iMovie vs. Final Cut Express vs. Final Cut Pro

Hi,

I'm writing an article for MacTech magazine on iMovie vs. Final Cut Express vs. Final Cut Pro. It examines why different people use the different apps. In other words, why do you use iMovie, Final Cut Express or Final Cut Pro? Or if you use one or more of the apps, which ones do you use for which purpose. Michael said you folks could offer me some great feedback for the article. If you're interested in offering some input, just send me an email at dsellers@macsimumnews.com

Dennis Sellers
Editor, publisher and Chief Macsimizer
Macsimum News

Especially hit up Tom Wolsky who frequents this forum. He's the resident FCE expert. From what we have seen in iMovie09 we sure like a lot of what is there. Pros could never use it. but some of log and capture features in iMovie make me drool a bit.

Michael Horton
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Final Cut Studio- Flexibility, versatility. It does so much at a fraction of the cost. Color, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Compressor, DVD Studio Pro. Add a capture card to run it with your monitors and decks..

Can't really compare between FCS, FCE and iMovie.



www.strypesinpost.com

Hey, I use FCP and Avid...I am a pro...and I am looking to get iMovie09...


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Short story about Final Cut Express -- a professional cinematographer friend wants to get into Final Cut - sees me editing - "all those cool effects, layering - everything from HD to SD..." He wants it all.

Calls me from Mac Store -"Hey FCE is sooooo much less expensive I'm going to get that!"

Me: "you won't be happy"

He: "oh sure I will....and I don't need all that Motion, Soundtrack, Live Type stuff..."

Me: Ok, don't call me when you can't do something.

Guess what - there was a lot he couldn't do. Endless calls to his "free" tech support. Me.

He: "Hey how come I can't take in anything but DV? Where's that great log and capture and media management -- Why won't it do this or that.

Me: "but you saved a bundle!"

Wasn't long before he was mov'n on up to FCP Studio.


If you want to do professional work - don't think you'll "get by" with FCE. Nice way to learn and do some things - but at least the version he had (maybe one or two versions ago) was too crippled for what he needed to do.

Andy

Not to be Mister Negative Guy ? for a change ? but I really don't understand why Final Cut Express exists. A few of the kids in the graphics department where I work have Final Cut Express on their iMacs, and once in a while I get a call asking how to do X or Y. In every case ? and this has happened maybe once a month for the past year ? the answer was, "Final Cut Express can't do that."

Admittedly, I've never actually used Final Cut Express for a whole job, and I've never even seen the new iMovie. But from what I've heard, anecdotally and all that, it seems like Final Cut Express is just iMovie with a different interface and a higher price tag.

"it seems like Final Cut Express is just iMovie with a different interface and a higher price tag."

Quite the contrary, FCE bears no resemblance to iMovie whatsoever. It's the FCP interface with a hugely lower price tag. If you're working in DV, HDV or AVCHD as a consumer it is extraordinarily great value.

Couldn't agree with Tom more in this regard. I often advise folks who aren't doing broadcast TV or feature film production to go with FCE instead.

I had a client the other day who was ready to recapture weeks of work on a project on which his capture scratch drive had died. Many Final Cut users who aren't familiar with both programs think that you can't batch recapture footage that has gone offline. He was saved a great deal of potentially lost time when I showed him how to batch recapture his project & not have to rebuild his timelines.

For broadcast & feature work FCP is essential, but for many mini DV, HDV & AVCHD users, FCE is all they need. I keep a registered copy of FCE on my Mac expressly to show the difference between the two programs to clients.

I don't feel that Apple is losing money by my showing people that Apple has provided a less expensive version that fits many people's requirements. I think people are grateful that Apple has provided a cost effective alternative that fits their needs. The good will that this creates leads to more purchases of Apple products.

Dave

Well said, Dave

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

> I don't feel that Apple is losing money by my showing people that Apple has provided a less
> expensive version that fits many people's requirements.

Hey, why not? As long as my next producer/director doesn't force me to cut the film on Final Cut Express!

I just recommended to a friend of mine to look into FCE and iMovie. She's a producer by trade and she's editing her reel...and she hasn't used Final Cut Pro since about 2003. I had to ask her whether it's overkill for her to get a full Final Cut Studio package when she edits maybe once a year.

Then again, if the tool's there, one is more inclined to learn and use it. So against the money investment, there's a consideration of training and craft. FCP expertise is definitely a more marketable skill than iMovie or FCE expertise.


www.derekmok.com

There are times when a sledgehammer is the correct tool for the job. At other times a regular hammer will do just fine.

Dave

I've never worked with iLife or FCE, but here they are in a nutshell...

iLife- $79 bucks, comes with iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, iWeb, iDVD
FCE- $199, comes with Livetype
Toast 10- $129 (Pro with Blu-Ray plug-in), $99 (non-Pro version)

FCS is more of a competitor to the Avid (and probably the Adobe) suites than iLife. I don't think anyone of us will drop PS for iPhoto...



www.strypesinpost.com

iLife is not a "competitor" to FCS / Adobe / Avid - nor is it meant to be. It's geared to the average consumer to make these usually daunting tasks easily attainable by non-pros. It is also a fabulous addition for Pros to FCS2 / Adobe PP. I have been using iDVD since it's inception for super quick & easy one-off DVD Demos / client proofs / family vids. Blows DVD Studio Pro out of the water RE ease of use / usefulness to me. I always said that iDVD was & still is (pound for pound / dollar for dollar) the best software app that Apple ever created.

* Never touched iWeb (use Dreamweaver)
* Never touched iMovie
* Occasionally use iPhoto to pull pics off my iPhone
* I recently started using Garageband to make ringtones out of all my tunes (love this feature).

I get my moneys' worth out of iDVD.

Sorry...back on topic. I had FCE way back for a very short short time. It was so limited for what I needed to do that I quickly went with FCP and cast it aside. I don't think I even completed that first project on it before deleting the entire app from my system.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

The Mac & FCP have been my editing machine of choice for the past 9 years. I've bought every upgrade since 1.2 as soon as it became available. I also bought FCE when it first came out to see who this version might be suitable for.

Likewise I bought a final cut keyboard long after I knew many times more shortcuts that the than the keyboard revealed. I picked up a Contour Jog/Shuttle for a similar reason. Both these devices helped some others that I was training who had difficulty remembering keyboard shortcuts.

I think the reason why most of us participate in these fcp forums is because we enjoy making the editing experience as enjoyable to others as it is for us. It's sometimes difficulty to perceive that tools & techniques that are a lifesaver to us may in fact be a boat anchor to this other person. The important point is not what is best way or tool for us but what is going to work out best for this other person.


Although I use DVDSP for making my DVD's there are lots of people that I recommend iDVD or Toast to, as DVDSP would sink them will do the job that they need.

Dave