The best FCP Tutorial is ...?
 

What is the best tutorial dvd/cd/book for FCP HD or FCP4?

I'm looking to buy one soon, to make sure I learn all the features that my current mentors fail to teach.

I Like Jerry Hoffman's book on FCP - teaches you the app and how to use it practically and edit. Kevin Monhan's is also great if you like doing effects. Tom Wolsky's book is good for learning the application. I'd go to the local bookstore and see which of the above you like. BTW, I wrote a bunch of free filters for Kevin's book which are worth the price of the book alone - they're fun! (But go to fcpworld.com and download the fixed versions as the publishers broke the ones on the CD)

Graeme

Final Cut Pro 4 and the Art of Filmaking

http://eshop.msn.com/search/detail.aspx?pcId=12167&prodId=2018003

I got this book and it's great. I highly recommend it.
Overstock.com got it for about $35, i myself got if for like $34 shipped, not bad considering the retail price is $59.99.

Great book and has a tutorial DVD (which I haven't gotten too)

I've haven't finished reading the book yet, but I have gone back to it for find out about something, or to figure out how to do this or that a lot of times. Definetly a great asset to have around.

I used The Apple Pro Training Series Book "Final Cut Pro 4, Editing Professional Video" by Diana Weyland. Very well written, and comes with a DVD with tutorial clips to work on. After the first 7 chapters (each aabout an hour and a half) I was up and running on FCP, having never used a NLE before.

And don't forget the free Final Cut Pro Quick Tips found over at my site! ;)

Cheers

<<<-- Originally posted by Stephen Schleicher : And don't forget the free Final Cut Pro Quick Tips found over at my site! ;)

Cheers -->>>


Thanks!

Stephen's got a ton of stuff off his site and it's all good stuff.

Personally, when I was starting out (or starting any program) I like to be shown what I'm being taught so I tend to lean toward videos.

The POWERSTART FCP disks from DVCREATORS are great for beginners. They start from the basics and go up from there. recommended.


Jerry Hoffman has a DVD training out that is really good. He's got a good style and he's on a large number of FCP boards so you can ask him questions directly.

After those I like books that teach through project oriented stuff like Tom Wolsky's "Final Cut Pro ___ Editing Workshop". The thing with these (and any other book / video) is that if you are just learning, the basics are the basics. You could get Tom's ( or Jerry's) FCP 3 book and still learn tons PLUS pick it up off a site like www.half.com for next to nothing.

The basics of FCP 2 or 3 are the same basics of FCP 4 and you have to start with the basics.

The books fronted by Diana Weyland are BIG books and probably not the best place to start but are fantastic for reference once you get started.

Best thing is look around on Half.com or some place like that for cheap FCP 3 books and get started and always order these kinds of books on-line instead of buying them in the stores. They are expensive and on a 50-60 dollar book saving 20-30% off cover is a lot of money.

All the books mentioned here are excellent but I tend to favor Training DVDs to learn apps. Just makes a bit more sense to watch and do rather than read and do. Anyway, the lafcpug store has got them all including these books and you wont find most of the training DVDs any cheaper than in the lafcpug store

http://www.lafcpug.org/store.html

I found this place [see below], to be quite a nice deal. You can either purchase their training disks for $99 each, or, for $25 per month, aquire access, on an unlimitted basis, to ALL courses offered right into your web browser. Specificlly, the FCP tutorial is EXCELLENT. It is taught by Nathan Haggard, [DVWorks]. The visual aspect is the way to go...makes the process of catching on so much easier than trying to grasp tips from a book. The cool thing is the unlimited access. If I get stuck, I log on and check out what I need to see. If you choose not to have the unlimited monthly access, just sign up for 1 month and take the course, then cancel. Nathan is just great in my opinion. One other thing...keep in mind they offer about 20 or 30 courses! Again, unlimitted access for $25...look into it, you won't be sorry.

-http://www.vtc.com/

-paul
nyc

Stephen, great helpful fcp website!
Paul, I had a look at vtc, the one month unlimited access seems like great value.

Thanks for the advice everybody!!!


Has anyone used the DMTS Final Cut Pro Interactive Training DVD?
Their website is at: http://www.digitalmediatraining.com/

Yah, Mark, I bought the DMTS Final Cut Pro Interactive Training DVD and ended up returning it. I found it to be extremely thin on content, but that may be the nature of the beast regarding dvd training. I have another dvd that came with my system from ProMax, and also found that disc lacking. However, they may provide a certain comfort level, allowing the viewer to "see" the program at work. But don't expect to really learn the software. Buy a book.

Wayne Orr, SOC