other users. The program is relatively simple for basic editing functions, but there are a lot of cool things you can learn really quickly just by talking to other users. I picked up the program on my own back on version 1 and am still learning every project I do. It is by far one of my favorite programs and just another thing done right by Apple.
 
I have the apple final cut express book, they make one for pro, but its good. easy to understand
 
Thanks!

Thanks a bunch, all!!! I do understand the intent when people say that the Pro packages may be "overkill" for normal users, but I would like to move ahead as much as possible. Some months ago, I did ask in the MR forums about comparing iMovie and FCP, and the vote for usability and ease of doing things (apart from the feature set itself) was overwhelmingly in favor of Final Cut.

Actually, I have done a teeny bit of crude movie editing - it's just that I haven't done it on a continuous basis (nor on "large" videos). I am going through iMovie right now (with the missing manual book), and I felt that knowing both iMovie and FC would help me in getting the best out of them, although I personally don't know how they compare. :) I would most likely continue to use iMovie in the future too (maybe for "simpler" projects...I don't know).

I had a quick look at the links, xsedrinam and LethalWolfe - they look like a wonderful starting point (especially the kenstone one)! I also did a search on Amazon and found some titles from Apple Pro Training Series - I might have a look at those too.

Thanks once again to all of you for sharing the links, suggestions and your personal experiences. I appreciate it! :)
 
sigamy said:
Wiseguy,

Here's another option, a hands-on training set:
http://www.dvcreators.com/products/fcpps.html
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link. I had been away from the MR forums for a few days and hadn't seen this one until today. I bought some books about FCP sometime ago.

sigamy said:
ps--Did you select your camera yet?
Click to expand...
Yup, soon after the recommendations and comparisons with the "real prosumer" models, I decided to go for the...YES...Panasonic GS400. :D It seemed to be the best choice for now (and maybe for the next few years until HD becomes more popular and affordable). I have been trying it for the past two weeks - haven't attempted any editing since I'm moving and the Mac is out of reach.
 
I'm glad you're using the Missing Manual-series book about iMovie. I bought the Missing Manual book for iMovie 2 back when I got my first Mac, and from there I moved up to Final Cut Pro.

I taught myself FCP two years ago with a Dummies-series book, "Final Cut Pro 3 for Dummies." It was easy to follow and came in handy as a reference. I don't know if a FCP 5 Dummies book is out yet, but most everything from FCP 3 still applies to FCP 5.

Before learning iMovie and FCP, I had already taken a class which included learning Avid Media Composer, and I had other classes in studio and field production which among other things covered shooting, live switching and tape-based editing. I was a journalism major with a minor in television.

Good luck with your pursuit!
 
Best way to lear FCP

I'm also currently in the process of learning FCP and use from the Apple Pro Training Series "Editing Professional Video" written by Diana Weynand which I find easy to follow with great looking clips on the included DVD.
If you more into learning a program via DVD, I can also recommend DMTS "Inside Editing with Final Cut Pro", however the quality of their training clips look terrible.
Good luck
 
wolfintosh said:
I'm also currently in the process of learning FCP and use from the Apple Pro Training Series "Editing Professional Video" written by Diana Weynand which I find easy to follow with great looking clips on the included DVD.
Click to expand...
I bought this and some more Apple Pro Training series books. I'm just waiting to get my Mac setup after the move to get started (I'd rather not talk about the mess that the movers created). :)
 
Depending where you are - you could also take advantage of the new "The Studio" bar at certain Apple stores. It's like the Genuis Bar but it is specifically for the creative apps. You can walk up anytime and get help from the staff there who will switch between you and others at the bar. If you buy Apple ProCare (about $100) you can also book dedicated (ie. one-on-one) appointments with them.

I'm not even from the USA, but I was in San Francisco for a week and a bit (for WWDC) and I bought a ProCare card. I had 4 one-on-one appointments that week with specialists there on Final Cut Pro, Motion and Soundtrack Pro. Plus I was there at least two other times "unscheduled."

Like you, I was about to buy and knew I would get the training books, etc. but what you can learn as a fast start in one hour of one-on-one with an experienced person could take weeks of time with books or tutorials.

So, even though I can't use the ProCare card back here, I looked at it as super-cheap consulting time. i.e. I got 4 hours of FCS consulting time. No way you could buy that for $100.
 
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