iMovie vs. Final Cut

I've been using iMovie for almost 10 years and, for the most part have been very happy with it. It's been a very useful, easy and intuitive way for me to express myself in movie making.

What I don't like about it is that whenever I've been working on an 11th-hour project, iMovie invariably crashes and I have to stay up all night to figure out how to fix it. I'm not sure why this happens but I think it's because my projects are full of a lot of effects: imported audio, changes in video quality and clip speed, etc, and this tends to overload the program.

The other thing I don't like is when I tell professionals about the good movies I've made, and they're impressed, but when I tell them I made them in iMovie, they start to laugh. They explain that iMovie is "a consumer-level product" and if I really wanted to get into filmmaking, I'd need to learn a professional system such as Final Cut.

So I'd like to know what some of the differences are between iMovie and Final Cut. Seems to me that movie making is movie making, and if it looks good, who cares what you used to get there. But educate me, please. Thanks.

Well if you are stressing iMovie to the point it crashes then it sounds like you are ready to move up with the "big boys" so to say.

iMovie is to Final Cut Pro as a Volkswagon is to a BMW. If you are as creative as you indicate you will be amazed at what you can do with Final Cut.

I have played with iMovie. I mainly use Adobe Premiere Pro but I have created projects in Final Cut. Final Cut and Premiere Pro are both pro products. Where iMovie will require you to have creativity to work around it's limits, Final Cut will expand your creativity with its expanded abilities.

I have found with professional video editing software you are only limited by the capacity of your computer.

Yes you can turn out good looking projects with iMovie but if you want to open the doors to endless creativity - Final Cut has a lot to offer.

That said you will have a learning curve - a big one. The software does not hold your hand. You will have to spend time learning the ins and outs.

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa. I figured as much. I would guess that a good way to begin would be to find every tutorial available? Do you recommend any in particular?

My favorite way to learn is to purchase a training book - one with actual paper pages. That way I can make notes, put post-its in to mark places, etc. I hate to recommend a specific one as everyone is different. I usually go to Amazon and check out what others liked, pick one, and purchase it. I then supplement with online tutorials.

Books:
Amazon.com: final cut pro x

Tutorials:
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...TF-8#q=final cut pro x tutorial free download

As I said there will be a big learning curve but once you get proficient you will look back and realize just how much more you can do. Just one biggie for me - multi-camera editing!


Lisa