Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only [Paperback]

Lonzell Watson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2008

Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only is a must-have reference for anyone wanting to master Final Cut Pro. Writer and director Lonzell Watson is a syndicated Content Writer on the Final Cut Studio line of software and is a trainer for GeniusDV in Orlando, Florida. As part of his work educating professionals around the world about Final Cut Pro, Lonzell has developed invaluable training materials that are a culmination of the experiences of thousands of working professionals in the field. Throughout this reference, he shares this knowledge with you, along with related tips and tricks. Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only offers you a wealth of real world solutions for working with Final Cut Pro, along with other essential applications such as Apple Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, Compressor 3, LiveType 2, and Photoshop CS3 Extended. Learn to edit faster by working more efficiently as you perform some of the most popular effects used in the commercial production industry today, such as the Pleasantville Effect, Ken Burns Technique, the Filmstrip Effect and much more. The book also features a companion Web site where you can submit your questions directly to the author, view completed examples of the hands-on exercises in the book and watch Final Cut Pro video tutorials.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Forget about memorizing steps. Just focus on being creative.

For the first time in history, the tools to produce high quality, creative video are within reach of every aspiring videographer. If you need to hit the ground running and begin editing quality video right away, this is your book. You won't get every possible way to perform a task — just the methods already proven successful in the real world.

• Learn to configure the Mac operating system and camera settings to make the editing experience more efficient

• Use Soundtrack Pro 2 to add music, sound effects, and clean up audio for maximum effect

• Incorporate techniques from Apple Motion, Photoshop, and LiveType to enhance your video

• Experiment with such industry techniques as the Pleasantville Effect, the Ken Burns Pan and Scan Technique, and the Filmstrip Effect

• Fine-tune the audio and bring all parts of your video together in the finished product

Use the Pleasantville Effect to add extra impact

Apply eye-catching effects to text in LiveType

Bonus DVD includes Final Cut Pro project files to help you complete the tutorials in the book.
See the DVD Appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Visit GeniusDV.com for in-depth video tutorials to further your knowledge of Final Cut Pro.

About the Author

Lonzell Watson is one of the elite few who have obtained Certified Professional status as a Final Cut Pro and Avid Xpress user. Lonzell began his career as a videographer and digital video specialist for the web. He then used this experience to become a writer, director, and producer. His work includes national commercials and television programs for PBS, Fox Sports, the Outdoor Channel, and C-SPAN, and video editing for pop superstar Mariah Carey. Lonzell’s talents have also served him well while doing tech work for the traveling Broadway shows The Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, and On Broadway.
In addition to producing his own independent films, Lonzell serves as a trainer and content writer for GeniusDV. His content contains hundreds of published tutorials, and tips that relate to Apple’s Final Cut Studio product line. His daily syndicated content is read by thousands of unique visitors each month.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470224509
• ISBN-13: 978-0470224502
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #943,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Computers & Technology > Apple > Final Cut

More About the Author

Lonzell Watson has been fascinated with technology ever since he disassembled his first Commodore 64 computer in grade school and then attempted to put it back together. He went on to work a 100-mile paper route for an entire year, just to buy his first Apple computer, and he has been writing about technology ever since. After paying his way through college by creating his first mobile computer service and repair company named CompuClean, Lonzell went on to work as an IT consultant for clients including the J. Peterman Company, Time Warner Communications, and Verizon Wireless.

Lonzell is the award-winning author of Teach Yourself Visually iPad, for which he won the 2010 International Award of Excellence from the Society for Technical Communication. This work also earned Lonzell the Distinguished Technical Communication award and Best of Show 2010 from the STC. Lonzell was also presented the Award of Excellence for Teach Yourself Visually iPhoto '09 in 2009. He is the author of other popular titles, including Teach Yourself Visually iPad 2, My Samsung Galaxy Tab, My HTC EVO 3D, the Canon VIXIA HD Digital Field Guide, Final Cut Pro 6 for Digital Video Editor's Only, and Teach Yourself Visually Digital Video.

Currently, Lonzell is the owner of Creative Intelligence LLC, an instructional design and technical writing company (creativeintel.com), whose courseware is being used to train the CIA, FBI, NASA, and all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. He holds a master's degree in Instructional Design and Development, and teaches Digital Asset Creation to graduate students at Bellevue University. Lonzell is a frequent contributor to StudioMonthly.com, and an author for Lynda.com. Lonzell's writing has been syndicated, with hundreds of published tutorials and tips that help demystify consumer electronics and software.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mezzo Mezzo, October 19, 2008

By 

Bodhi Speaks "Bodhi Speaks" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only (Paperback)

I don't normally take the time to write reviews -- 'cause i'm freakin' busy!!! -- but in this case, i'm forced to make an exception. i LOVE these kinds of books. i find them incredibly helpful, and i was extremely hopeful when i bought this one.

