Customer Reviews

Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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!!!!!

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.

Having worked with Final Cut Pro for a few years now, I found this book to be a necessity in my editing suite. The author cut right to the meat of the info I needed to know. Many, many great tips that have helped me be become a better editor. I highly recommend this book.

This book is something you should have and keep with you whenever you are at the editing station. Being able to fall back on pages for review or even getting started on video editing. I find this book to be my new companion whether I'm editing at a desktop or on my MacBook Pro. You certainly will not be disappointed with these pages filled with information and exciting ways to start or improve your editing skills.
In my opinion, get the book, then go see the guys at GeniusDV and get hands on training to get you going in this fast paced world of editing.

Thumbs up all the way!!!!!!

I have only had this book for a week and I can tell you it sits right next to my keyboard not relegated to the bookshelf with its peers. I probably have 15 books on the subject and its not that their not informative but they are like a PC and this book is like a Mac, intuitive and user friendly the layout is so easy to follow. I have read it from cover to cover and now I use it daily to boost the creative juices. I love the pro tips, easy to see and very helpful. I've been in the industry 30 years and editing for 5 and I sure wish that Lonzell had written this 5 years ago, the agony I would have saved. Hurray for the large type, makes it so easy to find what you're looking for. My copy is already dog-eared and has post it notes sticking out all over. I took a class from DV and this is the best of the class in a book.

This book is extremely helpful. I obtained Final Cut Pro 6 with only limited working knowledge of the software, but through this book I have quickly excelled and I can edit quickly and with the best of them. I would recommend this book to anyone who any questions about the program. The question and answer section at the end of each chapter gives a little bit of extra insight that is also incredible useful.

The author of this book really hits the nail on the head by showing you how to do the cool stuff and backing it up with page after page of tips, tricks and troubleshooting knowledge. The Questions and Answers section at the end of each chapter are priceless. This is one of the few Final Cut Pro books that I have read that successfully mixes basic, intermediate and advanced topics and for that I have to give much credit to this author. I have been using Final Cut Pro for one year and my colleagues are seasoned Final Cut Pro professionals, and we all learned something from this book. This book gave me a solid learning experience and made me like Final Cut Pro even more.

Like one of the previous reviews, I too have several books on this subject and this is no doubt the best of the bunch. Lonzell Watson takes a different approach to his teaching by making you think about what you're editing and how you might frame the edit. There's only one trivial thing in the book that takes some getting used to and that is the (play head) being referred to as the (position indicator) I find myself constantly thinking what's he talking about position indicator?...Oh you mean the PLAY HEAD! This isn't your typical cookie cutter instructional book, well worth your attention.

I truly appreciate the approach of this book. The exercise on using
Soundtrack Pro to create the natural soundscape for a mute scene is
top notch. The idea of combining sound effects to create a completely
tailored sound has proven very useful for me. It is very easy to get
stuck in a day to day routine and never use Final Cut outside of the
boundaries of your job. This book has given me insight as to how to
shake things up. Bravo!