Outgrowing Imovie...FCP next?

E

emergencydpt

Member
Hi.

I've been having a great time with imovie and have edited a few little informal projects for myself and for friends. My employer saw one of my projects and has asked if I can do three very short instructional videos. They include short skits or scripted scenes and I purchased an H4N before realizing that i really needed a Beach Tech. However, I think I'm going to continue with two-system sound and try to sync thinks up during editing.

Pleural Eyes is not available for Imovie (or FC Express) and that got me to thinking about my next purchase. At this point I'm seeking advice on the best NLE to go with. It looks like AVID cost quite a bit more than FCP.

It looks like FCP is the winner for me since I'm basically just one step above hobby level (very short step at that.) Are there any other considerations? I continue to explore getting more serious down the road and if there is strong contrary evidence, I may reconsider this choice.


I'm using a Mac Book Pro with these specs: Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,5
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB

I am shooting the GH! which is why I posted in this forum. For storage i purchased an OWC On-the-Go 750GB drive which was the largest they make that runs at 7200 rpm and is still bus powered.

I value your input.
 
emergencydpt said:
Hi.

I've been having a great time with imovie and have edited a few little informal projects for myself and for friends. My employer saw one of my projects and has asked if I can do three very short instructional videos. They include short skits or scripted scenes and I purchased an H4N before realizing that i really needed a Beach Tech. However, I think I'm going to continue with two-system sound and try to sync thinks up during editing.

Pleural Eyes is not available for Imovie (or FC Express) and that got me to thinking about my next purchase. At this point I'm seeking advice on the best NLE to go with. It looks like AVID cost quite a bit more than FCP.

It looks like FCP is the winner for me since I'm basically just one step above hobby level (very short step at that.) Are there any other considerations? I continue to explore getting more serious down the road and if there is strong contrary evidence, I may reconsider this choice.


I'm using a Mac Book Pro with these specs: Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,5
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB

I am shooting the GH! which is why I posted in this forum. For storage i purchased an OWC On-the-Go 750GB drive which was the largest they make that runs at 7200 rpm and is still bus powered.

I value your input.
Click to expand...

Far be it from me to question things Apple, but I think you should also look at the Adobe Production Premium Bundle. With After Effects and Premiere Pro, along with BluRay/DVD authoring in Encore, I think it competes well with FC Studio. Sound Booth may not be as 'good' as Sound Trak Pro, but that aside, I used the rest of the package for what I do, and so, I'd recommend it.
 
Avid, Adobe, and Apple (hey, Triple-A's) all make very capable NLE's each with their own strengths. You can't really go wrong with any of them. For me, the GUI & workflow have been major factors in my choice of software. I learned on Final Cut Express, so moving up to the familial Final Cut Studio suite was a natural choice. So far, it has all the capabilities I need plus more.

A good thing about the Adobe suite is its integration of After Effects and Photoshop - two very useful programs to have when you get into more advanced video production. If I didn't have FCS, I'd probably use Adobe CS5. Try out a free trial and see how it fits you.

Moving up from iMovie will still require a learning curve no matter what program you choose. My best advice is to try out these editors somehow, then go with the one that feels right for you.
 
Thank you.

Thank you.

"Far be it from me to question things Apple"
Ha ha. There is a bit of fanaticism with Apple acolytes. I made the switch this year and I'm comfortable with both systems. The best tool for the job is what I want so I appreciate your input. If I was to purchase this program for Mac I would pay a $700 premium or basically enough to also buy the PC.

What aspects of the CS5 suite do you like the most? What type of work do you do on it?

The question I'm focused on now is how to sync up the second system audio track. Does CS5 work well for this application? I think Plueral Eyes has a plugin for this platfrom. It does not for Imovie.
 
