Apple Pro Training Series : Final Cut Pro HD (Apple Pro Training)

Rating:
Summary: This is the one to buy!
Review:
I just completed each lesson in this book. I use FCP for my video editing and purchased two other books to learn the software. The first two books were editing nightmares that only frustrated me.

By the time I bought the Apple Pro Series I was desperate. I went through the entire book and now feel I have a pretty good understanding of the program. In fact, many people now send me their videos to edit and they are very happy with the final product.

This book is very well written. It only has a couple of very minor editing issues, and not until after chapter 10. I'm not talking about issues that leave questions unanswered, I'm talking about guiding a beginner through a process, having them open certain pages and then going on to another topic without telling the to close the pages and continuing with the lesson. Very minor problem, but can stump a beginner for a minute until they figure it out on their own. This only happened a couple of times in the whole book.

The CD has all the lessons and the book follows in an easy to understand format that any beginner can comprehend. By the time you finish this book, you will feel very confident in your ability to edit.

I highly recommend this book for learning Final Cut Pro, especially after experiencing the other trash that is out there.


Rating:
Summary: Truly a "must-have" for all FCP Users
Review: I consider myself to be a "seasoned user" of Final Cut Pro. I have been editing with FCP since the original release of version 1.0 and have worked on numerous documentaries, features, commercials and episodic television.

I learned about this book from the Apple website. This is the official textbook used for Apple Pro Certification (FCP Level One). So I decided that I would "forget" everything I already knew and begin with Lesson 1. I'm very happy I adopted that attitude because there are so many neat little tips that I picked up in the first few lessons. Now I wonder how I ever survived without them. Those tips have already saved me a lot of time. I have only completed one-third of the lessons thus far and I can already see an improvement in my productivity.

Every chapter of the book is a "hands-on" lesson. The files and media for each lesson are provided on a DVD-ROM (included). You will first copy those files to your hard drive and then open each lesson file and then follow the step-by-step instructions in the book.

I'm looking forward to getting my Level One certification with the help of this book, and I can't wait to continue onto the Advanced Level certification with the second book.

Please note this is essentially the same book as the the "Final Cut Pro 4" book. The DVD is the same and so are the exercises. I had a chance to compare both and noticed only only one minor detailed (a detail is now circled on a screen shot) and, of course, there could be some that I missed. Even so, the back cover of the book acknowledges...

"This book was previously published under the title "Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 4. If you previously purchased this book, there is no need to purchase this revision: All the project files and exercises in the previous edition can be used with Final Cut Pro HD."

Bottom-Line: Newbie or Pro? It doesn't matter! This is a GREAT book to own if you use FCP.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!
Review: I have passed the Apple Pro Certification Exam for Final Cut Pro (level 1) today, thank to this fantastic book. A part from that, it is an excellent tool if you want to discover all of the program's features and, especially, you have the opportunity to learn by doing (very important thing).