Final Cut Pro, The New Standard For Editing (and affordable too!)
Written: Feb 04 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ease of Use, Large Selection of Features, Reliable, Versatility,
Cons: Requires Fast System and Large Hard Drive Space (for full quality DV)
The Bottom Line: A solid and reliable performer, FCP 3 is packed full of features for even the most professional user. Another fine Apple product, you can't go wrong.
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| revertmedia's Full Review: Apple Final Cut Pro v3.0 FCP3 |
Apple has added so many new features to Final Cut Pro in version 3 that is is seemingly an entirely new product. Final Cut Pro is gaining wide acceptance in various circles as a reliable and efficient editing tool.
What makes FCP 3 stand out from it's competition? The level of user friendliness, common with all Apple products, and it massive quantity of features.
New and existing features are consistent and reliable performers.
-Render Manager: The Render Manager makes it easy to get rid of unused or old render files in your project. This frees up your hard drive space giving you more room for your project.
-Color Correction: FCP 3 has a built in color correction tool that is remarkably easy to use. It has a no nonsense interface that makes it use obvious and simple.
-The ability to capture and edit and a lower quality: Why edit and capture at JPEG quality? If you have hours of footage and you don't have hundreds of gigabytes of hard drive space this is a very good option. You capture and edit your video at JPEG quality the same as you would normal DV quality capture footage. When you are complete the program automatically captures ONLY the footage you are actually using from your original tapes at full resolution. Thus eliminating the need to sit and capture the entire tape and use large quantities of hard drive space.
-Interface and Desktop: The FCP 3 interface and desktop are easy to understand and use. Each window seemingly hides more extensive options underneath, all of which are easily accessible. The desktop is an easy transition for anyone used to Adobe Premiere, or even Flash MX. Obviously the desktop is entirely customizable and allows you to save you settings for later use.
-Versatility: FCP 3 allows the import of most major commonly use file formats, including but not limited to: Photoshop, Illustrator, JPEG, WAV, AIF, Flash, .MOV, .AVI, and much more. In addition, FCP 3 makes it remarkably easy to export in about a billion different formats from: Quicktime movies, JPEGs, GIFs, Image Sequences, Audio Only, Pro Tools Audio (OMF), and so much more. More exciting though is the ease at which FCP 3 files can be used with DVD Studio Pro and iDVD to make full resolution, high quality DVDs.
-Let's Read Shall We? FCP 3 is a large program with extensive possibilities so don't think that the folks at Apple are going to leave you hanging when it comes to learning this impressive piece of software. FCP 3 comes with no less than FIVE large books to help you get going.
-Keyframing Made Easy: Keyframing within FCP 3 is so easy that it almost seems to easy. You can keyframe ANYTHING within FCP from within the program itself. This includes text, video, sound, and more. You can use the keyframes to control just about anything including: motion, opacity, size, rotation, effects and more.
-Layers and Compositing: The possibilities are endless for FCP when it comes to layering and compositing you projects. You have 99 layers of video and audio at your disposal all of these can be delicately layered one on top of the other. These layers are all fully functional and can each have individual effects, keyframing, and more.
-Effects and Transitions: FCP 3 comes standard with a wide variety of audio and video effects and transitions. There are more than you will probably ever need, but you can have fun experimenting with all of them. There is no limit to how many effects you can pile on (remember though the more you pile on the longer it will take to render).
-Select Filters and Effects do not even require rendering to preview. Some transitions and effects included with FCP 3 can be applied and previewed instantly. The use of this feature and it's extent is largely determined by your computers setup and ability.
All in all, FCP 3, is a powerhouse for editing everything from film (with Cinema Tools, not included), to HD to standard DV, and everything in between. The better your system the better features you will have available to you when using the program. Also, FCP 3 is an Apple ONLY product and WILL NOT work with Windows machines at all.
If you are a serious editor or considering purchasing an editing program for educational, personal, or professional work FCP 3 is a worthy choice. Don't forget students at qualified institutions can get a steep discount on FCP 3 ($299!), but you must order over the phone or through the Apple website.
Recommended:
Yes
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