Final Cut Express 4 – Editing Workshop
Reviewed by Robert Pritchett
Introduction
Go beyond the mechanics of Final Cut Express 4--learn
how to edit with it! More than a button-pushing manual--this workshop give you
firsthand experience with the art and technique of editing. You develop a
working knowledge with nineteen tutorials that cover each and every essential,
including:
* setting up your system and understanding the
interface
* ingesting and organizing your material including
drive-based and disc-based camera data
* slicing, dicing, and organizing clips
* editing to build and trim a sequence of shots
* adding transitions
* using sound to refine your edit
* titling with FCE and Photoshop
* animating images to create engaging scenes
* adding special effects filters
* compositing to enhance your projects
* outputting your material
The companion DVD contains project
media, demo software, and free plug-ins for your use.
What I Learned
Final Cut Express 4 costs $200. The book comes with a DVD and lots of hands-on training
scenarios to figure out how to use Final Cut Express 4. Very brave, very smart. Very
professional. The book, not the app. It is designed for the semi-professional.
But how much of this is scalable to Final Cut Pro or Studio?
It's a good star. For most folks who are weaned on iMovie and want to do more,
this is a good interim step and perhaps is "enough" for those who
don’t necessarily need to "go pro".
Read MacWorld's review of Final Cut Express 4 - http://www.macworld.com/article/131409/2008/01/finalcutexpress4.html
The book recommends that if you are upgrading, don't upgrade
LiveType, because the new version removes a lot from the previous versions.
Soundtrack is also missing from this version.
Conclusion
If you didn't get iMovie '08 and obtained a copy of Final
Cut Express 4, this will be a good companion book.
