Features:
- This powerful, flexible Digital Video (DV) features a complete toolset for editing, compositing and real-time effects
- Create your own digital film sequences by inserting, overwriting, or replacing clips -- drag them directly into the canvas or timeline
- Precision tools and techniques allow you to work wonders -- use tools like slip, slide, ripple, roll, split and extend
- Draw from a library of hundreds of different special effects - transitions, filters and effects, all rendered in real-time
- Integrated titling creates flowing text effects across the screen, with filters, effects and compositing
Description:
For all the budding Spielbergs and Lynches out there, Apple’s Final Cut Express is a great first foray into the world of movie magic. Even if you’re only looking to polish up your vacation videos, Final Cut Express offers easy-to-use controls and an open workspace that welcomes all abilities. In a nutshell, Final Cut Express is a pared-down version of the popular Final Cut. The technology behind both packages is the same, so you can count on high quality output. But you, as the average user, won’t be burdened by the more technically robust features. In fact, while we were editing, we couldn’t think of a feature that we wished was included in Final Cut Express--this package allowed for plenty of different ways to modify your video, including audio effects, filters (like sepia, black and white, opacity, brightness, color control), and transitions (such as fade, wipe, and so on). We started by viewing Apple’s online help videos to learn the lingo of compositing, transitions, and ripples and rolls. These serve as an invaluable introduction to the package, especially since the package does not include a Help menu. Setting up Final Cut Express is a breeze, with or without a camera in place. And getting going is easy too. If you’re familiar with other software packages that use layers, you’ll easily transition into the layers (both audio and video) that Final Cut Express uses. If not, it’s easy to learn. You can layer up to 99 clips of video together in the timeline to get just the right effect. Our favorite feature of Final Cut Express is the ability to import not only still images and a range of video, but also Photoshop documents. When importing files from Photoshop, Final Cut Express retains all of the layers, meaning you can animate your presentation’s titles and graphical elements easily. The package’s animation capabilities let you really get some creative results out of your project: you can create an audio-accompanied slideshow, animate your title work, or even create a picture-in-picture effect, just to name a few. --Emilie Herbst
| 
