As technology becomes more and more accessible and easier to use, we are expected to do more in less time than ever before. Video editors are now expected to be able to not only edit, but create motion graphics, fix sound issues, enhance image quality and color, and more. And many workers in the PR and marketing world are finding the need to know how to get viral videos made from start to finish, as quickly as possible. Final Cut Pro X was built as a one-stop shop, with all the tools needed to produce a professional video from beginning to end.
Released in June 2011, FCPX's life got off to a bumpy start as many professionals were taken by surprise by Apple's dramatic shift in the user interface and feature set from Final Cut Pro 7. Some of these claims were merely a knee-jerk reaction and some were genuinely valid. At first glance, the interface resembled Final Cut's baby sibling, iMovie, leading to assumptions that Final Cut had been dumbed down. While the interface does indeed resemble iMovie, we must keep in mind that iMovie's current interface was designed in 2007 whereas Final Cut's interface was designed in the late 90s. So the reality of it is, on the surface, iMovie did have a superior, more modern interface to Final Cut's dated one.
As for the feature set, what pro features FCPX lacked when it was first released were quickly added via free software updates over the course of the next year. What started off as a bumpy ride has since smoothed out to a solid path and choice for both amateur and professional video editors. And with massive and extensive plug-in support found on Internet, FCPX's feature set continues to grow on nearly a daily basis. This isn't Final Cut Pro 8. This is a whole new generation of editing.
Chapter 1, Importing Your Media, focuses on making FCPX work for you the way you want it to, with advanced organizational tips as well as how to customize the interface.
Chapter 2, Customizing Your Workfl ow, focuses on getting your media ready for use in FCPX and provides tips on staying organized along the way.
Chapter 3, Basic Editing Mechanics, takes you through some of the fundamental editing tools, to get your video from a vision in your brain to a rough cut form as quickly as possible.
Chapter 4, Enhancing Your Editing, raises the bar a bit by introducing more advanced tools and techniques to accomplish more specialized tasks, such as editing music, creating a multicam edit, and more.
Chapter 5, Sweetening and Fixing Your Sound, teaches you how to read your audio meters and balance your audio, as well as recording voiceovers while working with surround sound, and more.
Chapter 6, Practical Magic: Also Known As Useful Effects, demonstrates some of the most useful and practical effects found in the Effects Browser, and how to install more and accomplish a green screen project.
Chapter 7, Titles, Transitions, and Generators, explores its namesake by revealing some of the deeper, hidden features to seemingly simple extras, which you can add to your project.
Chapter 8, Get Your Movie to Move, will teach users how to play with timing in FCPX, as well as how to animate your media on the screen with keyframes.
Chapter 9, Altering the Aesthetics of Your Image, introduces core color correction and grading concepts with FCPX's all-new Color Board, as well as how to isolate color changes using shape and color masks.
Chapter 10, Getting Your Project Out of FCPX, offers a plethora of options on what to do with your project once you've wrapped up the editing process, including burning optical media, uploading to social media sites, and archival tips and tricks.
Appendix, Working with Motion and Compressor, introduces you to Motion and Compressor interfaces, and also shows you how to publish templates to FCPX and get chapter markers to work for you.
Honestly, you don't need much to get started with this cookbook. Hopefully, you've got some video files to work with; otherwise, why would you have purchased a video editing program in the first place? If you haven't imported any of your video from your camera yet, don't worry; the book covers that as well! It also wouldn't hurt to have a few photos and songs lying around your computer.
If you want to learn the basics of FCPX's companion programs, Motion and Compressor (which was covered in this book's Appendix), you can purchase both from the Mac App Store for $49.99 each.
This book is for video editing enthusiasts looking to take their skills to the next level, and for Final Cut Pro 7 users who are ready to make the switch to a whole new editing paradigm. While the book is by no means highly advanced, it makes certain assumptions of your having a basic grasp on core video editing concepts and a familiarity with the Mac OS X environment.
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