Final Cut Pro 4 Editing Essentials: Master the Art and Technique with Step-by-Step Tutorials (DV Expert Series) (Paperback)

by Tom Wolsky (Author) "Video or film production is based on the notion of time, usually linear time of a fixed length..." (more)
Key Phrases: affiliate clips, capturing your material, subclip limits, Final Cut Pro, Media Manager, Outline Text (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The changes in FCP4 are numerous and sometimes quite confusing. ...Tom Wolsky cuts through all this confusion masterfully. ..." -- Michael Horton, president, Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group

"Wolsky is a master communicator. His years as an educator backed by his broadcast experience, make this book a must-read." -- Ron & Kathlyn Lindeboom, founders, creativecow.net

"Wolsky's years of practical experience in editing shine through in page after page. Essentials gets you up and running quickly." -- Philip Hodgetts,

If you want to learn editing with FCP, look no further.... [Tom Wolsky] has proven himself an excellent teacher..." -- Phil Gibson, president, Digital Media Academy

Product Description
Master the craft of editing with Final Cut Pro 4. This editing workshop gives you firsthand experience with the art and technique of editing with eight tutorial lessons that cover the essentials: capturing your material, organizing it, editing, adding transitions, basic titling and sound techniques, and outputting from the application.

Understand how the new editing paradigm in version 4 can affect your workflow. Fundamental changes have been made in the way the application controls, organizes, and interlinks your media and clips. Seasoned FCP editors need to understand this as well as novices because it can require a substantial change in workflow.

Develop a working knowledge of the principles and methods of editing taught in film schools. Tom Wolsky is a seasoned pro, both in editing and in teaching. He has designed this workshop–providing the digital media and graphic files for the tutorial projects on the companion DVD–to help you hone your editing craft, including:

· Setting up your system to ensure smooth operation
· Getting your material into FCP and getting it organized
· Editing to build and trim a sequence of shots
· Working with audio, split edits, back-timing, and level control
· Creating and using transitions
· Titling with Photoshop and FCP
· Implementing the editing form that suits your needs
· Outputting your material

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Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: CMP Books; 3 edition (January 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578202272
• ISBN-13: 978-1578202270
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,169,564 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Final Cut Pro 4: Editing Essentials, July 14, 2004

By	Bryce Inman (Franklin, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tom Wolsky's book is an excellent resource for getting started with Final Cut Pro 4. By the time you finish the book, you'll have the skills you need to handle the vast array of tools the FCP4 has to offer.

A little over a year ago, I bought Mr. Wolsky's Final Cut Express book AFTER I had already spent several frustrating weeks with the manual Apple provided. When I decided to step up to FCP, I made the smart decision and STARTED with Mr. Wolsky's book.

The best part of his books is that he speaks in plain english making it easy for non-professionals to understand. For example, early in the book he discusses all the steps and options for getting set up (which can be a daunting task). But then he'll add something like, "If you're working from a mini DV camera, just do this . . ."

WOW! Rather than spending hours trying to figure out all of the intricacies of NTSC and PAL, I can just jump to the chase and get started.

I highly recommend this book anybody that is new to FCP--whether you're completely new to video software, or simply new to FCP.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Final Cut Pro 4 Essentials, December 12, 2003

By	George Loch (Spanish Fork, UT United States) - See all my reviews

Tom has written a very thorough guide to FCP 4. I paticularly enjoyed his approach in applying the context of editing terms/techniques in the process of getting more comfortable with FCP. As a FCP user of several years, I wasn't sure what to expect from this but, pleasantly found that Tom brought many tools and techniques to my attention that I was not previously aware of. This is a thumbs up from me.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book but the DVD could be more exciting, December 17, 2004

By	Krodman "Krodman" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews

I am a new FCP user and this is the first book I purchased after looking through an assortment at Borders. It's written in a manner that is understandable and interesting for the first time user. My only recommendation would be to spice up the DVD tutorial a little. I found the supplied footage to be dull.

Compared to the other FCP books at $50 and up,FCP:Editing Essentials is a must buy for the new user!