FCP or FCE

P

pirate40

Well-known member
I am planing to make my first feature next year and don't know what will be best when it comes time to edit. I'll be shooting with a DVX 100a and my movie will be around 90 minutes. We are considering getting a different computer just to use for the editing process. What would be the best editing software for me to buy, I have been shooting some shorts for practice and editing on windows movie maker. I think Final Pro Cut or Final Pro Express may be best or maybe Vegas, I want to get it now so I can work with it for a while before we shoot our feature. Also could use some advice on which computer or laptop might be best for this.
Thanks,
Jeff
 
If you are planning to shoot and edit in 24p, skip over FCE and go for FCP. Express is handy for small projects and is great for teaching, but is very limited. In fact, for everything else that it takes to do a feature, FCE will not be enough.

What you don't get in FCE that you do get in FCS:

- Pull-down removal and editing in true 24p.
- Choice of DF/NDF time code.
- User-set starting TC for each sequence.
- Log and Capture (crucial for projects with several reels)
- Batch Capture (FCE has "Capture Project," but this is limited and there is no offline clip logging).
- OMF export for sending audio tracks out to SoundtrackPro, ProTools, or other DAW.
- More capable filter tools.
- Expanded LiveType font/media library.
- Motion, Color, STP, Compressor, DVDSP.

As for computers, get at least a MacBook Pro. A Mac Pro would be better, but that drives the price way, way up. Get the best you can afford, and be sure to bump up the RAM to 8GB.
 
Wow, it's this type of information from the great folks on this website that makes me believe that I can do what I have set out to do. Thank you C2V.
 
If you know someone with FCP, try to learn on their computer. While it might not happen soon, it might still happen tomorrow... Final Cut Studio 3 is long over due.

You could easily pay full price for FCS 2, hours later it can be out of day & Apple won't be helpful in a free upgrade.

Then again, I really thought something would have come out at NAB. I was wrong with that guess, so much so that Apple didn't even have a booth.
 
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