For 24P Advanced (Panasonic) editing: FCP 4 or FCP3 + DVFilmmaker? at DVinfo.net

Craig Weinstein · June 30th, 2003, 11:12 AM

Hey all,

I'd like to know anyone's opinions on the DVFilmmaker 24P software for use with my Panasonic DVX-100.

Is it a good product to use? I currently have Final Cut Pro 3 I'm working with and I'm on the fence about either going with the DVFilmmaker software or upgrading to Final Cut Pro 4 (which does 24P).

Much appreciated! :)

Craig Weinstein

Ken Tanaka · June 30th, 2003, 11:35 AM

Craig,
Do you do professional work or is this an avocational pastime for you?

Craig Weinstein · June 30th, 2003, 01:07 PM

Ken,

It's more of a hobby that's turned into a possible vocational interest. At this point I have not made the jump into full-time video work, as I'm undecided. I'm still a student in college and I've done still photography for much longer than video (which has only been in my life in the past six months). I've participated on several crew shoots for live shows and a have recently done some camera work on a student film. I can't say I'm a pro who earns a living in this field because I'm not. I'm still learning, but I've been considering working in the video field as a strong possibility. It's often hard work, but I find it's a lot of fun on the few jobs I've been on.

-Craig Weinstein

Marcia Janine Galles · June 30th, 2003, 03:24 PM

Craig,
This past Saturday I sat through nearly an entire day of Apple tech people doing demos of the latest and greatest versions of FCP, Shake, etc. and I gotta tell ya, I was blown away. I won't go into Shake (incredible!) as it's a $5k program and beyond the means of most of us on these boards. But whereas I was lukewarm to FCP in the past, coming off working on Avid Symphony's, the newest upgrade of FCP takes post for indie filmmakers and videographers to an entirely new level. Nothing in one package comes close. Do yourself a favor and gets your hands on it at an Apple store. Livetype and its bundled effects (particularly what you can do with lower thirds) are mind blowing. Soundtrack left people with their jaws on the floor.

I should clarify, I am not an Apple fan. I've been hooked on PC's forever, and glass over when Apple people get all goey over their systems. I only got a Powerbook to cut what I was working on a year ago on FCP. But I will never go back to a PC in terms of what I edit on now. FCP will never be available for anything but a Mac, and unless Avid makes "back to the drawing board" racical changes to what it offers with DV Express, they can kiss off that market share with Apple's latest entry. Haven't used DVFilmaker, but can't imagine it's not left in the dust as well.

If you have the creativity, FCP 4 will empower you to release it with tools right out of the box that are only limited by what you can envision doing with them. It's truly a remarkable giant leap forward for those of us in the edit bay. And to top it off, it's seemless with my DVX100.

Craig Weinstein · June 30th, 2003, 04:44 PM

Marcia,

Apple seemed like a good all around solution for video so I went with it. I have no regrets and use my PowerMac as my personal machine now. I didn't like the old Legacy systems with OS 8.6-9 but OS X makes it a pretty painless experience. No crashing :)

Final Cut Pro 4 has to be an incredible piece of software. I wish I'd just waited a couple of months more before I bought FCP. I can't afford v.4 now but it's definitely on my list. I'm glad to hear of the seamless DVX-100 compatability.

Thanks!

Craig Weinstein

Ken Tanaka · June 30th, 2003, 11:06 PM

Craig,
I'm not familiar with the DVFilmaker software so take my recommendation with a grain of salt.

If I was a student on a tight budget and not doing professional work I would be inclined to stick with the tools at-hand for at least a while. Since you already have FCP 3 you're well-positioned to upgrade to FCP 4 (with Cinema Tools) when finances permit. That will definitely be the way for you to go if you want to shoot and edit in 24fps. (I don't know if Apple offers a student discount for upgrades.)

Marcia Janine Galles · July 1st, 2003, 07:13 AM

Just FYI, Craig... the upgrade price is $399. Apple does indeed offer student discounts. The student price for the complete package is $299. Saves you $100. Nothing left out of it, either. Considering it's reg. $999 that's not a bad deal. Of course, as Ken mentions, you do already have working software. It's just that with FCP3 you have work-a-rounds to deal with with your 24p footage, whereas in FCP4 it's fully integrated. Check out the Final Cut Pro discussion boards at Apple and Ken Stone's FCP site. They'll give you a better sense of what you'll gain/lose if you make the switch.

Craig Weinstein · July 1st, 2003, 10:57 AM

Well...

I'd hoped that at $95 DVFilmmaker would allow all the 24P functions for a relatively affordable price. I think the problem is that it is just a conversion tool from/to 24P and not an actual editing interface (as far as I can tell from the demo software). I've wondered if buying Apple Cinema Tools used might do the trick, but I think it's the same kind of software.

By the time I find a semi-suitable workaround I'll bet I'm already getting near upgrade territory anyway, so for now I'll stick with what I've got.

