Final Cut Pro accomplishments

But, given a choice, I'd rather have FCP rather than
Windows Movie Maker, I'll tell you that!

U Betcha'! Professionals need professional apps, but professional apps don't make professionals

You know, quite a few commercials and music videos are also cut and finished with FCP, but I'm with Michelle - the music video I won my moon man for was edited on a 3/4" cuts only edit system.

In my career I've used maybe 10 different kinds of edit systems. All of them were just a means to an end.

Patrick

By "moon man" he means MTV Music Video award. For an R.E.M. music video...EVERYBODY HURTS. Best editing.

(Modest boy)

I can see the value of knowing if an edit system is used for broadcast work. That is an important thing. Kids starting editing want to know if the tool they are learning is one that they can get work knowing. If they learn on Vegas or Premiere, only to find that the job they are up for is for a company using Final Cut Pro, then they are at a severe disadvantage. They don't know the system.

Broadcast shows are editing with a variety of systems: Avid, FCP, Smoke, Grass Valley, LIquid (now Avid), and to lesser extent Premiere and Media 100. It all depends on the video market you are getting into. If the tools do the job, they will be utilized.

So yes, you need talent. But it is also good to know what tools are being used so that you can learn those tools. For TV and features, it would also be wise to learn the Avid (sorry guys).

Shane

Hi Grims,

I live in NH. I edit on FCP for the FOX's coverage of the World Series and I am an Apple Certified instructor for FCP. I was an Avid editor for several years and worked at NHPTV for about eight years, starting as a college student at UNH.

If you need a guest speaker for your class, I'd be happy to help out.

I'm in Switzerland for the next two weeks editing for the Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships, but I return early February.

Check my profile for my email and website.

Regards,

Tom Meegan

He uses Avid so they believe FCP is inferior. They also assume that Macs are inferior. I only needed some evidence for me having chosen FCP when it first came out.

I know exactly what you mean. Noting some of FCP's credentials is sometimes necessary, to penetrate the veil.

In a (sort of, vaguely) related note, I have seen a "Windows only" mindset among some video "hobbyists." On one video online community I sometimes visit, the Windows-dominant mindset was somewhat shaken up by a few of us iMovie and Final Cut users. One person showed some considerable skill with iMovie (the supposed equivalent of Windows Movie Maker). Now everyone's perspective is somewhat altered about Macs. It's a good thing.

Mini 1.25GHz/1 GB/80G160G+400G320G Mac OS X (10.4.8) FCP 5, Aging G4 Digital Audio, 1 GB, 120GB, iPod Nano

There's a list over on Wikipdia - who knows how authoritative it is but here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listof_feature_films_edited_with_Final_CutPro

Wasn't TOO long ago that Avid was in the same boat. People needing to prove it could work to all the old guard film FLATBED and MOVIOLA editors, and linear tape editors.

It is always the way when the new thing comes along.

Shane

I was going to say the Superbowl in Detroit also. They used FCP to put together HD packages

Thanks everybody. Some of you "get it".

Okay, I take offense in the nicest way, of course. When you ask a question on the forum you may get more than what you bargained for in the answer. Please keep in mind that you may have had only one goal--finding out what FCP is used for in the industry, but that doesn't invalidate the point that I and others have made.

Many of the folks on the forum have been doing this job for a long time and we've given you valuable information. What's the message to the kids?...that only a high end software is valuable? Would you tell students not to write if you only had 10 cent bic pens and recycled paper?

We may not "get it," but frankly you're not listening.

Good luck to you and your students. I know teaching isn't easy so keep up the good work!

Oh I get it, alright. But I don't think you do, grims. I agree with Michelle 100%. It isn't the software, its the person's skills. You need to impart to your students that even though they may think they have a valid question, they really don't. You need to impart to them that all of the stuff we use are merely tools - nothing more. If they learn to use the tools well, they'll do well.

Some of the greatest photographs were taken with a pinhole camera ... and I've seen some of the worst photos taken with a $8000.00 digital camera. It ain't the tools, it's the user.

And by the way, why are you doing their research? If they're all so eager to know what shows have been cut on any given program make it THEIR task to find out. Sheesh. For the life of me I cannot understand why you feel the need to justify to your students which tools you decide to use to teach.

-DH

A year or two ago, one of my buds in ullay (that's LA for the uninformed) told me that when he looked in the trade papers there, job/project offerings for FCP editors were 4 to 1 over Avid.

I don't know what the ratio is today, but if it's still a runaway in favor of Final Cut, that's a strong indicator that learning FCP is a valuable tool in the job market.

Silly me, I'm talking like your students are interesting in getting jobs when they finish skool.

😉

when he looked in the trade papers there, job/project offerings for FCP editors were 4 to 1 over Avid.

Because Avid editors tend to be hired by reputation and word of mouth. And all the good FCP ones too. When the pool of good KNOWN editors are gone, they advertise there, and craigslist, and mandy.com.

Shane