Editing with Final Cut Pro 4: An Intermediate Guide to Setup and Editing Workflow [Paperback]

Charles Roberts (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240805186 | ISBN-13: 978-0240805184 | Publication Date: April 2, 2004 | Edition: 1

Whether you've mastered the basics of Final Cut Pro and want to take your skills to the next level, or if you're a video editor new to Final Cut Pro and looking to put your own system together, this book is for you. Written by "chawla," a Final Cut Pro guru and veteran moderator on 2-Pop/Creative Cow, this book covers the interface basics and workflow but goes beyond to address intermediate techniques and timesaving tips for professional results. Roberts does not assume you have an IT staff on hand and therefore goes into crucial issues of set up, configuration, consumer advice on hardware purchasing, and troubleshooting. Equally valuable is coverage of working with formats such as standard definition, uncompressed, and FireWire DV.

* An intermediate-level book designed to meet the needs of editors coming from other editing systems
as well as newer Final Cut Pro editors ready to take the next step in editing technique and in hardware upgrade
* Explores Final Cut Pro's functionality from every angle, from drag-and-drop mouse use to speedy, old-school keyboard-only, showing multiple methods to accomplish each task, and when to use each
* Covers requirements and jargon-free specifications for working with popular formats such as FireWire DV and the increasingly affordable standard definition uncompressed; written for those looking to upgrade

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

The only intermediate Final Cut Pro book on the market

About the Author

Charles Roberts is Assistant Professor of Video and Digital Media at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, and a regular contributor to Creative Cow (www.creativecow.net) and 2-Pop (Creative Planet's Digital Filmmaker's Resource Site). He is also active in the network of Final Cut Pro User Groups.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 467 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (April 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240805186
• ISBN-13: 978-0240805184
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,821,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Editing with Final Cut Pro 4, February 20, 2005

By 

bookworm (Pacific NW) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Editing with Final Cut Pro 4: An Intermediate Guide to Setup and Editing Workflow (Paperback)

Editing With Final Cut Pro 4
By Charles Roberts- reviewed by "Book Worm"

This is one of the best books available for learning about FCP. It is clearly written, and addresses all the issues the beginning non-linear editor faces. The illustrations (mostly screen shots) are well selected and well placed. The material is well organized and treated with sufficient depth so that the reader gains a useful understanding of how and why certain techniques work. The book covers set up, work flow and editing technique in a very clear and complete fashion. It's a great text book, and I find it is also a handy reference too (great index).

Another plus is that the book is not limited to mere technical operations, the author is willing to discuss some of the reasons that underlie an editor's choice of when and where to cut. Roberts' attention to workflow and organization is also quite helpful, as is his willingness to show more than one way to accomplish a given operation or task.

I also liked the fact that the book was not organized around a downloadable batch of clips which you manipulate according to the books instructions. This technique certainly makes the teacher's job easier since all the instructions are quite specific, but I find open-ended instruction more palatable and ultimately more useful, especially if you are already working on an editing project of your own.

The chapters about the nature of digital video and a look at storage issues are full of really useful information. One of the best things about this book is that it will grow with you; you may skip some of the more technical discussions at first, but find them useful as your skill level improves.

Also, this book has a real index, not some computer-generated simulacrum that spots all the trivial instances where a word occurs, but seems to miss the meaty parts where the actual information is.

Although this book is listed as an "intermediate" level volume, as a fairly rank beginner I found it to be accessible and very useful. If you want to get a grip on FCP this book will help you do it.