NLE Mac / Final Cut questions from 2003

Marcus Farrar · August 28th, 2003, 11:35 AM

I switched from PC a few years ago and I was a Premiere fan. I still think it is one of the best. I made the transition to Final Cut pro and have not looked back. They are very simular actually and it is really hard to say which is better. I think it is more of a what works better for you. As for me I really like FCP better now comparing the two. FCP has some extra bells and whistels that Premeire dosen't. FCP 4 with all the extras takes the cake and one of the very slack ends it now picks up is the titler.

I still need to get toast myself. Everyone is talking about it. You can make your VCD really user friendly so that when a client puts it in the computer it starts by itself. Simular to a DVD.

Matt Concialdi · August 28th, 2003, 04:04 PM

I am buying a G5 Dual with 1.5 GHz. Is that enough or should I spend an extra 150 for 2.0 GHz?

This is the exact specs for the computer:

PM-G5 2.0 GHz DP 512MB 160GB Superdrive PCI Rad9600 with 2- 512MB DDR400 (PC3200) 2x256 Dimm kit
Hitachi Deskstar 250GB Serial ATA 7200rpm 8mb cache drive

Any thoughts or comments would be helpful.

Thanks,

Matt

Boyd Ostroff · August 28th, 2003, 04:57 PM

I think you mean 1.5 GB, not 1.5 Ghz. GB = GigaBytes (memory), Ghz = GigaHertz (processor speed)...

I have no experience with the G5's (who does? ;-), but I never knew anyone who later complained that they had TOO MUCH memory ;-)

Glenn Chan · August 28th, 2003, 05:01 PM

Apple charges ridiculous prices for RAM. Get Kingston or Crucial RAM from a 3rd party. Search for Mac RAM specifically for the G5 and you will find the brand that Apple uses. RAM is very easy to install as long as you take proper precautions. There aren't any settings or jumpers to mess with. Remember to get RAM in pairs and they should all match.

Matt Concialdi · August 28th, 2003, 07:15 PM

My bad, I ment 1.5GB. Typo, sorry.

Jeff Donald · August 28th, 2003, 07:47 PM

I went up to the local CompUSA to buy some ink jet paper and to my surprise they had a 1.6 GHz G5 in stock. Photoshop was installed, so I ran some informal tests on certain filters and such that I run frequently. WOW. I have no clue how it will stack up in the real world vs. P4's etc. But it smokes my G4 dual 450. I can only imagine how fast the dual 2 GHz will be.

Darrell Hinton · August 28th, 2003, 09:52 PM

Well as many of you may already know from some of my other posts I've been painstakingly trying to decide between an XL1S and a DVX100. Well so I finally decided to go with the DVX100 for it's 24/fps capabilities. But then, of course, I discovered something that makes the decision not so easy again. See, I was planning on getting a new Powerbook G4 with a SuperDrive and extra RAM to do my editing on. And Apple has a special going on where if you purchase any new computer before September 19, you can get Final Cut Express for only $99 (it retails for $249, I think). So I had been planning on getting FCX, with my new computer. Well, I recently found out that FCX is not compatible with the DVX100's 24/fps mode (this is correct, isn't it?) Which means that now I would have to purchase the Final Cut Pro edition, which I wouldnt mind having, but by the time you add up the price of the DVX100, the Powerbook, and the FCP it will end up costing me over $7,000. Which, needless to say, is A LOT of money. But anyways to my question, I am new to the digital video world, so I am a little worried that FC Pro could be overwhelming. I am skilled with computers and I am a fairly quick learner. As long as all the information I will need to use the program is presented in the manual, I think I could figure it out. But I just wanted to ask y'all how hard you think it would be for someone to pick up on Final Cut Pro with no former experience in anything other than iMovie? Also, was my information correct about FCX not being compatible with 24/fps? Thanks for any help.

Aaron Rosen · August 29th, 2003, 12:38 AM

Matt -

Find the 3rd party RAM. Then call me, I have a new company that I'm sure I will be needing your help with.

- AR

Jeff Donald · August 29th, 2003, 03:11 AM

I don't think FCE works in 24PA, but it may work in other modes, certainly 60i, and 30P. Are you a student? Have you looked at student discounts on the Apple gear?

Jake Russell · August 29th, 2003, 06:03 PM

Sounds like the datarate is too high if you're getting jerky playback off of the cd. You'll need to save it at a lower datarate to play it off of the disc well.

