FCP certification concerns?

so heres the deal, ive been working with final cut since FCP2 and recently ive been interested in getting apple certified but i dont want to pay 2 grand just to hear everything i already know when i could just pay $150 and take the test on my own. i know we have more than a few apple certified pros on here and id be interested in knowing what all is involved with just the level one certification although ill more than likely move up in my cert level if i discover i really know what im talking about. thanks in advance for the help

Why do you want the certification? Do you teach FCP at a professional level? I don't think on the ground it makes that much difference to hire-rates unless you are planning on being a teacher. Even then most people only care that you know what you're talking about and that you can explain it to them.

mostly because i never went through college for this work. in my high school we had an extraordinary television production program and after three years in that program i had learned everything that i was going to learn in a college setting.(a lot of my friends ended up blowing a lot of money on film school to not gain much knowledge) so when your resume says you only have a high school diploma but you've been shooting and editing for 9 years, i feel as though its not looked upon the same way as some one who has that little extra piece of paper.

in essence i just want my piece of paper that says i know what im doing.

I hear you. Totally understandable. Since you're an experienced user, get the course book (Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 7, available in the lafcpug Store) and do all the lessons. However simple they may appear, you need to learn a lot keyboard shortcuts and alternative ways of doing things to pass the exam. Once you've got all that down cold and can answer all the questions at the end of each chapter easily, go take the Level One exam.

Also read this:

[training.apple.com]

hth,
Clay

shooting and editing for 9 years?
personally, i don't think you really need that piece of paper.
your future employers wont really care, IMO.
however, if you want it for you own piece of mind, go right ahead.

i get occasional work from teaching, so there are advantages for me sitting the tests.

the on-line tests are pretty easy to do.
they are all multiple choice questions,
and you do get a fair amount of time to do them in.

i strongly recommend doing a quick brush-up on all the newer features in FCP.
download all the "new feature" videos, watch them, and make notes.

if you don't pass the first time, then you will at least have gotten a very good idea of what the tests are like,
and then you can take it again in a fortnight, i think it is (for another $99 or so)
i haven't had to do that, but i imagine they'd al be similar but different questions.


cheers,
nick

thanks for the info guys

Yup- if you know the FCP book you can pass the cert exam- class is for folks who need more hand-holding or who are just starting. And you can retake it if you happen to fail. It's a hard test but as a ACT I've passed it via studying alone (though of course I took the classes to become a trainer in the first place).

Noah

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]

There was a sample FCP certification test posted online a while back and I took it for yuks.

I was frankly appalled by the poor quality of several questions and answers, and wrote in with my corrections. It was atrociously sloppy work. Hope they've improved that sample test, it wasn't a very good sales piece for Apple training.

- Loren

Today's FCP keytip:
Set a motion effect keyframe instantly with Control-K!

Your Final Cut Studio KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

I was looking for the sample test and only could find a practice one that cost $25.

The test is all multiple choice? I thought it was more like an essay, like 'write all the ways you can insert an edit.'

Well, you need humans to mark an essay..



www.strypesinpost.com

As noted, future employers won't be looking at that Certification in your resume. If they are looking to hire you as a shooter/editor, they want to see credits and a reel. Certification really only MIGHT help if you are looking for assistant work. My Avid certification helped with that. But didn't help with editing jobs. People can care less.

"DO you know the app? Yes? Moving on...let's see some sample of your work..."

FYI, I'm sure that if I took the test today, I'd fail.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

Quote

in essence i just want my piece of paper that says i know what im doing.

Reality check time:

That is the biggest misconception of our industry. People think they get that paper and "SHAZAM = I'M AN EDITOR!!". Albert Einstein said "The only source of KNOWLEDGE is EXPERIENCE". He also said "The only thing that INTERFERES with my LEARNING is my EDUCATION." There is no "piece of paper" that can substitute for experience. You do not magically become an "Editor" by getting that piece of paper. With paper or not, you will have to start as an Assistant somewhere...even with a Certification...to learn how to CUT (timing / rhythm / sense of humor / efficiency / work ethic / etc). My first gig in 1991 was cutting weddings on the 3rd shift @ $150 per wedding (8 hrs of work per night). I learned the system that way and THAT'S how I got bigger & better gigs. None of those peeps had a Certification.

I worked in a Post House for a major Ad Agency in Ft. Lauderdale for 3 1/2 years - nobody I knew had certification.

I worked in Creative Services at The Golf Channel for 5 years - nobody I knew had Certification

I am currently working at EA Sports (going on 2 years now) - nobody has Certification.

