Product Description

The scalability, performance and Emmy Award-winning workflow of Final Cut Pro 5 make it the first choice of professional editors everywhere. For those clamoring to get in on the action, this best-selling volume uses a series of class-length lessons designed to provide a strong foundation in all aspects of the digital video editing powerhouse. Readers follow the step-by-step instructions to complete the book's hands-on exercises, using the project files on the accompanying DVD. Master teacher Diana Weynand covers everything from basic editing skills to complex topics such as creating transitions and motion effects, real-time color correcting, titling techniques, and more. Previously published as Final Cut Pro HD, this revision has been updated to cover all of Final Cut Pro 5's new features, including higher quality effects, RT Extreme with Dynamic RT, editing multi-camera projects, closer integration with Apple's other creative tools and more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #333581 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 656 pages

Customer Reviews

Gets you learning quickly... effective... fun.
I just finished this book. At roughly 600 pages I got through it in about three weeks. Featuring 16 lessons, this book lets you know how long each lesson will take (i.e. "Approximately 60 minutes"). Lesson length varies from 60-90 minutes, which makes "one lesson a day" very reasonable/possible.

Before I had this book I knew how to use the basic functions of FCP, but I didn't know anything about using FCP's "real" features (Canvas Edit Overlay interface, backtiming, filters, Trim Edits). This book got me through all that rather quickly. I knew more or less what to edit prior to reading this book, but now I know *how* I can achieve certain edits quickly and efficiently now.

Another plus is that Diana takes you step by step, throwing in shortcut hotkeys so that the reader remembers them as they go. Helpful shortcut keys are reinforced throughout each lesson, with a short review at the end (makes for a handy reference later).

The only problem I had with the book was the lesson on Multicam Editing: I followed the steps, but either there's a discrepancy with my FCP 5 software/interface setup *or* the lesson itself had errors. I was able to side step the problem (later in that lesson there was another method of multicam editing that helped me recover from my standstill) and continue through the book.

Glad I waited for this book to come out so I could step throug FCP 5. Had fun with it! Highly recommended if you want to get up and running with this software quickly. My goal is to take Level 1 Certification now that I have completed this book.

The Official Apple Book
If you are ready to get serious about editing video, this self-paced Apple-authorized guide to Final Cut Pro is the bast place to start. It starts with basic video editing techniques and takes you all the way through Final Cut Pro's powerful advanced features, delivering comprehensive training (about a five day 40 hour concentrated class) in one project-based book. Each chapter presents a complete lesson in some aspect of video editing and finishing with hands on projects for you to complete as you go. All the files used are on the DVD-ROM included with the book.

This is the official Apple training manual as used in their classes on Final Cut. As such it is a complete course, normally taught over about 40 hours. This book is not just about the new features. It starts with an introduction to the editing screen and goes through all of the capabilities of Final Cut and of LiveType.

On the CD there are three sets of footage: Smithsonian's 'A Thousand Roads," a behind the scenes Motocross film, and a music video. These are used as part of the training.

Teach Yourself, YES! You Can Do It!
I took a Jr. College Class on Final Cut Pro 5 and this was the textbook. The teacher would lecture for an hour and the rest of the time, we worked through the lessons in the book. At the end of the class, we were all able to produce our own short videos. This book is very step-by-step and to be honest, I think that I got more out of going through the lessons than listening to the teacher. I suggest Rick Young's "The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro 5 for new users and professionals" as a companion book. They both say the same thing, but in different ways. The lessons took me a little longer than the time indicated in each lesson frontpiece, but I sure learned a whole lot about making movies and FCP!