Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Express 4 (Apple Pro Training) | 
 enlarge | Author: Diana Weynand
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Category: Book
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $22.77
You Save: $17.22 (43%)
New (33) from $22.77
Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 5503
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 504
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7.3 x 1
ISBN: 0321534670
Dewey Decimal Number: 778.5930285536
EAN: 9780321534675
ASIN: 0321534670
Publication Date: December 21, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The only Apple-certified guide to Final Cut Express 4, this book delivers the techniques you need to make movie magic with DV, HDV, or AVCHD footage. Each chapter presents a complete lesson in an aspect of video editing and finishing, with hands-on projects to complete as you go. All the files you need are on the included DVD-ROM. You’ll learn how to make effective edits and adjust them precisely; create polished transitions and sophisticated composites; add audio tracks, titles, and speed and motion effects; then color-correct and finish your video for export to DVD or the Web. Whether you’re a student, a devoted amateur who’s serious about digital video, or a professional who needs a comprehensive editing program, you’ll find everything you need to learn Final Cut Express 4 within the pages of this book. DVD-ROM includes lesson and media files for over 20 hours of training.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Janneman July 7, 2008
Not well laid out, erratic unclear not easy at times to follow lessons. Uses F key shortcuts without telling student to disable F key in Sys Prefs, very frustrating and I'm sure a pitfall for some. Why no appendix with listing of commands and shortcuts? Time spent and knowledge retained/gained not balanced. Not truly a text nook but a guide to what can be done. Must say, lessons on DVD well organized, integrated onto application.
 Happy First Documentary June 30, 2008
This is not a first hand review. The Final Cut Express Pro was purchased by me for my husband. He has many, many hours in the can of his first documentary that needs to be edited down to just under 60 minutes. Getting FCEP has made the daunting task of editing his work less stressful by leaps and bounds. Now that editing isn't the nightmare it started out to be, I can tell you for sure I have a very happy man working on the first of many docs to come.
Copyright 2008, but content somewhat outdated April 21, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I received this book yesterday and so far I've only gotten through the first three chapters. But I have already found a few outdated statements. A few examples:
1) "HDV video formats record on tape....AVCHD formats, however, record directly onto disks or hard drives." No mention of memory cards or hybrid options.
2) Lesson Review question (page 30): "What kind of cable do you use to connect your camera to your computer?" Answer: "A FireWire cable."
No mention of USB; in fact, the entire section in chapter 2 covering connecting the camera to the computer only addresses FireWire.
3) The book says after launching the first time FCE looks for any FireWire devices and displays an error message if none are found. This didn't happen, at least not in my case, which makes sense since many newer camcorders don't have firewire.
4) When I opened the first project file (provided on the book's DVD) as instructed, FCE displayed a notice that the file was from an earlier version and asked whether or not to update it. The book doesn't even address this alert, leaving the user to wonder whether or not to select "Yes" or "No" to update the project file. Not updating all the files to version 4 (which they really should have done) is one matter; not even addressing the update prompt is even worse.
None of this is detrimental to my learning experience, however it is evident this is old material merely updated for the 2008 edition, and they missed a few parts during the updating process.
So far the book is VERY basic. I'm a long-time Windows user who just received my first mac about a week ago, and it is simplistic, even for me.
UPDATE: I've progressed through the first 12 chapters, and I'm beginning to realize this book is great for walking (crawling, actually) the user through using the software with the project files included on the book's own DVD, but not so great for real-life applications. For example, I've scanned through the remainder of the book and realized it doesn't eplain how to handle existing video files in different formats (AVI's, for example). FCE can do it, but this book doesn't cover it. I've quit reading the book and started reading the FCE4 User Manual instead. So far, it seems far more applicable to what I need to know; unfortunately, the FCE4 electronic user guide is over 1000 pages long --- more pages than I care to print.
If I could change my rating on this book, I would. It was a waste of money and time. Even for the basic material that is covered, the progression is at a snails pace; it could be much more concise and efficient. Even better, it could cover more useful territory by addressing real-life applications in addition to sterile made-to-order projects.
UPDATE 2:I decided to finish the book and have progressed to the "Appendix", the additional chapters available only on DVD. It is so cumbersome trying to learn this way - read a line, switch to FCE4 to perform the step, re-activate the Preview window to read the next step, reactivate FCD4 to perform it, back and forth, back and forth. See, this is why I actually BOUGHT A BOOK. So I wouldn't have to do this. There are plenty of tutorials on line. I paid money for a book for a reason - to spare myself such inconvenience.
One more thing: The last two chapters used terminology I hadn't seen before (keyframes, for example), with no explanation. However those chapters kept referencing the Appendix. I found explanations for those terms in the Appendix. It seems the Appendix chapters should be completed chronologically before the last chapter, making their absence from the book even more annoying.
P.S. Word to the wise: I sent an email inquiry to the author several days ago. Although I've yet to receive a response (and doubt I ever will), I have begun to receive spam emails from her company.
 Good But No Cigar April 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have enjoyed the lessons up to lesson 6. At that point it brings up F-9, F-10, and F-11 keys. It was not a big deal until this particular lesson. The book was written at the time of the mac OS Tiger operating system. I went to the book site for an update on reprograming these keys but there was nothing there! The lessons may be useless from here on out without information on programing these keys in Leopard!
Great Book March 22, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I liked this manual. Easy to read and good information. It took about a week of relaxed study and working through the examples, and now I know Final Cut Express. Easy as that.
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