Hey guys,

I'm all set to make my move from PC to Mac. I will be ordering my Mac Pro with FCS2 system very shortly. I would like to know the best training resources (DVDs, Books, Online training, etc.) available for Mac and FCP 6.

Two things I'm looking gain knowledge in specifically:

1. Mac OS: Since I have no experience with this I'm looking for a training/guide where I can learn to get around in MAC OS

2. FCP 6: Again, no previous experience with this. I have been a Premiere user for 4 years therefore I don't need a training in basic editing rather I'm looking to learn the FCP 6 interface and get familiar with it.

These are the priorities at the moment. I’m planning on getting into other software of FCS 2 package later on. But it will be great if you can give some leads in terms of training resources for those as well.

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks.

I found the DMTS DVD training to be good for FCP. Also, look at Ken Stone's site. And the Los Angeles FCP users' group is good for basic information, LAFCPUG. DMTS is, I think, digitalmeditraining.com.

I had edited on Avid (Media Composer and XpressPro) for about 10 years before switching to FCP and had a rough time at first. The thing that saved me was a book called Final Cut Pro for Avid Editors. Before I got that book I had decided that FCP was the worst thing ever made. With the book, and then the training DVD, I was proficient within a few days. You might check to see if there is a similar book for Premiere switchers. I learned Avid on my own, but FCP was not so intuitive for me. One thing good about the DMTS DVDs is that the package includes training for all the Studio 2 software--DVD Studio Pro, etc.

Thanks Bill... I will check them out.

Hi Ram.

I think lynda.com would be the best all-in-one solution for you.

They have online tutorials on the Mac OS plus FCP plus the other Final Cut Studio applications (including Color). Plus Shake. Plus tutorials on the Adobe suite of applications. They charge $US25 per month.

As an aside, another good resource is Ripple Training. They produce excellent training DVDs on Final Cut Studio (but nothing outside FCS).

But I reckon lynda.com is probably the best fit for your current needs.

Ram, I was in your exact same position a year ago...

Lynda.com is decent... You can get a month for around 30 bucks and learn all you want in that time.

I went from knowing nothing about a Mac and FCP to a functional editor in a month... granted, I still have a TON to learn, but at least I am not staring at the screen with a glazed look.

Best bang for buck IMHO

I still go back for a month membership here and there as the need arises.

Thanks guys... I will check them out.

What do you recommand interms of books for FCP 6? I know there are tons of books available. Video and online training are good to get things started but It is always nice to have a good book for reference.

I agree with all the above comments however, if you like books with dvd tutorials the Peachpitt series is hard to beat. The Diana Weynand Final Cut Pro 6 book will tell you everything you need to know about the program and more. The accompanying DVD,s are an excellent resource to follow along with.
When you've been through that i highly recommend the Soundtrack and Color books.
Lynda is the best value if you like to watch movies.

I agree with Dom about the Diana Weynand book/DVD combo. This excellent series of books with accompanying exercises/tutorials is entirely how I've learned. (Albeit I already had a very firm grip on the Mac OS environment.)

I have other books from the series on DVD Studio and Motion as well. You can often find older versions of these books inexpensively on ebay, and although they may not teach all the latest features, they'll certainly get you up and running.

Ram
I'm with Dom and Frank.
I did my research and I went with Peachpit Press: www.peachpit.com
Last year I hadn't edited any video in my life. After first 4 lessons from Diana Weynand "Final Cut Pro 6" I edited a whole wedding (pretty decent edit lol).
Nothing will replace hands on experience with real footage, which you edit during each lesson. I think the fact that it's Apple certified, tells you something.

I got almost all the books for FCS 2: FCP 6 Beyond The Basics, DVDSP4, Motion 3, Motion Graphics end Effects in FCS 2, The Craft of Editing with FCP, Encyclopedia of Visual Effects, Soundtrack Pro, Compressor 3 and I still want to order Color and Encyclopedia of Color Correction.
I'm going slowly through these books and suddenly everything becomes so easy and obvious. I strongly recommend them.

IMO, the advantage of Peachpit over Lynda.com is that you keep the books and you can always go back in few months, years. You can purchase all the books at amazon.com for around a year worth of membership with lynda.com and I'm sure you won't go through all of them over a year.

Good luck