Summary:

Whether you've mastered the basics of Final Cut Pro and want to take your skills to the next level, or if you're a video editor new to Final Cut Pro and looking to put your own system together, this book is for you. Written by "chawla," a Final Cut Pro guru and veteran moderator on 2-Pop/Creative Cow, this book covers the interface basics and workflow but goes beyond to address intermediate techniques and timesaving tips for professional results. Roberts does not assume you have an IT staff on hand and therefore goes into crucial issues of set up, configuration, consumer advice on hardware purchasing, and troubleshooting. Equally valuable is coverage of working with formats such as standard definition, uncompressed, and FireWire DV.

* An intermediate-level book designed to meet the needs of editors coming from other editing systems
as well as newer Final Cut Pro editors ready to take the next step in editing technique and in hardware upgrade
* Explores Final Cut Pro's functionality from every angle, from drag-and-drop mouse use to speedy, old-school keyboard-only, showing multiple methods to accomplish each task, and when to use each
* Covers requirements and jargon-free specifications for working with popular formats such as FireWire DV and the increasingly affordable standard definition uncompressed; written for those looking to upgrade

Table of Contents:
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
1: The Initial Setup: Optimizing the Mac OS and Final Cut Pro
2: Settings: Are Yours Correct?
3: Importing Media: What Importing Is and What It Is Not
4: Editing Tools
5: Compositing and Special Effects
6: Audio Post-Production
7: Getting Your Project out of Final Cut Pro
Appendix 1: Digital Video Formats: The Stuff you Shoot and Edit With
Appendix 2: The Macintosh Hardware for Final Cut Pro
Appendix 3: Extra Tips and Tricks
Epilogue
Index