|
Admittedly I've only gotten to page 137 or so but glancing ahead doesn't give me much hope for more than the basics of using the program. It explains every little step in great detail, some of which most people should know already, simply by having used a Mac computer before. This book is pretty simplistic. I might not bother writing a review of this product if it weren't for my wanting to tell you where a really useful Final Cut Express learning tool can be found. If you like to be guided by the hand, this is a good book. I was hoping for more on advanced editing techniques and things but so far no luck. For video tutorials on Final Cut 4 look at the IZZY VIDEO website. This is also very easy for a beginner to understand, is a million times faster getting you up and using the software and also teaches some cool and useful effects.
it really helps you get a handle on it, if youve never used osx before start at chapter 1, otherwise chapter 4 or 5 is good. i started playing with editing in imovie. its saved me a ton of cussing, now i can just skip around in the book depending on what i am doing. I didnt really read anything for i movie, and when i started FCE4, i just expected to "wing it" the same was i did in imovie. but when i opened the FCE i was immediatly confused, after fighting it for a couple weeks i ordered this book. plus amazon is about half the price of barnes and noble or, boarders. if your struggling get this book.
On the dvd that comes together with the book, are the more advanced steps, like creating titles with Livetype and working with filters etc. This book covers the basics and a little bit more of editing with Fce 4 in a pleasant way. For me, an absolute beginner, it has been very useful. But without an additional screen you cannot work well with this material. If this part would have been printed in the book, I'd given it a 5 star rate.
I had to learn Final Cut for a project in an Art Class. Every move is clearly explained and having the CD with files is extremely useful. As a newbie to this software I like every step spelled out. Even though my teacher gave a good overview of the program I felt completely lost. I do agree with the reviewer who gave it one star on the need for certain things to be explained, such as examples that are noted as being created with an earlier version. I found tutorials on the internet but did not find them helpful, I wanted something written. I had never worked with any kind of movie editing software. Actually I am amazed at how the author anticipated all the places where things could go wrong.
So I purchased this book. So far it has taken me by the hand, step by step through the whole process. Someone who is knowledgeable about movie making might find this book tedious. Yet on the other hand I didn't find this of a concern.
Yes, there is more to learn than this book covers, but this material is essential for mastering more advanced work, and no instruction book I've ever seen is as easy to follow and downright readable as this one.Bare in mind, I hate technical manuals with a passion. The DVD has video and audio material corresponding to the lessons in the book. However, if any of the previous terms are new to you, you need this book. Thus, if you have even moderate experience with something like Adobe Premiere, say enough to complete a basic project with wipes, audio and graphics, then this book will move a little slow for you.
By the time you are taught to capture your own footage, you know the basic functions. For the rank beginner, this book comes with my highest recommendation, and I feel comfortable recommending any other books in the series by this particular author. This book is intended for the beginner who has no experience with a digital editing system and has just purchased Final Cut Express. My favorite way to learn is to have someone sit and teach me visually and hands on. You don't learn to capture your own footage until chapter 12.
Thus, the author can walk you through a basic project, which they can't do if you are using your own material. It will baby step you through each procedure and, when you are finished with the book, you will be able to do basic projects competently and you'll be prepared for advanced material. So I can't say I really enjoyed this book, but it was more enjoyable than having a root canal, and from me, that's high praise. This is not the same as knowing how to make good, creative decisions on choice of shot, shot duration, juxtaposition or any of the other artistic considerations of editing a movie, music video.
The first thing you should know when considering a book purchase is the author's intended audience. I think this the best way to go. This way, the author knows what material you have and can guide you through the basic functions while you work on real video and audio clips, as opposed to just describing what a tool or functions does in general. If you absolutely need to work on only your own material, you can always read chapter 12 first. Still, most people should finish this in 24 to 32 hours. Learning to use the tools is essential, but if you want to be a pro someday, it's not nearly enough. Anyone experienced with high-end editing software doesn't need to know how to make a bin, mark edit points, scrub a clip or do overwrite or insert edits.
Just like learning the mechanics of writing (spelling, grammar, syntax) is essential, but not enough to make you a competent novelist, learning the mechanics of editing won't make you Walter Murch. Each of the 16 chapters is timed to take an hour to 90 minutes to complete, although I often took a half hour longer than the chapter indicated. There are six bonus chapters on the DVD that comes with the book, but I haven't read those yet, and I'm not sure why they are on the DVD instead of being printed in the book (perhaps to keep printing costs down, since the subjects covered in the bonus chapters don't seem like they will require any additional illustrations other than what is in the book). As a final note, I do need to mention, if you are a budding film maker or videographer, that a book like this only tells you how to use the tools on an editing program. Sorry, but I've gotten tired of low-budget "filmmakers" who don't progress from the mechanics of editing to the art.
|