I used avid and premier until I tryed Sony Vegas platinum and never want to use the others again.It is by far the best most flexible, logical, intuitive nle there is and it runs faster than any others Ive tryed so you wont need a supercomputer or tons of space to run it.avid is a very rigid and terribly unintuitive overly complex program that forces you to work the avid way .I never knew how much it sucked until I tryed other apps.I got it first because its"the industry standard"
now It just sits there taking hdd space.Its such a pain if a client gives me an avid file I open it grab all the assets and drag them into vegas.I allways get the adobe master suite and same thing I have it because everybody else has it and I need to share files and be up on the latest versions but quite frankly all of thier products are slow bloated junk that have much cheaper and often times free competition that is even betterand premier is no exception.If you want to do compositing get Nuke or Fusion not AE.:)
 
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i vote adobe! 100%!

plus the amount of people who are now using adobe you can find tonnes of information and tutorials, where others are fewer.

PREMIERE is also a better application than FCP in my eyes, especially when its teamed up with AFTER EFFECTS.
 
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Thank you Terra1, Pixalight, htinla:
Your help is valuable. I guess there is no general consensus on this issue. I was trying to avoid doing the work of downloading and auditioning these products because of the learning curve (and my sluggish brain.)

However it will probably have tone done in the end.

Do you have to do the 3/2 pulldown with all these? Is this a feature of AVCHH or specific to the GH1?
 
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my GH1 is the PAL model so i couldn't answer that question friend.

if i were you id download the ADOBE PREMIERE CS5 trial (1 month trial) you will pick it up pretty quick, its easy to get started with it just watch a PREMIERE basics tutorial on google video/ you tube and you will be cutting and editing clips in no time! (if the 12 year old kids doing tutorials on youtube can do it! we all can.)

after 5 mins i had figured out the basic...

select timeline sequence...
import clips...
scrub through selected clip & set markers for in & out in the video preview window...
drag the preview onto the timeline (only video within the in & out markers appear in the actual video window)...
and repeat for the next clip.

just from doing that a few times you will naturally discover other bits and bobs. half the fun is just playing with it to see what happens. :smile:
 
My pirate copy of Final Cut Pro 7 has stopped working and I can't get a key to get it working again. Seeing as FCP is so expensive at over £500, I'd like to know if there's a reason I need it over Final Cut Express (£90) for editing GH1-3 footage in either AVCHD or MJPEG mode.

Does anybody have experience of using both with GH1-3 that can advise me please?

Many thanks
Lucas
 
Lucas Adamson said:
My pirate copy of Final Cut Pro 7 has stopped working and I can't get a key to get it working again. Seeing as FCP is so expensive at over £500, I'd like to know if there's a reason I need it over Final Cut Express (£90) for editing GH1-3 footage in either AVCHD or MJPEG mode.

Does anybody have experience of using both with GH1-3 that can advise me please?

Many thanks
Lucas
Click to expand...

Final Cut Express only uses Apple Intermediate Codec which, in my opinion, is a big step down from FCP's ProRes - especially if you've already used PR and gotten use to its quality. Once I started using FCP and all its advanced features (like speed-ramping) and available customizations, I haven't used FCE since. If you've only used FCP's most basic functions, then FCE might suffice. Otherwise, you might feel the loss of those advanced features quite limiting.
 
Lucas Adamson you should check out the ADOBE CS5 MASTER SUITE, i find it vastly superior to FCP and it edits AVCHD MTS files natively a treat.

...just try not scratch your keyboard with your hook :smile: arrrrrrrrr good luck matey!
 
Thanks. Yes if I were to find the money for FCP or CS5 I would go for CS5, as those that have migrated to it certainly seem to suggest that it is far superior in a very tangible way, but it seems a new version comes out every year, and it's all very expensive for my modest and occasional requirements.