If you need to autorun your QT file and dont have director or something then maybe download the LiveStage Pro demo(I'm sure there is still one) as it's a full version. Make a few autorun files that start generic names of QT movies. Like start.mov, movie.mov etc but anything really. So you can use the autorun over and over just name your QT file whatever you called it in LiveStage Pro and the puppy will autorun fullscreen or whatever you want.

Jake

Matt Concialdi · August 29th, 2003, 06:41 PM

FCP is a fairly easy program to learn and use. I learned it in about an hour, however I have used AVID, Adobe, Matrix, Toaster Flyer(Old), and media 100. I am a student and some of my classmates have no experiance with anything and they seem to pick it up very quickly and by their second project, seem to be near experts and are showing me shortcuts and new things. Give it a try, I think you will find it fairly easy to catch on.

Aaron Rosen · August 29th, 2003, 10:15 PM

YOu will be fine. If you have been an computer guy for a while, and esp. an Apple guy, you will have NO problem picking up on FCP.

The great thing is that after you get comfortable with it, you will still learn to do new and better things.

Enjoy your new toys!

Jeff Price · August 30th, 2003, 10:29 AM

Final Cut Pro v 4.0.2 Update is in your Mac OS X Software Update Control Panel.

This update is "strongly recommended for all users working with DV and DVCPRO50 devices. This update resolves an issue in which certain Final Cut Pro configurations would generate repeated frames during Edit to Tape operations."

Joe Lloyd · August 30th, 2003, 10:41 AM

Anyone have any information on this exam? The FCP4 certification exam. I see it on certifications.apple.com but when i call prometric they tell me they don't have an FCP4 certification exam. Im lost now....

Glenn Chan · August 30th, 2003, 07:33 PM

ken stone's final cut pro site has useful information for final cut pro and final cut express. be sure to know how to capture properly in FCP, as it is not as easy as in iMovie.

The interface is pretty easy to pick up. Knowing how to use all the tools will make your life a lot easier (slip edits, roll edits, select all tracks forward, nesting, etc.).

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_homepage_index.html

August 28th, 2003, 11:35 AM	#916
Marcus Farrar Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Raleigh, NC USA Posts: 110	I switched from PC a few years ago and I was a Premiere fan. I still think it is one of the best. I made the transition to Final Cut pro and have not looked back. They are very simular actually and it is really hard to say which is better. I think it is more of a what works better for you. As for me I really like FCP better now comparing the two. FCP has some extra bells and whistels that Premeire dosen't. FCP 4 with all the extras takes the cake and one of the very slack ends it now picks up is the titler. I still need to get toast myself. Everyone is talking about it. You can make your VCD really user friendly so that when a client puts it in the computer it starts by itself. Simular to a DVD. __________________ Marcus Farrar Production Director Katana Productions www.katanapro.com

August 28th, 2003, 04:04 PM	#917
Matt Concialdi Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mission Viejo Posts: 28	1.5 GHz enough for G5 I am buying a G5 Dual with 1.5 GHz. Is that enough or should I spend an extra 150 for 2.0 GHz? This is the exact specs for the computer: PM-G5 2.0 GHz DP 512MB 160GB Superdrive PCI Rad9600 with 2- 512MB DDR400 (PC3200) 2x256 Dimm kit Hitachi Deskstar 250GB Serial ATA 7200rpm 8mb cache drive Any thoughts or comments would be helpful. Thanks, Matt

August 28th, 2003, 07:47 PM	#921
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I went up to the local CompUSA to buy some ink jet paper and to my surprise they had a 1.6 GHz G5 in stock. Photoshop was installed, so I ran some informal tests on certain filters and such that I run frequently. WOW. I have no clue how it will stack up in the real world vs. P4's etc. But it smokes my G4 dual 450. I can only imagine how fast the dual 2 GHz will be. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 28th, 2003, 09:52 PM	#922
Darrell Hinton Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 77	Question about Final Cut Pro Well as many of you may already know from some of my other posts I've been painstakingly trying to decide between an XL1S and a DVX100. Well so I finally decided to go with the DVX100 for it's 24/fps capabilities. But then, of course, I discovered something that makes the decision not so easy again. See, I was planning on getting a new Powerbook G4 with a SuperDrive and extra RAM to do my editing on. And Apple has a special going on where if you purchase any new computer before September 19, you can get Final Cut Express for only $99 (it retails for $249, I think). So I had been planning on getting FCX, with my new computer. Well, I recently found out that FCX is not compatible with the DVX100's 24/fps mode (this is correct, isn't it?) Which means that now I would have to purchase the Final Cut Pro edition, which I wouldnt mind having, but by the time you add up the price of the DVX100, the Powerbook, and the FCP it will end up costing me over $7,000. Which, needless to say, is A LOT of money. But anyways to my question, I am new to the digital video world, so I am a little worried that FC Pro could be overwhelming. I am skilled with computers and I am a fairly quick learner. As long as all the information I will need to use the program is presented in the manual, I think I could figure it out. But I just wanted to ask y'all how hard you think it would be for someone to pick up on Final Cut Pro with no former experience in anything other than iMovie? Also, was my information correct about FCX not being compatible with 24/fps? Thanks for any help.

