Final Cut Pro 3 and the Art of Filmmaking [With DVD]

by David Teague and Jason Cranford Teague

Despite its intuitive interface, Final Cut Pro still requires craft and skill to use well. This full-color book provides a hands-on, practical guide to all aspects of editing digital movies, with an emphasis on the kinds of tips, tricks, and shortcuts that professionals rely on to quickly get polished results. Whether you're approaching Final Cut Pro from a purely creative angle or from a more corporate perspective, whether you're an emerging filmmaker...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0782140270
• ISBN13: 9780782140279
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Sybex
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 2.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 10.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A great, well done book!

A wish that other software books would be as this... beyond Final Cut it cover many aspects of video editing and is a great source of tips of any kind, very useful for beginners (but also good for experienced video editors who have forgotten some aspects about their work).The design layout and color images of the book are very nice too.

A Great Book for New Final Cut 3 Users

As a "rank beginner" I was very impressed with the author's ability to convey the information. He covered Final Cut Pro 3 in a wonderful step by step process. Along the way he made sure that each process was clearly stated. Since I have no prior knowledge of working with Final Cut Pro 3, I appreciated the approach that was taken.If you are in the market for a FCP3 book, give this one STRONG consideration.

High Price but HIGH VALUE!!

The authors do a bang up job of covering Final Cut Pro. The content of this book is only surpassed by the excellent execution of its design. Content is well-written, clear and easily understandable. As if this weren't enough, the authors outdo themselves by using a design concept for their FCP3 topics that make already clear explanations, crystal clear. It's obvious that much of the book's high price is due to the high quality screen shots and illustrations all of which are in color. Color makes all the difference, especially when talking about FCP3 where color in the application itself conveys information to the user. The screen shots chosen by the authors to illustrate their explanations make this book a perfect choice for beginners or intermediate users. An excellent book, an excellent buy.

Jed Davis, Girls' Basketball Coach, AD, film director

Most manuals and how-to books are boring and do not live up to their titles. This book is an exception. It is written with care and a love for the art of film making. It is so thorough yet so understandable. And the layout is incredible. Read this book, use it as a reference for help. Regardless of your level of proficiency in Final Cut Pro, beginner or professional, you cannot come away without benefit.The authors assume you know nothing and take even the most basic technical terms and with the use of side bars, explain in plain English what they mean. An outstanding job from authors who live and love their Craft. They will help you become a more proficient user of Final Cut Pro. I recommend this book without reservation.

It's Worth Every Penny

I have been using Final Cut since 1999 when it first appeared and consider myself an expert with the basic tools of the program. I never knew much about the color keys, chroma keys, audio equalizers, etc. And really most books don't know much either. This book spends just as much time on the basic applications of Final Cut as well as the advanced applications which is critical since FCP 3 has plenty of new bells and whistles. Even us Final Cut experts can greatly benefit from this book just by learning a new short cut. The books design, full color illustrations and easy to read examples are perfect for even a five minute lesson or refresher course. I recommend this book to all FCP users both new and experienced. It explains the new color correction filter, the new narration function, and how to do offline editing.