Best book for FCP4 at DVinfo.net

Jeff Price · May 28th, 2004, 02:45 PM

I'll be moving to FCP4 in the fall. I know it comes with a complete set of manuals. I went to buy a book to get started learning the basics and there are SOOOOOO many of them. Everything from Final Cut Pro 4 for Dummies to the Apple training series.

So, any recommendations as to where to start?

Thanks.

Christopher C. Murphy · May 28th, 2004, 03:10 PM

I've used www.vtc.com because it's visual. If you bought the FCP program you already paid for a basic manual.

The VTC site is cool because it's Quicktime videos of FCP while the guy talks you through it. I prefer visual learning as do most people, I think.

Murph

Josh Brusin · May 28th, 2004, 04:51 PM

the peachpit press stuff across the board is pretty useful primarilly as a resource on the fly... from Illustrator and Photoshop to FCP and Flash

Pat Chaney · May 28th, 2004, 05:32 PM

I'd highly recommend Final Cut Pro 4 by Diana Weynand, in the Apple Pro Training Series. I've just worked through it myself (having never used FCP before) and found it a very effective way of learning. It includes a DVD with files for each of the 21 lessons.

FCP is very complex and I doubt that any book (or course) is going to provide any more than a foundation, but I feel in a good position to really start learning how to use it now.

Graeme Nattress · May 28th, 2004, 09:06 PM

I've got three recommendations:

1) Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro, because it teaches editing as well as using FCP, and it's very well written with lots of advice suitable for all levels

2) Kevin Monahan's Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro, because if you want to do effects, this is the best FCP based book to teach you how, and it's more than worth the cost of the book for the free filters you get with it that I wrote especially for Kevin - Telly's FX

3) Tom Wolsky - I have his FCP3 book and it's a great guide to the application itself and the FCP4 version looks just as good.

Graeme

Kevin Burnfield · May 31st, 2004, 06:34 AM

Like Christopher said, you should already have the basic manual that came with FCP. It's a good solid reference.

I'd second a video training like the VTC or th PowerStart cd's from DVCreators (which you can find used on eBay and places like that) and like I said, even if it's for FCP 3 it will still give you a good, basic education in editing and the Final Cut Pro environment.

Jerry Hoffman has a DVD out that I liked a lot. His books are also good, he has a great style and he's very accessable.

Tom Wolsky's books are good because they are project oriented. You can get the FCP 3 or 2 book cheap used and it will still do you right because the basics are the basics.

If you are totally new to editing there I cannot recommend Editing Techniques with Final Cut Pro by Michael Wohl enough. He starts off by explaining editing and only then gets into FCP.

I wasn't overly impressed with Monahan's Motion Graphics book. Wasn't anything I didn't already know about although there were some good tips. It's an intermediate to advanced book--- get the basics down first and most of the stuff he talks about is covered in other books at a more introduction level.

When you have the basics down tehn you can go to the higher level books but at this point a FCP 3 video or book will get you started on the basics and you need that before you can go anywhere or get into advanced features.

May 28th, 2004, 02:45 PM	#1
Jeff Price Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chico, California Posts: 357	Best book for FCP4 I'll be moving to FCP4 in the fall. I know it comes with a complete set of manuals. I went to buy a book to get started learning the basics and there are SOOOOOO many of them. Everything from Final Cut Pro 4 for Dummies to the Apple training series. So, any recommendations as to where to start? Thanks. __________________ Jeff Price Flickerflix Nature Videos flickerflix@yahoo.com

May 28th, 2004, 03:10 PM	#2
Christopher C. Murphy Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,707	I've used www.vtc.com because it's visual. If you bought the FCP program you already paid for a basic manual. The VTC site is cool because it's Quicktime videos of FCP while the guy talks you through it. I prefer visual learning as do most people, I think. Murph __________________ Christopher C. Murphy Director, Producer, Writer

May 28th, 2004, 09:06 PM	#5
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	I've got three recommendations: 1) Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro, because it teaches editing as well as using FCP, and it's very well written with lots of advice suitable for all levels 2) Kevin Monahan's Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro, because if you want to do effects, this is the best FCP based book to teach you how, and it's more than worth the cost of the book for the free filters you get with it that I wrote especially for Kevin - Telly's FX 3) Tom Wolsky - I have his FCP3 book and it's a great guide to the application itself and the FCP4 version looks just as good. Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

May 28th, 2004, 04:51 PM	#3
Josh Brusin Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 439	the peachpit press stuff across the board is pretty useful primarilly as a resource on the fly... from Illustrator and Photoshop to FCP and Flash

May 28th, 2004, 05:32 PM	#4
Pat Chaney Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Berkshire, UK Posts: 107	I'd highly recommend Final Cut Pro 4 by Diana Weynand, in the Apple Pro Training Series. I've just worked through it myself (having never used FCP before) and found it a very effective way of learning. It includes a DVD with files for each of the 21 lessons. FCP is very complex and I doubt that any book (or course) is going to provide any more than a foundation, but I feel in a good position to really start learning how to use it now.

May 31st, 2004, 06:34 AM	#6
Kevin Burnfield Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Princeton, NJ Posts: 363	Like Christopher said, you should already have the basic manual that came with FCP. It's a good solid reference. I'd second a video training like the VTC or th PowerStart cd's from DVCreators (which you can find used on eBay and places like that) and like I said, even if it's for FCP 3 it will still give you a good, basic education in editing and the Final Cut Pro environment. Jerry Hoffman has a DVD out that I liked a lot. His books are also good, he has a great style and he's very accessable. Tom Wolsky's books are good because they are project oriented. You can get the FCP 3 or 2 book cheap used and it will still do you right because the basics are the basics. If you are totally new to editing there I cannot recommend Editing Techniques with Final Cut Pro by Michael Wohl enough. He starts off by explaining editing and only then gets into FCP. I wasn't overly impressed with Monahan's Motion Graphics book. Wasn't anything I didn't already know about although there were some good tips. It's an intermediate to advanced book--- get the basics down first and most of the stuff he talks about is covered in other books at a more introduction level. When you have the basics down tehn you can go to the higher level books but at this point a FCP 3 video or book will get you started on the basics and you need that before you can go anywhere or get into advanced features.