Final Cut Express 2.0 [OLDER VERSION]

by Apple

Product Features

• Plug in and go with your miniDV camcorder and FireWire
• Non-destructive, non-linear editing--the freedom to edit like a pro
• Transitions, filters, and effects with real-time previewing
• Advanced titling, including Boris Calligraphy
• In-canvas compositing with motion key frames

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00019TAZG
• Item model number: M9369Z/A
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 7, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,647 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #71 in Software > Video & Music > Digital Video > Video Editing
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Final Cut Express 2 is the advanced DV editing software solution for home, education, and creative business. Based on Apple's award-winning Final Cut Pro 4 architecture, Final Cut Express 2 delivers powerful new features for video editors looking for a sophisticated and approachable application that produces professional-looking results.

Final Cut Express 2 features RT Extreme for real-time compositing and effects; a redesigned user interface that allows for customizable buttons and user-defined window set-ups; superb color correction tools for interactively adjusting contrast, luminance, chrominance, and lighting; and enhanced audio editing capabilities.

Also included is a "Getting Started with Final Cut Express 2" book that walks you through the entire process of video editing, from capture to delivery.

Capture DV via FireWire
Connect your FireWire-equipped DV camcorder to your Mac and use Final Cut Express 2's Capture window to control a wide range of miniDV, DVCAM, and DVCPRO devices (visit www.apple.com/finalcutexpress for a list of qualified devices). The improved capture feature ignores time-code breaks and incrementally names clips automatically when a recording break is discovered, so you can save time by capturing in one, automated session.

Then organize, search, and sort your footage within customizable, hierarchical bins in Final Cut Express 2's browser window. Final Cut Express 2's advanced workflow design lets you edit like a pro. You can open and edit multiple projects, containing multiple sequences, at the same time. You can even nest sequences within sequences, making it easier to put together long-form projects.

Edit DV with heavy-duty Non-Linear Editing Tools
Final Cut Express 2 gives you an impressive set of Non-Linear Editing (NLE) tools. You can drag and drop clips between the browser, the timeline, the viewer, and the canvas without having to learn a specific, restrictive workflow. You can easily insert, overwrite, replace, fit to fill, or superimpose clips to your sequence using Final Cut Express' powerful three-point editing.

Use an impressive array of precision tools like razor blade, slip, slide, ripple, roll, extend, and split to perfect your edit. All of your editing decisions are reversible using Final Cut Express' multiple undo features. And because Final Cut Express is a non-destructive editor, your source footage is never affected by your editing.

Use Transitions, Effects, Titling and Compositing
Final Cut Express 2 brings together seamlessly integrated editing, compositing, and effects tools for an unparalleled DV production workflow. RT Extreme allows for more render-free, real-time effects, transitions, and video layers, and lets you preview your editing decisions immediately, without any additional hardware.

Put your thoughts into writing with lower 3rds, scrolls, crawls, and other motion titling using Final Cut Express 2's 2D and 3D titling tools, including the bundled Boris Calligraphy.

Combine up to 99 video tracks, multi-layered Photoshop files, and titles to build stunning motion graphics with Final Cut Express 2's integrated compositing.

Color Correct your project
Fire up Final Cut Express 2's real-time Color Corrector to make shots match, or to enhance the mood of a clip. Adjust the levels of your whites, mids, and blacks; change the hue and balance; or apply the broadcast safe filter to make it ready for TV.

Mix Audio
Final Cut Express 2 lets you mix up to 99 tracks of audio at the sub-frame level, previewing your volume and filter adjustments in real time. Use pans, levels, and the 3-band equalizer for just the right mix. Enhance your audio with transitions and filters like cross fades, reverb, EQ, echo, noise gate, and more. For documentary-style projects, use the VoiceOver tool to record narration into an audio track while your video plays.

Final Cut Express 2 also supports Audio Units, as well as scoring markers for Soundtrack.

Output to Tape, DVD, or QuickTime
Final Cut Express 2 projects can be exported for use in iDVD or DVD Studio Pro, saved back to tape, or exported to any QuickTime format, including MPEG-4. Final Cut Express 2 offers a smooth migration path to high-end video production because everything learned in Final Cut Express is directly transferable to Final Cut Pro, making it a very sensible investment of time and money.

Whether you're a digital video enthusiast, a corporate video developer, or an event videographer, Apple's feature-rich DV editing software is designed for you. It's optimized for the DV format and comes with all the high-quality compositing, titling, and effects capabilities that you need for professional-level video.