August 29th, 2003, 03:11 AM	#924
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I don't think FCE works in 24PA, but it may work in other modes, certainly 60i, and 30P. Are you a student? Have you looked at student discounts on the Apple gear? __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 28th, 2003, 04:57 PM	#918
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	I think you mean 1.5 GB, not 1.5 Ghz. GB = GigaBytes (memory), Ghz = GigaHertz (processor speed)... I have no experience with the G5's (who does? ;-), but I never knew anyone who later complained that they had TOO MUCH memory ;-)

August 28th, 2003, 05:01 PM	#919
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Apple charges ridiculous prices for RAM. Get Kingston or Crucial RAM from a 3rd party. Search for Mac RAM specifically for the G5 and you will find the brand that Apple uses. RAM is very easy to install as long as you take proper precautions. There aren't any settings or jumpers to mess with. Remember to get RAM in pairs and they should all match.

August 28th, 2003, 07:15 PM	#920
Matt Concialdi Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mission Viejo Posts: 28	My bad, I ment 1.5GB. Typo, sorry.

August 29th, 2003, 12:38 AM	#923
Aaron Rosen Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: HB, CA - USA Posts: 298	Matt - Find the 3rd party RAM. Then call me, I have a new company that I'm sure I will be needing your help with. - AR

August 29th, 2003, 06:03 PM	#925
Jake Russell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 177	Sounds like the datarate is too high if you're getting jerky playback off of the cd. You'll need to save it at a lower datarate to play it off of the disc well. If you need to autorun your QT file and dont have director or something then maybe download the LiveStage Pro demo(I'm sure there is still one) as it's a full version. Make a few autorun files that start generic names of QT movies. Like start.mov, movie.mov etc but anything really. So you can use the autorun over and over just name your QT file whatever you called it in LiveStage Pro and the puppy will autorun fullscreen or whatever you want. Jake

August 29th, 2003, 06:41 PM	#926
Matt Concialdi Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mission Viejo Posts: 28	FCP is a fairly easy program to learn and use. I learned it in about an hour, however I have used AVID, Adobe, Matrix, Toaster Flyer(Old), and media 100. I am a student and some of my classmates have no experiance with anything and they seem to pick it up very quickly and by their second project, seem to be near experts and are showing me shortcuts and new things. Give it a try, I think you will find it fairly easy to catch on.

August 29th, 2003, 10:15 PM	#927
Aaron Rosen Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: HB, CA - USA Posts: 298	YOu will be fine. If you have been an computer guy for a while, and esp. an Apple guy, you will have NO problem picking up on FCP. The great thing is that after you get comfortable with it, you will still learn to do new and better things. Enjoy your new toys!

August 30th, 2003, 10:29 AM	#928
Jeff Price Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chico, California Posts: 357	Another bug fix for FCP 4 Final Cut Pro v 4.0.2 Update is in your Mac OS X Software Update Control Panel. This update is "strongly recommended for all users working with DV and DVCPRO50 devices. This update resolves an issue in which certain Final Cut Pro configurations would generate repeated frames during Edit to Tape operations." __________________ Jeff Price Flickerflix Nature Videos flickerflix@yahoo.com

August 30th, 2003, 10:41 AM	#929
Joe Lloyd Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Auckland, NZ Posts: 202	Taking exam 9L0-908 Anyone have any information on this exam? The FCP4 certification exam. I see it on certifications.apple.com but when i call prometric they tell me they don't have an FCP4 certification exam. Im lost now....

August 30th, 2003, 07:33 PM	#930
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	ken stone's final cut pro site has useful information for final cut pro and final cut express. be sure to know how to capture properly in FCP, as it is not as easy as in iMovie. The interface is pretty easy to pick up. Knowing how to use all the tools will make your life a lot easier (slip edits, roll edits, select all tracks forward, nesting, etc.). http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_homepage_index.html