But i'm not happy.

I'm alternately enamored and fed up with this book. i almost think i'm being generous by giving it 3 stars, but i don't want to be cruel, and it has taught me some valuable things.

first of all, this is not for novices. you don't have to be a pro -- i'm not, yet -- but if you don't have at least SOME familiarity with the FCP suite, you'll be lost from page 1. so if this is you, and you're looking to get started with FCP, stop reading this review, purchase the APPLE PRO TRAINING SERIES (APTS) books, and thank me later. those are the best, most thorough ones. they understand that learning requires degrees of repetition and reinforcement. they are well-paced and you will really understand your software when you're done with them.

having said that, let me move on to the pros and cons

PROS:

1. TEACHES VALUABLE INSIDER TRICKS. This book does a great job of teaching you little insider tricks you might not find anywhere else (like quicktime settings you want to know about, even Mac OS settings you'd otherwise overlook) and this is the reason i bought the book. i was SO IMPRESSED with the ones i saw in the teaser that i figured the rest of the book would turn my world inside out. which it did not.

2. INSPIRES CREATIVITY: this book makes you want to leave the book and just start exploring the program and make your own magic. however, you quickly realize that you haven't really learned how to do very much yet so you can't and your frustrated and hopefully you go back to the book -- or another book -- like the APTS mentioned above.

3. FUN FOOTAGE: These guys picked some really fun footage to work with. skateboarders, bike stunts, desert scenes, music videos, pink flowers... it's truly great footage and makes you feel young just playing with it.

4. GOOD INTEGRATION WITH OTHER SOFTWARE: This book isn't just about FCP, but shows you how to use it with other software, all of which you WILL need, only some of which you probably own. the trouble is, you need to read an entire book to know how to use the other software.

CONS:

1. BADLY WRITTEN AND POORLY EDITED:

a. This book confuses the hell out of me. it introduces concepts and doesn't clearly state that it's going to tell you how to do it. sometimes it tells you, sometimes it doesn't. and you never know!

b. the pictures are too far away from the relevant text.

c. there are also literally project files missing on the DVD and bizarre misprints -- tells you to do something with one item when it really means the opposite item.

d. honestly, i just don't think they took the time to reread and work with this book. they put it out there before they tested it and it's annoying as hell. it's especially annoying, because it's ALMOST a really good book!

e. The authors clearly understand their subject matter, but they don't know how to convey it to people who don't. and that's me. and probably you. and most likely anyone else reading this review let alone buying the book.

2: MISLEADING TITLE: this book isn't really about mastering FCP, it's about integrating it with other software. it's not that i don't consider this valuable, it's just that it isn't the reason i bought the book so i'm frustrated because i'm learning things i'm not ready to know and far from being able to implement.

FINAL ADVICE:

DON'T BUY THIS BOOK... YET
Take the APTS, get a grip on the software, and then (and only then) decide if you want/need this book. you'll have fun with it, but it won't take you where you need to go unless you're already almost there.

TO THE WRITER:

you have a decent product, but it was published prematurely.
your short videos are better. the way in which you express yourself lends itself better to that medium than it does the written word. Rename this book, and review it for errors, and then re-release it... or better yet, release a DVD version because writing is not your forte. no offense. there are just others doing the same thing better.

jason

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!, June 3, 2008

By 

Angel J. Ortiz "Web Producer" (Riverside, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only (Paperback)

I tore thru this book in about 4 days from start to finish and it was OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lynda.com training is good, but if more booka and tutorials could follow this books example many of us would be pros in a shorter amount of time.

Lonzell Watson (Writer of the book)...YOU ARE A WONDERFUL PERSON TO SHARE SO MUCH PASSION AND INSIGHT!!
THANK YOU!!!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expert instruction at a beginners price, January 4, 2008

By 

Andrew Brigmond (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only (Paperback)

One of the first things that grabbed me as I read through this book is the fact that you would have to buy 5 or 6 books to assemble all of the knowledge in it. This book is chock-full of lessons that, if you master them, can actually land you a job in the video editing industry.

I found the exercises on how to perform effects such as the Pleasantville Effect, Ken Burns, and Filmstrip Effect refreshing and useful as the whole book shows you how to use Final Cut Pro in a functional manner rather than detailing its many tools.

I particularly liked the practical approach of this book, and the way the author covers interactivity with other applications, such as how to use Adobe Photoshop with Final Cut Pro, creating titles and effects with Apple Motion 3 and LiveType, using Soundtrack Pro 2 for removing unwanted noise from an interview, and Transcoding Interlaced Video to Progressive Scan with Compressor. I also found the sections on creating HD DVD files and encoding video for the web useful in my everyday operation.

Overall, the readability of this book is high and all levels of Final Cut Pro users will benefit. I will specifically look for this author again.