Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Kevin Monahan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer depth of Apple's mammoth video editing software Final Cut Pro? In Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro, video effects expert and instructor Kevin Monahan helps narrow your focus by tackling the software purely from the perspective of its motion graphics and special effects capabilities. His style is passionate yet approachable, and he provides plenty of hands-on tutorials to get you started actually using the software. Along the way, you'll learn the most essential and efficient concepts and techniques--many undocumented elsewhere. A DVD with trial plug-ins, sample project files, and QuickTime movies accompanies this richly illustrated, four-color book--required reading for anyone interested in creating spectacular effects and motion graphics with Final Cut Pro.

About the Author

Kevin Monahan has been working in the professional video arena for more than a decade and has a long list of notable clients, among them Pixar and Electronic Arts. An Apple Certified trainer for Final Cut Pro, Kevin was the founder and co-chairman of the first-ever Final Cut Pro user's group. Kevin has been teaching Final Cut Pro at the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) in San Francisco since 2000.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; Pap/Dvdr edition (February 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321179153
• ISBN-13: 978-0321179159
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #752,766 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have!!, July 10, 2004

By	Gabriel Strong (Juneau, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I very highly recommend this book. I never knew you could do so many cool things in FCP and I've been using it since version 2 for my own small video production company (www.gforcevideo.com) There are so many things you can do....things like having a shot be black and white and just one part of the shot (say a red shirt) be in color....ways to pull a key without using a blue or green screen (by using say a white pull down movie screen type background and then using Luma key) and many other AWESOME graphic and effects possibilities lie in the pages of this book. Not only that but all the color illustrations can give you a lot of ideas for making your own graphics. Plus you get some new filters!! This book is definitely worth the price and every serious FCP editor should have a copy in his or her edit bay!!!!
Great job Kevin!! :-)

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MG&FX in FCP, March 7, 2004

By	"mhender101" (Minneapolis area, MN United States) - See all my reviews

One of the most readable books explaining FCP techniques that I have read. Really well put together, especially from a beginning to intermediate user standpoint. Comes with a DVD of extra material for use with the tutorials in the book. Excellent examples, wonderful graphics, great exercises, and some bonus plugins to use in your own FCP setup! I would love to see Apple use Kevin to prepare material when they do the upgrade to FCP 5 in the future. I am very pleased.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Money -- BUY IT!, January 21, 2005

By	S. L. Nelson "Editing Instructor" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a tremendous timesaver. In a few hours, you can learn how to do some really stunning effects, all from within an editing application. FCP is not just for cutting anymore! If you're strapped for time and or cash, and you need to wow a client, its a lot more efficient and frugal to work all within FCP, rather than creating motion graphics in other applications with steaper learning curves and price tags. Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro by Kevin Monahan is a one-of-a-kind book that fills a gap in the pantheon of editing how-to-books, and it does it extremely well. Great job, Kevin.