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Reviews |
Discs let you Learn from a Final Cut pro!MacAcademy Final Cut Pro 4 by Marian Wertalka If you’re new to computer video editing, or you want to learn Final Cut Pro but don’t know where to start, Orlando Luna’s new series of Final Cut Pro 4 training CD’s is just right for you. The series is designed to teach a novice editor from the ground up. You will be up and running with Final Cut once you have gone through the lessons in the 6-CD series.
Orlando Luna takes you through each step clearly and thoroughly. First he shows a certain technique, like marking the in and out points of a clip, and then he goes back over it again one step at a time, showing you exactly what to do. He will then show alternative methods, since Final Cut is designed so that an editor can do the same thing several different ways. Orlando’s a fan of keyboard shortcuts, as that’s a fast way to work. Also, control-clicking (or right-clicking, if you have a two-button mouse) brings up a specific sub-menu based on what you clicked. Orlando also points out common errors and how to avoid them, and gives occasional tips and comments that show his experience as an editor, not just a trainer. His personality and wit show through, much like in his popular live presentations. He frequently encourages the student to play around with Final Cut and try different things. Nothing you do in Final Cut is a permanent change, as you’re working with a digital copy of your actual video. As I worked my way through the series, I found that I was learning fairly quickly. If you go straight through a lesson, it may take about an hour, but if you stop to play or review, it can easily take much longer. If you want to practice, you can minimize the CD while it is still playing, and you will still hear the audio. It’s not necessary to stop the CD to try out something. If you have Final Cut 3 or Express, don’t feel left out, as there is still much that is same across versions. MacAcademy beautifully produced the 6-CD series. The lesson video that shows the Final Cut display takes up a major part of your screen. Navigating through chapters is very clear and intuitive, with a numbered list of chapters is on the left, and lesson titles below. Also, the Index is a useful feature for finding and defining glossary terms. From a pop-up window, you can select a term such as “ripple tool,” and it will be located in a specific lesson and chapter. Click on its link and the lesson video will jump straight to that point. This is a useful feature for review, because the next icon on the bottom right is the Quiz. Clicking on it brings up another window with a true/false and multiple choice question per chapter. Your score is calculated immediately, with a running count and percentage of correct answers. If you pick a wrong multiple choice answer, the correct one is checked. Pressing the Help button will bring up a demo that shows you how to navigate through the CD interface, Web takes you to the MacAcademy site, and Quit ends your session.
April 2004 |
The first two CDs cover
the basics of Final Cut and editing. Volume 1 begins with the different
interface windows and controls; and Volume 2 shows how to use the
editing tools and the basics of editing. The next two CDs are focused
on editing and compositing. Volume 3 continues with editing techniques
and transitions, capturing video and importing media; and Volume
4 covers filters, keyframing and motion graphics. And the last
two CDs delve into specific features. Volume 5 teaches audio and
Soundtrack; and Volume 6 is about text and LiveType.
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