Apple Certified Pro in FCP, how useful is it?

Derkoi

Derkoi

Well-known member
I'm thinking a little ahead here, but i thought i'd ask around anyways.

I'm just in the process of getting Final Cut Studio and I've been looking at the Apple Certified Pro certificates for FCP and i wondered how much weight they have in the industry?

Are they worth going after? Has anyone with the certificates got any success stories to tell regarding them?

I know there's some decent knowledge to be had from the training, but i was interested just how much difference they make from a work point of view.

Any thoughts?
 
Thanks for posting this, I was just about to ask the same thing! I think this has been covered before, but I couldn't find it.
 
Opinions on this vary, but IMO there is no direct benefit. By that I mean I doubt many prospective employers looking for editors pay that much attention to such things. But there can be an indirect benefit if what you learn in the class can make you a more proficient FCP user and enable you to get tasks done faster than your competition. So, in short if you take the course it should be because of how it can benefit you as a FCP user and not because you hope it will make your resumé stick out.


-A
 
Helps you learn the software, and will help in getting you work as an assistant editor (in my area of TV production in LA), but doesn't really matter to most producers when they are looking at you as a possible editor. They want to see a reel...a sample of your work to see if you can cut what they want cut. Your storytelling ability. They might ask "do you know FCP since that is what we will be editing on" but that is it. If you say yes, and they like the reel, they'll hire you. They don't care about the certification. MIght be the cherry on top, but not the key factor.
 
I would think that on the technical side of things, the certification might be good for getting a tech job, but for an art job, not so much. Just guessing though!!! ;)
 
Thanks for the replies.

So basically the certificate is worth more to me, as it's good solid training?

A media teacher friend of mine once said, you can teach someone how to use the editing software, but you can't teach them creative flare, they've either got it or they don't.

I suppose that's what the reel's for.
 
Your experience is FAR more important than a certification.

I've been doing alot of FCP work for clients since summer and none of them even asked about a certification.
 
If you take the class, you can meet others in your area and do a little networking. I went on to get a few gigs through other students, and even at one point was asked to teach non-apple authorized editing courses by my instructor, which has led to other gigs.

but ditto what everyone else has said. It will teach you technically how to use FCP, and that is super, but ultimately can you tell a story with those skills/do you have a good reel?
 
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