When I started out with FCP three years
ago there were no books on the subject. The only place that information
was available about FCP was at the 2-pop
discussion boards. I spent months 'lurking' at the boards
reading everything I could find. I quickly discovered that there
were a small number of people who knew the product, wrote well
and were willing to spend a great deal of their time helping
out FCP beginners. Tom Wolsky was one of those gracious posters.
Now, three years later, there are
over 23 FCP books on the market. These books run the gamut from
what I call 'FCP Nuts and Bolts', to books that teach editing
techniques along with FCP basics.
Editing Workshop, now in its 2nd
addition, is a 'Nuts and Bolts' book and is very thorough in
its approach, but it also teaches editing. Each of the 13 chapters
of Editing Workshop contains a tutorial so that editing techniques
and theory are learned as well. The book ships with a CD ROM
that provides media, video footage and sequences, to be used
in conjunction with the lessons contained in each chapter. This
allows you to work and learn FCP, doing the exercises as you
read.
While FCP 3 can run under both
OS 9 and X, this book is for OS X only. As such it includes a
basic introduction to OS X that is essential to get started with
both FCP and OS X. Editing Workshop follows the traditional approach
to teaching FCP, each chapter covers a basic segment of FCP as
demonstrated in the Table of contents, shown below.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Installing Final Cut Pro 3
Chapter 2 Setting Preferences
Chapter 3 Cutting Up Those Shots
Chapter 4 Editing Basics: Building Your Sequence
Chapter 5 Adding Transitions
Chapter 6 Advanced Editing: Using Sound
Chapter 7 Advanced Editing: the Moment
Chapter 8 Adding Titles
Chapter 9 Animating Images
Chapter 10 Adding Special Effects Filters
Chapter 11 Color Correction Tools
Chapter 12 Compositing
Chapter 13 Outputting from Final Cut Pro
Postscript
Index
Editing Workshop shows off both Toms complete expertise with FCP and his skill as a writer. He has always written in a clean understandable manner with the ability to de mystify his subject matter. Aside from detailed instructions, tips and editing concepts are included. I have included a link to Lesson 5 of Editing Workshop, so that you can see for yourself. Lesson 5 - Adding Transitions (link no longer active)
Enjoy,
--ken
The companion CD-ROM
includes digital media and graphic files for the tutorial projects,
sample transitions and filters from CGM, the TMTS Free filters
and generators, and utilities including FileXaminer, Carbon Copy
Cloner, and a timecode calculator.
Editing Workshop also
ships with Keyguide™ for FCP, which is a full size keyboard
graphic layout, with all the FCP function and short cuts from
NeoTron Design.
Final Cut Pro 3 - Editing Workshop
copyright © 2002 by Tom Wolsky
Tom Wolsky is an honors graduate of the London School
of Film Technique with 30+ years of professional experience spanning
film, tape, and digital production. Career highlights include
work on BBC documentaries and dramas; producing ABC News programs;
managing tape operations and news editors; as well as the occasional
screenwriting gig. Tom teaches video production in the regional
occupation program at Mendocino High School and operates an independent
studio, South Coast Productions. In recent years, he has acted
as a guide on a number of online forums, published articles in
DV and Macworld magazines, and taught at the Digital Media Academy
at Stanford University.
Review copyright ©
www.kenstone.net 2002
This article first appeared on www.kenstone.net and is reprinted here
with permission.
All screen captures and
textual references are the property and trademark of their creators/owners/publishers.