Product Description

Apple Final Cut Express 2 lets you edit like a pro. This is a robust solution for digital video enthusiasts. With advanced editing, compositing, and real-time effects for full-featured DV editing, Final Cut Express delivers an innovative combinations of power, ease of use, and affordability. You can capture video, edit, and export to DVD, tape, or the web, this is your powerful, and flexible DV editor. Part Number M9369Z/A.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful upgrade from iMovie, January 14, 2005

By 

MacInTX (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Cut Express 2.0 [OLDER VERSION] (CD-ROM)

At first blush, Final Cut Express 2 (FCE2) looks very intimidating. The interface is much different from iMovie. I looked around and discovered that everyone recommend the book "Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop" by Tom Wolsky ISBN:1578202566. The book helped understand the interface and the power locked into FCE2. I have easily created several projects that couldn't have been done in iMovie and I did them quicker in FCE2.

I would highly recommend this product to any prosumer looking to edit video.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Digital Video Editing Becomes My Passion, April 30, 2004

By 

paul gerstenbluth (East Greenwich, RI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Cut Express 2.0 [OLDER VERSION] (CD-ROM)

Storyboard to Final Cut Express

Final Cut Express Storyboard gives me a visual look at my movie. I control-click the Final Cut Express browser and choose large icon new. Then, I drag the clips into the order that I want them to be played. Next, I click on the projectÕs tab in the Browser and save it. Finally, I save the entire project.

Now to add my new storyboard to Final Cut Express sequences. Draw a marquee around the Storyboard clips. Next, I drag the clips from my Final Cut Express Browser to my Timeline and save the project. To protect them, I can lock them to make sure that they cannot be modified. I can lock and unlock them with the F4 key for video tracks and the F5 key for audio tracks.

Working with Final Cut Express

Creating titles and credits with Express is important. The key is the Video Generator. You can create synthesized clips that you superimpose over your existing video clips in the Final Cut Express Timeline.

For good-looking titles, you can use san serif fonts such as Arial, Futura, Gill Sans, Helvetica and Impact. I have found using bold, red or blue 30 point fonts effective for my titles.

You need to watch for the 20 percent factor. The 'Title Save Boundary' is 20 percent smaller than your television screen. To see the boundaries in Final Cut Express, go to View then to Show Title. Best to keep your titles within the safe zone.

Final Cut Express allows you to create rolling credits like the credits at the end of a movie. You can set the duration of your video clips plus set the in and out points for speed of the text and scrolls.

Pro Reaction

Final Cut Express is wonderful for making storyboards, titles, transitions and effects using software digital tools. Final Cut Express 2 supports up to 99 video and audio tracks. Express has various editing tools from Ripple editing, Razor Blade Tool, Pen Tool to Slip and Slide editing.

Express allows you to import iMovie projects. You can also import your Final Cut Express project to iDVD complete with special chapter marker. Express comes with an excellent hardcopy paper manual for learning how to use Final Cut Express 2. The manual is easy to follow without computer jargon.

Con Reaction

You have to work at learning how to use the Final Cut Express application. You have to spend the time to read and work with the Final Cut Express manual.

You cannot capture DV across time-code breaks. You cannot import your Final Cut Express project to iMovie or QuickTime with chapter markers and comments.

Final Remarks

Express is better than iMovie applications and gives you professional storyboard, title and video effects.

8 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Caveat Emptor, November 5, 2004

By 

Roberto (Portsmouth, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Cut Express 2.0 [OLDER VERSION] (CD-ROM)

Don't you hate yourself when you buy something when you know you shouldn't? I was persuaded by someone to buy Final Cut Express and an iMac computer. I had already purshased and learned to use Sony Screenblaster video software on my PC, without much trouble, but I was persuaded I had to go Apple and Final Cut if I was going to be serious about making videos. The Final Cut Express that came with my iMac last June (2004) had a bug that I did not learn about until after months of working on a project. The bug causes the sound to get more and more unsynchronized the longer you work on it. Apple knew about this bug as early as last Feb. when they released a patch. I found out about the bug on my own, the hard way. The patch will not correct work already done.

Learning to use FCE2 was extremely frustrating. Using it was not much fun. The results have been very disappointing. The iMac has not been much better. Crashes and glitches are no less than on PCs. Oh, yes, I could upgrade to Final Cut, and graduate from FCE2, for about $500. Only schoolteachers, their innocent students, and geeks could possibly think being trapped within Apple's proprietary world is cool.