That piece of paper tells people that you know how to push the right buttons, but it doesn't mean you know what you are doing...not in the smallest sense of the word. There are plenty of "Editors" out there that have that piece of paper...that tell employers that they are "Certified Experts". These folks I speak of couldn't cut their way out of a paper bag with razorblades for arms. Film School is only a waste to people who didn't take it seriously. I learned everything I know about Networking in Film School - grateful for the knowledge.

Moral of my rant:

Spend your energy on creating quality pieces for a Demo Reel because any Pro on here will tell you unless you want to teach the software, the Demo Reel is the thing. Employers want to see what you have DONE...not how many certificates are on your resume.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

> That piece of paper tells people that you know how to push the right buttons

Even that's not true, Joe...that piece of paper tells people you've memorized a bunch of words that are the answer to a bunch of questions.

I think I speak for everybody here when I say we all know a load of FCP commands which, because we've mastered them so thoroughly, sometimes it even takes us a moment to remember what they are on paper because, in real life, you don't remember those features...you just use 'em. I've often had to think about where something is on the menu bar, just to show a student, because I'm so used to just blasting through the shortcut in 0.4 seconds. I'd agree wholeheartedly with Shane: If I took the test today, I'd probably fail. But I can do everything necessary in cutting a show, and fast.

Certification doesn't help actual editing work at all. It only helps with qualifications for certain teaching jobs. And even then, I know I (and many other people in here) can teach FCP better than some certified people, because all our experience is real battlefield stuff. The study process for certification also doesn't help real editing, because you're not learning to use those features in real-life situations. A real editor can tell you why you shouldn't capture 90 minutes of DV in one clip, or why Log and Batch Capture is far superior to Capture Now, or why renaming clips in FCP is a bad idea; the certification test wouldn't.

Does certification hurt? Not really. Is it worth the investment? In my work experience, not even a tiny bit.


www.derekmok.com

Actually all it says is you know how to pass the FCP certification exam. Which I can honestly say is more difficult and far less intuitive than actually editing with FCP....

Noah

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]

Guys, you're missing an important point. It is definetly worth the very minimal investment because aside from whatever opinions one might have on the value of the ACP certificate, doing the lessons and learning the course material is good training. With or without taking the exam. (And btw, working through 500+ pages of lessons and course material involves a lot more than memorizing a bunch of words.)

But the main thing is, when more and more people get more training, the FCP community as a whole and its level of professionalism benefit. Ask your local human resources manager at any enterprise. Training is one the least expensive and most effective methods of improving any business over the long haul.

My vote is go for it. I would never discourage someone willing to study and learn, and earn a bit of proof for having gone the extra mile.

Oh yeah- going through the book is a solid idea if you want to be a better editor. You'll learn all kinds of stuff FCP can do you didn't even realize.

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]

>mostly because i never went through college for this work. in my high school we had an
>extraordinary television production program and after three years in that program i had learned
>everything that i was going to learn in a college setting.(a lot of my friends ended up blowing a lot
>of money on film school to not gain much knowledge)

Hmm... okay, i don't know what you learnt in high school. I definitely won't argue against getting a good film education. Sure, you don't need it to get a job, but being a good editor is more than just about knowing the tools. It's also about creativity, the aesthetics, sensitivity to the medium. Eg. How well you know the story, are you able to spot the visual cues, whether you can incorporate certain visual elements into a style. Getting a good structured film education (film theory, film history, visual storytelling techniques, etc.), all that goes a long way into understanding film and its individual elements, which is more than just about operating a camera or importing and exporting from final cut. School can give you good grounding into certain concepts. And after that, you bake that in with good experience and you acquire more knowledge from working, and studying the films you watch.

Sure, you don't need a piece of paper or certification to get a job. But a reel is where you put all of that into practice, with years of experience. I've seen guys who learnt their trade from experience, and in some cases, editors who do nothing but cheesy wipes all day to impress their clients. In short, school isn't just where you learn how to operate a camera or how to use final cut.



www.strypesinpost.com

while in high school i pretty much ran the local television station and produce 90% of the content(the class it self was the actual operations of the channel). and from day one i was editing i even started out with two giant vtr's a mixing board and an editing controller then moved over to Media 100 on a G3 mac then over to FCP followed shortly there after with Television Production competition training where i did fairly well (state champion for a commercial for Elon University scripted shot and edited over two days and i made top ten at national competition for a commercial i shot for kansas city zoo) also during all this i did all the required videography training as well from working cameras and jib arms to learning proper lighting techniques, Chroma Key, Studio Budgeting and management. hell in my last year of it i was teaching part of the class as well as running all the tech for the two major theater productions we put on every year. our teacher approach was not one of "hey kids come waste some time playing with video" but more of "this is how the real world is and if you want a job this is what you need to know" its very sad to know that the program has been stripped down since the original teacher has left and now its just a bunch of kids screwing off and making music videos.

i guess alot of people dont realize that a backwoods NC high school would offer that program and hence the apprehension of people not believing half of what i say when i tell them i didnt really need to go to film school after high school.

