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Final Cut Studio vs After Effects?

M

MadsTheMagician

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 11, 2010
4
0
Hey
Around Christmas I am going to buy a mac (I still do not if it will be an imac or a macbook pro)
But I also want to buy some video editing somtware.
I have been doing some research and I see two options:
Adobe After Effects or Apple Final Cut Studio.
If i do not look at any kind of discount, After Effects will be the most expensive.
So if any of you have some exoiriences or advices, I would be glad to hear from you.:D
- Mads
 
well thanks
but i have done some research, and i know that After Effects is for special effects etc. but special effects is also some of what i want to do.
So maybe it had been better if I had asked: "how much can AE do that I can't do with FCS and is AE worth the about 200$ more?"
 
You wouldn’t want to buy AE without having an actual NLE application like Final Cut as well. AE is meant to supplement an editing app, not replace it. Trying to actually edit video in AE would be an exercise in annoyance and wasted time.

Buy Final Cut Studio now, do what you can do with it, and get After Effects later.
 
MadsTheMagician said:
well thanks
but i have done some research, and i know that After Effects is for special effects etc. but special effects is also some of what i want to do.
So maybe it had been better if I had asked: "how much can AE do that I can't do with FCS and is AE worth the about 200$ more?"
Click to expand...

As only Motion and Color (in some ways) can be considered something like AE, AE is the better beast, as it has a lot more features than Motion. But it depends on what kind of visual effects (special effects are the ones done on the set, visual effects are done via post production) you want to employ. FCS is the better deal, as it includes software for the whole post production process, and AE is only one step in that tedious process. If you value visual effects over everything else, image and sound editing, proper titling, distribution, ..., then AE might be your boat. But if visual effects only affect a small part of your process, then it is better to get FCS. Motion is quite capable for what it is and it may more than suffice your needs. Everything else is just guesswork, as you are not really precise on what you want to accomplish with either the production suite called Final Cut Studio with its 6+ applications or the single application called After Effects.
 
thanks
there is also the CS5 prudoction option, where will get the premiere pro (and some other stuff) as well as AE. But I have heard that premire Should not be as good as FCP.
 
MadsTheMagician said:
thanks
there is also the CS5 prudoction option, where will get the premiere pro (and some other stuff) as well as AE. But I have heard that premire Should not be as good as FCP.
Click to expand...

According to several reviews, Premiere CS5 is quite capable and FCP is left behind in many aspects. Look for those reviews and make up your own mind.
 
spinnerlys said:
As only Motion and Color (in some ways) can be considered something like AE, AE is the better beast, as it has a lot more features than Motion. But it depends on what kind of visual effects (special effects are the ones done on the set, visual effects are done via post production) you want to employ. FCS is the better deal, as it includes software for the whole post production process, and AE is only one step in that tedious process. If you value visual effects over everything else, image and sound editing, proper titling, distribution, ..., then AE might be your boat. But if visual effects only affect a small part of your process, then it is better to get FCS. Motion is quite capable for what it is and it may more than suffice your needs. Everything else is just guesswork, as you are not really precise on what you want to accomplish with either the production suite called Final Cut Studio with its 6+ applications or the single application called After Effects.
Click to expand...






...agreed and Final cut is only a $1000.
 
Can you edit video in After effects? Yes, but it's a major PITA.


Can do you the same effects/motion graphics work in FCP? Perhaps, but I think it will be MORE of a PITA.



IMHO, if you can only get one right now, get After Effects.
 
PeterQVenkman said:
Can you edit video in After effects? Yes, but it's a major PITA.


Can do you the same effects/motion graphics work in FCP? Perhaps, but I think it will be MORE of a PITA.



IMHO, if you can only get one right now, get After Effects.
Click to expand...

Well I dont think it is possible to buy Final Cut Pro by itself.. It is the full studio with a couple of other programs. (eg motion 4 for motion graphics)
 
I work with Final Cut Pro professionally. Unless you plan on spending tens of thousands of dollars on a custom system, final cut is the most practical solution hands down. There's a reason that it's become the standard in the broadcast industry. FCP on a Mac has the benefit of being exclusively designed for both the operating system and the hardware. This makes it exceedingly streamlined and efficient right out of the box. With a 3rd party product, it leaves a lot of that configuration up to the user which tends to become a hassle.

Additionally, we use Final Cut in our post facilities because it's a standardized system... Wether it's on a MacBook, Mac Pro or iMac, the configuration is always already in use by thousands of other people so any problems you might run into have likely been already solved by other people and the answer is usually a couple of google searches away. In an industry where down time exponentially increases cost, the (free) vast knowledge base available is invaluable.
 
I know it seems like a completely different train of thought but you could go for the Adobe Production Premium Pack. You get AE and an editing program in Premiere. Personally I prefer premiere over Final Cut myself.

However, if you are looking purely for one or the other which I assume you are I would suggest Final Cut. AE is a great program, I don't deny it (I have CS5 myself) but without an editing program it really won't do you a whole lot of good.
 
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