Final Cut Express [OLDER VERSION]

by Apple

Product Features

• This powerful, flexible Digital Video (DV) features a complete toolset for editing, compositing and real-time effects
• Create your own digital film sequences by inserting, overwriting, or replacing clips -- drag them directly into the canvas or timeline
• Precision tools and techniques allow you to work wonders -- use tools like slip, slide, ripple, roll, split and extend
• Draw from a library of hundreds of different special effects - transitions, filters and effects, all rendered in real-time
• Integrated titling creates flowing text effects across the screen, with filters, effects and compositing

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000087Z1G
• Item model number: m8987z/a
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 10, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,927 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #54 in Software > Video & Music > Digital Video > Compositing & Effects
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

For all the budding Spielbergs and Lynches out there, Apple’s Final Cut Express is a great first foray into the world of movie magic. Even if you’re only looking to polish up your vacation videos, Final Cut Express offers easy-to-use controls and an open workspace that welcomes all abilities.

In a nutshell, Final Cut Express is a pared-down version of the popular Final Cut. The technology behind both packages is the same, so you can count on high quality output. But you, as the average user, won’t be burdened by the more technically robust features. In fact, while we were editing, we couldn’t think of a feature that we wished was included in Final Cut Express--this package allowed for plenty of different ways to modify your video, including audio effects, filters (like sepia, black and white, opacity, brightness, color control), and transitions (such as fade, wipe, and so on).

We started by viewing Apple’s online help videos to learn the lingo of compositing, transitions, and ripples and rolls. These serve as an invaluable introduction to the package, especially since the package does not include a Help menu.

Setting up Final Cut Express is a breeze, with or without a camera in place. And getting going is easy too. If you’re familiar with other software packages that use layers, you’ll easily transition into the layers (both audio and video) that Final Cut Express uses. If not, it’s easy to learn. You can layer up to 99 clips of video together in the timeline to get just the right effect. Our favorite feature of Final Cut Express is the ability to import not only still images and a range of video, but also Photoshop documents. When importing files from Photoshop, Final Cut Express retains all of the layers, meaning you can animate your presentation’s titles and graphical elements easily. The package’s animation capabilities let you really get some creative results out of your project: you can create an audio-accompanied slideshow, animate your title work, or even create a picture-in-picture effect, just to name a few. --Emilie Herbst

Product Description

Create video that looks like it was created in a Hollywood studio, on your desktop!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, intuitive, and easy to get started, April 23, 2003

By 

Andrew D. Fraser "the_fraser" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Final Cut Express [OLDER VERSION] (CD-ROM)

I bought a copy of Final Cut Express to edit a short film that I had shot on MiniDV. My previous experience was with Adobe's Premiere which I used without any formal training to my unfortunate frustration. These are some of my observations after finishing my first rough cut with Final Cut Express.

Final Cut Express 1.0.0 had a scary "unexpectedly quit" error that had me simultaneously sweating and squirming. There's a temporary work-around and it's fixable with a downloaded patch (1.0.1) from the Apple Support website.

Rendering clips happened quickly enough on my 700MHz G3 iBook.

I've found Final Cut Express to be very easy to use and control. The controls are simple to use and understand. The main thing is that, unlike with Premiere, I didn't become immediately frustrated with it. I'm positive that Premiere was simply "too professional" a package for me to handle. I'm sure that on the right system and with the right training it is an excellent product. For me right now, I just need a step up from iMovie.

According to the manual all the controls and instructions are applicable to the Final Cut Pro interface. Final Cut Express appears to be a good training ground for those who eventually will migrate to the Final Cut Pro. The documentation also says that Final Cut Express projects can be opened in Final Cut Pro, though Final Cut Express cannot open Final Cut Pro projects.

I still haven't scratched the surface of the capabilities of the package. The manual on the CD-ROM is a 600+ page .pdf file that covers not only the technical procedures for performing video and audio tasks, but also provides some advice and hints that you should keep in mind during shooting to make the post-production steps easier.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro into pro editing..., October 20, 2003

By 

Neftali Cano (El Paso, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Final Cut Express [OLDER VERSION] (CD-ROM)

Believe it or not I purchased FCP 3.0 a year ago as well as several books and cdRom based tutorials, but never really caught on to Apple's way of editing. The migration I made over from PC based Media Studio pro and Rex Edit proved difficult for me. That said I recently purchased a new PowerBook and took advantage of a $99 promotional buy of FCE. With nothing to lose I have found the intro to Fianl Cut Pro within Final Cut Express very encouraging.

This software along with PeachPit Press's Final Cut Express Quick Start have proven to be a great combination and easily understandable introduction to a very Pro based Tool. And, don't just look at FCE as a temporary editing solution until you spend the $1000 for FCP4, but even as a full featured set editing app all by itself.

With the exception of Studio's and individuals requiring professional level editng and capabilities intended for commercial and theatrical releases etc... FCE should prove to be money well spent at either$299, $249 and for sure $99
dollars!

NEF

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally updated -- addendum to my previous review, December 10, 2003

By 

Robert Forward "Bob Forward" (Chatsworth, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Final Cut Express [OLDER VERSION] (CD-ROM)

Okay, Apple finally updated FCE, and after downloading the patch, FCE now will do what it is supposed to do without crashing. A few of the controls still are not quite up to the "pro" standard -- which is mildly annoying, given that the promotion for the software was that it was "just like Final Cut Pro except that you are limited to DV editing." However, it is now more than adequate for even advanced amateurs and its compositing and slow-motion capability are outstanding. 99% of users will never push it as far as I do, and I recently did an 8-layer composite with greenscreen, three layers of pyro effects, filters and motion on every layer and slow-motion applied. Came out great and didn't crash once. I only wish they had updated it earlier.