How to Learn Final Cut Pro X

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Created on Tuesday, 19 July 2011 02:49

It's been a crazy two weeks since the release of Final Cut Pro X, with people continuing to divide over its value as a professional editing program, many excited about Final Cut Pro X's new paradigm and those who mourn the loss of Final Cut Pro 7 and its approach to editing.

When I first began to immerse myself, I facilitated between both camps, making a long list of pros and cons, with the cons side growing rather long. But the more I have come to know FCP X, and understand its unique ways, the more the cons have dropped away or moved to the pros column. Most of what I had listed on the con side were features I thought were lost, broken or implemented poorly. But I simply hadn't yet learned how to do it the FCP X way.

Don't get me wrong, I still have my list of pet peeves, but for the serious hobbyist or the professional working with digital files from start to finish, Apple is right: Final Cut Pro X is the future and the future is now. Those who say FCP X is just a step up from iMovie are wrong. Final Cut Pro X is very deep software, with an extensive and fully developed feature set. It's not easy to learn its secrets, especially when you're coming from a whole different paradigm, but once you do do, then despite the weakness and blind spots of a 1.0 version you'll never want to go back.

In my next post, the first on what I have learned, I will cover great news about media management in Final Cut Pro X.