Thanks Ken, Marcia! You've been a great help with your wisdom :)

-Craig

June 30th, 2003, 11:12 AM	#1
Craig Weinstein Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Melbourne, Florida USA Posts: 35	For 24P Advanced (Panasonic) editing: FCP 4 or FCP3 + DVFilmmaker? Hey all, I'd like to know anyone's opinions on the DVFilmmaker 24P software for use with my Panasonic DVX-100. Is it a good product to use? I currently have Final Cut Pro 3 I'm working with and I'm on the fence about either going with the DVFilmmaker software or upgrading to Final Cut Pro 4 (which does 24P). Much appreciated! :) Craig Weinstein

June 30th, 2003, 11:35 AM	#2
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Craig, Do you do professional work or is this an avocational pastime for you? __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

June 30th, 2003, 11:06 PM	#6
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Craig, I'm not familiar with the DVFilmaker software so take my recommendation with a grain of salt. If I was a student on a tight budget and not doing professional work I would be inclined to stick with the tools at-hand for at least a while. Since you already have FCP 3 you're well-positioned to upgrade to FCP 4 (with Cinema Tools) when finances permit. That will definitely be the way for you to go if you want to shoot and edit in 24fps. (I don't know if Apple offers a student discount for upgrades.) __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

June 30th, 2003, 01:07 PM	#3
Craig Weinstein Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Melbourne, Florida USA Posts: 35	Ken, It's more of a hobby that's turned into a possible vocational interest. At this point I have not made the jump into full-time video work, as I'm undecided. I'm still a student in college and I've done still photography for much longer than video (which has only been in my life in the past six months). I've participated on several crew shoots for live shows and a have recently done some camera work on a student film. I can't say I'm a pro who earns a living in this field because I'm not. I'm still learning, but I've been considering working in the video field as a strong possibility. It's often hard work, but I find it's a lot of fun on the few jobs I've been on. -Craig Weinstein

June 30th, 2003, 03:24 PM	#4
Marcia Janine Galles Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 340	Craig, This past Saturday I sat through nearly an entire day of Apple tech people doing demos of the latest and greatest versions of FCP, Shake, etc. and I gotta tell ya, I was blown away. I won't go into Shake (incredible!) as it's a $5k program and beyond the means of most of us on these boards. But whereas I was lukewarm to FCP in the past, coming off working on Avid Symphony's, the newest upgrade of FCP takes post for indie filmmakers and videographers to an entirely new level. Nothing in one package comes close. Do yourself a favor and gets your hands on it at an Apple store. Livetype and its bundled effects (particularly what you can do with lower thirds) are mind blowing. Soundtrack left people with their jaws on the floor. I should clarify, I am not an Apple fan. I've been hooked on PC's forever, and glass over when Apple people get all goey over their systems. I only got a Powerbook to cut what I was working on a year ago on FCP. But I will never go back to a PC in terms of what I edit on now. FCP will never be available for anything but a Mac, and unless Avid makes "back to the drawing board" racical changes to what it offers with DV Express, they can kiss off that market share with Apple's latest entry. Haven't used DVFilmaker, but can't imagine it's not left in the dust as well. If you have the creativity, FCP 4 will empower you to release it with tools right out of the box that are only limited by what you can envision doing with them. It's truly a remarkable giant leap forward for those of us in the edit bay. And to top it off, it's seemless with my DVX100.

June 30th, 2003, 04:44 PM	#5
Craig Weinstein Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Melbourne, Florida USA Posts: 35	Marcia, Apple seemed like a good all around solution for video so I went with it. I have no regrets and use my PowerMac as my personal machine now. I didn't like the old Legacy systems with OS 8.6-9 but OS X makes it a pretty painless experience. No crashing :) Final Cut Pro 4 has to be an incredible piece of software. I wish I'd just waited a couple of months more before I bought FCP. I can't afford v.4 now but it's definitely on my list. I'm glad to hear of the seamless DVX-100 compatability. Thanks! Craig Weinstein

July 1st, 2003, 07:13 AM	#7
Marcia Janine Galles Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 340	Just FYI, Craig... the upgrade price is $399. Apple does indeed offer student discounts. The student price for the complete package is $299. Saves you $100. Nothing left out of it, either. Considering it's reg. $999 that's not a bad deal. Of course, as Ken mentions, you do already have working software. It's just that with FCP3 you have work-a-rounds to deal with with your 24p footage, whereas in FCP4 it's fully integrated. Check out the Final Cut Pro discussion boards at Apple and Ken Stone's FCP site. They'll give you a better sense of what you'll gain/lose if you make the switch.

July 1st, 2003, 10:57 AM	#8
Craig Weinstein Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Melbourne, Florida USA Posts: 35	Well... I'd hoped that at $95 DVFilmmaker would allow all the 24P functions for a relatively affordable price. I think the problem is that it is just a conversion tool from/to 24P and not an actual editing interface (as far as I can tell from the demo software). I've wondered if buying Apple Cinema Tools used might do the trick, but I think it's the same kind of software. By the time I find a semi-suitable workaround I'll bet I'm already getting near upgrade territory anyway, so for now I'll stick with what I've got. Thanks Ken, Marcia! You've been a great help with your wisdom :) -Craig