Customer Reviews

Final Cut Pro 3 For Dummies

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was skeptical about a Dummies book tackling film editing in Final Cut, because it seemed like a very big, complex program to me, but since I've had luck with Dummies books before, I chose this one over some other more weighty looking tomes. And I'm glad I did-it's got a breezy style which may or may not suit your tastes (it's an acquired one for me), but the first chapter gives a really nice bird's eye overview of how the whole editing process works, and it gave me some quick confidence. I jumped right to the editing chapters (starting with chp 6) and already am feeling somewhat productive with the program. It definitely beats the manual, which is very thorough, but makes you feel like you're reading a medical text.

This book has been a perfect aid to help me learn Final Cut Pro in preparation for completing several video projects I am working on. Unlike the limited tutorial included with program this book gives a solid introduction to all the major areas of Final Cut. Going through the chapters gave me enough foundation both to get actual work done and to explore the deeper features of FCP on my own. The only criticism I have is that the section on Color Correction is slight considering it is one of the features the program is known for. Overall, I would say Final Cut Pro for Dummies is great book to get an editor up and working with Final Cut Pro.

Having limited Final Cut experience, I found this book to be extremely helpful. Unlike many softward manuals, this book explains complex instructions in accessible language. I greatly appreciated the practical and straight-forward approach.

Some areas of the book are pretty strong, but overall I found this book to be poorly organized and written in a confusing fashion. Some sections barely skim the surface of topics, while others seem to go into great technical detail about stuff you'll likely never use. In several instances, I actually felt like I was learning in SPITE of the book -- and that's not the feeling you want out of a how-to book. Not terrible, but I'd consider a different book if you're looking to learn Final Cut.

Was very easy to follow--excellent writing. Lots of useful real world examples. Got me up to speed quickly for my editing project.