I just don't know how so many people manage to find £500 - £800 on top of their cameras and stuff to buy an editing app.
 
sorry guys but the fact remains vegas platinum is the best .It handles avchd natively and plays back in real time without a glitch.Adobe products are slow bloated and poorly coded (all of them !). I know-I have cs5 master ,avid 5 hd ,and vegas in my studio .I always use vegas unless someone hands me an avid file which I quickly grab the assets out of and put into vegas .Once you use vegas you will want nothing else and on top of the fast flexible intuitive workflow of vegas its dirt cheap.BTW I am not a hobbyist.I wont say something unless I am quite confident.
 
"Color" alone is reason enough to buy the entire FCS package. Before Apple bought it and made it part of FCS it did cost a few thousand bucks and now you get it "for free" with FCS. Priceless.
 
So, I am going to buy some editing software. I've been getting by with knock off stuff for years and years, but now I want the shizzle, so I'm choosing between Final Cut Studio 3 and Adobe CS5 Production Suite.

Leaning very much towards Adobe right now, for many many reasons. Academic (not upgradeable) version of CS5 about £320, and old copy of FCP1.2 and upgrade to Studio 3 also equals £300. CS5 isn't desperate for an imminent upgrade though, but F. Cut Studio most definitely is, and I would be gutted to buy FC Studio, only for them to start supporting native AVCHD etc next year. Vegas has it's fans, but I am a 15 years Mac user, so.....

Last minute reservations about CS5: Will I miss not having Apple Colour? Is it true what I hear that CS5 treats audio like sh*t?
 
I never used the CS5 stuff but Premiere CS4 on the Mac was so slow it was almost unusable. It's said to be better with CS5 but in general I find the Adobe software not very well integrated when it comes to OS X look and feel, but that's just my opinion. (Btw. "Color" is the only exception here, it doesn't provide OS X look and feel, but it's just awesome.)

Think twice before making this step, maybe you can take a closer look at each package before making your decision.
 
Believe me, if Final Cut came out with Studio 4 this week, I'd go for that, but as it's not got any native support for all of the cameras that everybody is making low budget films with right now, including my own camera the GH1(3), forget it! CS4 is incomparable with CS5, I'm told.

I am a qualified FCP editor. I used it all the way through a diploma in Cinematography and a degree in Film production. I like the program, but they've dropped the ball. No question about that. It seems that Adobe have been anticipating new codecs and cameras and computer technology and supporting it in advance of it's release, whereas Apple wait until stuff is out for two years, and then still don't really support, but provide a workaround! That's just ****!

Also, with CS5, I get After Effects, which is better than anything FCS has to offer for special effects and processing I'm told.

I have ordered a 30 day trial of CS5 Production Suite (£8.99), and Premiere Classroom in a book (£23) so I can see for myself if I hate the transfer to a new user interface. I think for features and speed, it should wipe the floor with FCS.
 
Lucas Adamson said:
I am a qualified FCP editor. I used it all the way through a diploma in Cinematography and a degree in Film production. I like the program, but they've dropped the ball. No question about that. It seems that Adobe have been anticipating new codecs and cameras and computer technology and supporting it in advance of it's release
Click to expand...

I have no qualifications, nor any real video editing experience, but I've dropped PAL GH13 footage into FCS seamlessly and quite easily.
So I'm highly likely to be misunderstanding what your beef with FCS is, but all I can say is that I don't see any major issues.
 
I use FCS extensively. Have been using it for almost 7 years now. It works great with my GH13. But it can be occasionally glitchy. Sometimes it just doesn't do the things I tell it to do, and I'm running it on an 8 core 2.26GHz MacPro. I hate to even say that because I love the program, but facts is facts. I can almost always find a work around, but I shouldn't have to. So unless they come out with an amazing new version I'll be switching to CS5 next upgrade.

CS5 is amazing. With a free 30 day trial you can't go wrong with giving it a test drive. I use a lot of After Effects and it sucks going back and forth from FCP to Photoshop and AE. Just make sure premiere will run okay on your mac. FCP will definitely work on your system (I also run it on a macbook -not even macbook pro!).

Also, Vegas isn't available on Mac so why suggest it? :)
 
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