Also i wanted to thank everyone for their input currently im not so much seeking a job(since i just got brought on to a local production company near my home town in VA as a production manager and editor) i just would enjoy the certification so my clients know im not just some kid with a computer.

again thanks for all of the input a both appreciate and respect the views of everyone who has added their pieces of information because i have the utmost respect for the people who are members of this board

If you would enjoy it, then go ahead with blessings, I'm sure. But as we are all saying, the way you prove you're not just a kid with a computer is with your work. Have a website with links to your award winning stuff, list your work history, and make a great reel. It will be your reputation that makes you.

> i guess alot of people dont realize that a backwoods NC high school would offer that program and
> hence the apprehension of people not believing half of what i say when i tell them i didnt really
> need to go to film school after high school.

The name of the school is also only of secondary concern. I have an MFA from Columbia University, but Columbia University produced both brilliant filmmakers and people who didn't know their head from their tuchus. If you made an absolutely brilliant film, nobody will care if you don't have an undergraduate degree.


www.derekmok.com

IMHO, the certification is more for ego and to impress others who have no idea. As long as you study the Peachpit Apple Pro Training Series book you will be fine. The problem with the exam is that 1) there really are trick questions 2) We use what tools we need which is why most people never outgrow the NLE. Unfortunately, there are questions pertaining to most everything whether you generally use those tools or not. 3) When you miss a question you are never told which questions you have missed. Just that you missed 1 out of 4 question on audio, got 4 out of 4 right in editing, got 5 out of 6 regarding filters and so on, but never the specifics which is really a stupid protocal in my book. 4) No question regardng keyboard shortcuts so you don't need to memorize much of that. 5) lots of questions regarding the slip, slide, ripple and rockandroll tools and lots of other petty junk.
My certification serves no real purpose. Not even completely sure why I got it. Never took the class, just brushed up on the book. There are tons of editors who know a heck of a lot more than I ever will who never got certified.
Steve

steve-sharksdelight

You're going to get a lot of people replying to this saying the certification is useless, blahblahblah. Not true. I have some certifications and people have asked me about them often, so I blogged about it. If you don't feel like reading that, here's the highlight on why you might want to do it:

* Being a certified pro gives you another credential that may or may not help you in your job search. It's not a guarantee of any sort. I live in the midwest, where a lot of HR people end up doing hiring, so it helps me. In LA, I expect to never get a job based on it.
* Being certified forces you to dig deeper into the software and learn it more than you ever have before. Many editors will tell you that having a natural ability is far more important than being a button pusher. This is true. However, I believe these two things are inseparable. If you have a natural ability, yet you are slow with the interface, you can't possibly tell your story effectively. If you are a natural AND a total whiz at pushing the buttons, you're limitless! Certification isn't memorization at all. You can't just memorize the answers to the questions at the end of the chapter and expect to pass.
* Being certified is a good thing for people who are motivated by tangible achievements to enrich themselves. You get a piece of paper from Apple, which looks pretty spiffy. It's a nice way to continue your education, if you're into that sort of thing.
* If you're ever interested in teaching, certification is a great step in learning the software at the level you need. None of my professors in college knew FCP as well as I did, and I find that kind of crappy, though they weren't teaching just a FCP class so I can forgive them.

Good post Kylee.

Getting Apple certified can't hurt. It's a competitive field, and every little thing in your favor helps. If nothing else, it shows that you're the kind of person who tends to dot their I's and cross their T's.

I've been using FCP since version 1.25, I'm a full time editor/assistant editor, and I'm looking to get certified for FCP and Compressor as soon as I get some time. While tedious, I'm sure learning the software from the test's POV would teach me a thing or two I didn't know that might end up being helpful. If not for myself, then for someone I work with.

- Justin Barham -

Finally went and took the Level One test at Moviola. Passed with "96.15%", but I can see where it throws some people off. It's very much oriented towards what keys to press, and UI nomenclature.

Glad I took it as it was a great incentive to review my knowledge of FCP. Learned a few ways to do things that I didn't know before.

- Justin Barham -