iMovie to FC express

[slik]

Can someone answer some q's for me?

I have been making and selling vids (dvds) on a powermac for over 4 years now. I do pretty well as they are instructional vids in a niche business. I am about to upgrade to a MacPro.

I spent a grand on FCP years ago and then bought upgrades but here's the kicker, I installed it and never used it. Then I bought FC express when I bougth an apple for a coworker, installed that and never used it. I want to but it seems complicated compared to Imovie which did everything I needed it to. I have placed cool graphics from digital juice and stuff in Imovie and I gotta admit the DVDs look very good.

I would love to start playing with FC express when I get the MacPro but....

1. How hard is the learning curve compared to Imovie which was pretty easy for me to learn.

2. Please give me the top 5 reasons for using FCP or express instead of Imovie. Advantages I mean.

3. How did most of you learn how to use FC?

4. I am assuming Mac stores give classes?

 

[slik]

Oh yeah..and if I make a movie in FC do I need studio dvd or can I burn the movie in IDVD?

 

[bloogersnigen]

I went from iMovie to FCE (and then to FCP) a year and a half ago. I learned how to get around FCE in about a day and played around with it for a week. THey had a free FCE session at my local Apple Store which helped me learn the advance stuff but I figured out most of it by myself very quickly

1. The best thing about FC is multiple video tracks. It's sweet and very intuitive. drag'n'drop.
2. Livetype (sick title app bundled with all versions of FC)
3. Keyframing
4. Color correction (I mostly just use lighten and darken)
5. Multiple video tracks again. Its soooo much better then iMovie


FC does not work to iDVD like iMovie does (there's no export to iDVD button) but you can always export to a quicktime file and then import into iDVD. very easy. THis is how I made DVD's until I got Studio Pro.

Defiently learn FC

Ben

 

[slik]

Thanks so much. If I might ask, what do you mean by "multiple video tracks"?

Do you mean like having 2 pix playing next to each other? Like a split screen or something?

 

[jemeinc]

I'm in the same boat as you.. I've got FCE but don't use it much.. iMovie does what I want, and I really have a difficult time finding my way around FCE.. I've got books, and DVD's on how to use it, but iMovie is what I always seem to fall back on when I've really got to get something done..

It's a shame that I can't figure it out well enough to feel comfortable with it because I'm sure I could do so much more with it than I can with iMovie..

 

[Multimedia]

Exercise the $199 Upgrade to FCS UB Or You Will Hate Yourself In April

I have been making and selling vids (dvds) on a powermac for over 4 years now. I do pretty well as they are instructional vids in a niche business. I am about to upgrade to a MacPro.

I spent a grand on FCP years ago and then bought upgrades but here's the kicker, I installed it and never used it.

How many years ago? Do you have 4 or 4.5 HD? If so the upgrade to the full blown Final Cut Studio is only $199 until March 20. It will be a tragedy for anyone with a Final Cut Pro install DVD not to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to get the entire Final Cut Studio 5.1.2 Universal Binary for $199 while they can.

Then I bought FC express when I bougth an apple for a coworker, installed that and never used it. I want to but it seems complicated compared to iMovie which did everything I needed it to. I have placed cool graphics from digital juice and stuff in iMovie and I gotta admit the DVDs look very good.

I would love to start playing with FC express when I get the MacPro but....

Ain't gonna happen until you upgrade either one to UB. FCE to UB is $99. FCP 4/4.5 to FCS 5.1.2 UB is $199. Way smarter to upgrade your old Final Cut Pro 4/4.5 to the Studio UB.

1. How hard is the learning curve compared to Imovie which was pretty easy for me to learn.

Not hard at all. There are many different ways to get yourself up to speed. Books, Online tutorials, your local Jr. College, your local Final Cut Pro user group, MacVideo Magazine etc etc.

2. Please give me the top 5 reasons for using FCP or express instead of iMovie. Advantages I mean.

Why Final Cut STUDIO not Pro only and not express. You need to upgrade your FCP to Studio and you need to do that TODAY. You're buying a Mac Pro means what you have will not work when you buy it unless you upgrade to STUDIO for $199 NOW.

5 reasons you need STUDIO UB and not PPC Pro or Express only:
1. Soundtrack Pro
2. Livetype
3. DVD Studio Pro
4. Motion
5. Compressor

3. How did most of you learn how to use FC?

It comes with an instruction manual and two instructional DVDs. Take classes in it at local Jr. College. Third Party Books. Online resources like lynda.com, Ken Stone's Final Cut Pro, MacVideo.

4. I am assuming Mac stores give classes?

I don't know about Mac stores, but Apple stores do.

 

[seniorstinky]

I use FCE and I had some big reasons why I moved from iMovie to FCE. They all came down to more control of my videos.

That being said, if you presented this to me at my work (where I have some authority over what software is authorized), I'd ask you why do you need this software?

You don't know why you want to use FCE/FCP and are happy with iMovie. They do a lot more than iMovie but I wouldn't necessarily invest the time in learning them without a good reason.

 

[Super8Guy]

I Like iMovie

Hello

I like iMoive.
I just got a iMovie CD ROM to learn more.

I also have Final Cut Express.

The recommendation on this post about
upgrading from the Final Cut Pro you have
to Final Cut Pro Studio until March 20 for $199
makes a lot of sense.

Apple Pro Care
I have Apple Pro Care for $100 a year.
I go into my local Apple Store for
one hour tips from "creative guys" there.
They know Final Cut and can get you started.

With out those trips to the Apple store
even with a Final Cut CD ROM I would not
get it.

So, I recommend Apple ProCare
if there is an Apple store in your town.

JL

 

[bimmzy]

I would love to start playing with FC express when I get the MacPro but....

i know its kinda obvious but have you got the UNIVERSAL version on FCP. if you have the power PC version, it wont run on Intel chips!

 

[Father Jack]

i know its kinda obvious but have you got the UNIVERSAL version on FCP. if you have the power PC version, it wont run on Intel chips!

I thought that FC express will run on Intel Mac's if an AGP graphics card is fitted. Is this wrong?


FJ

 

[slik]

Is apple pro care different from the apple care that you buy when buying the mac? Yeah my FCP full edition I paid a grand for a few years back, did one or 2 upgrades and still never used it! It was on my g4 tower so it porbably wouldn't work with the intel I guess huh? That's not my main concern though as I pretty much have gotten over the fact that I have never used it. Just wanted to know about FC express.

 

[Father Jack]

I Bought A Decent Book And Read It, It Works Every Time.

Fj