Final Cut Pro 2: Amazon.co.uk: Software

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System Requirements

Platform: Mac
Media: CD-ROM
Item Quantity: 1

› See more system requirements

Product Features

Cutting-edge video-editing, compositing and effects
Turnkey editing power
Seamless real-time integration
Single solution for pro-editing and compositing
Precise media management tools

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Back in 1999, Apple introduced its desktop video production program that would soon change the way filmmakers thought about video. Final Cut Pro 2.0 is the long-awaited upgrade. So much has been said about digital video and making home movies on your computer, it's easy to forget that just over two years ago the options were limited. Pro-quality systems were prohibitively expensive, while consumer software was often awkward, unstable, limited, or frankly not very fun. Final Cut Pro put an end to that, at least for Macintosh users. Sure, version 1.0 had some unpleasant quirks common with initial versions of software. But its pleasing design, simplicity, and solid integration of tools assured users they were working with something special.

Final Cut Pro 2.0 adds several key enhancements, while the same QuickTime-based architecture and concepts from 1.0 remain intact. Improvements in FCP 2.0 include the new Media Manager, which is great for copying clips into a new project and deleting unused portions of clips. FCP 2.0 offers better support for Adobe After Effects plug-ins, 24 fps (frames per second) editing for film compatibility, and OMF export to pro audio mixing tools like Pro Tools. Add a PCI-based RTMac effects card, and motion effects can be viewed without rendering via QuickTime.

Control of Firewire-based DV cameras is a snap. Final Cut will look for devices at startup. From the application you can shuttle your footage to precise locations and capture video and/or audio to a selected hard drive, and log your clips with reel number, description, scene number, and notes. Final Cut Pro 2.0 uses standard source, record, timeline and bin windows. These are referred to as Viewer, Canvas, Timeline/Sequence, and Browser. Simply import your digitised video clips into the Browser. Double-click the clip and it pops into the Viewer. From here, you can easily set in and out points, create filters, and add motion effects in the Viewer, then drag the manipulated clip into the Timeline.

Apple claims processing power of Final Cut Pro has increased by 30 per cent or more. In our test-run of Final Cut Pro 2. on a 350 MHz G4, we did notice a performance boost over 1.0 in terms of speed. We chose to build a quick, rough "new style" edit. Using footage of a street demonstration, we quickly laid out short segments directly from Browser to Timeline. In the Timeline we trimmed each clip by dragging its edges (a little window pops up indicating the new clip length as it's trimmed), and made some minor adjustments in the audio.

Final Cut allows you to open multiple sequences in one project (as well as have multiple projects open at once), unlike other programs. This is a great feature for building and fine-tuning individual segments or scenes and merging them later. For our street demonstration video, we created four segments of thematically related footage, simply clicking on the tabs (Sequence 1, Sequence 2, etc.) in the Timeline to move effortlessly back and forth between the sequences. These window tabs reduce desktop clutter and streamline accessibility to the features of the program. Clicking the Effects tab in the Browser window brought up the list of over 75 effects and transitions. By dragging the dissolve icon between clips we easily added smooth transitions to our segments.

We have of course only scratched the surface of what Final Cut Pro 2.0 is capable of. Anyone working seriously with video on a Macintosh should consider Final Cut Pro. For the price, it's the best application you can get. It rivals systems that cost 5 to 10 times as much, and has quite simply revolutionised the desktop video medium by giving consumers and industry professionals access to the same technology. --John Bosch

Manufacturer's Description

Turnkey editing power
Why pay more to rent an editing system when you can own a digital video powerhouse outright? Designed to meet the needs of the most demanding professional video editors, Final Cut Pro 2 includes a new real-time editing architecture and new media management tools, support for virtually all professional video formats, scores of feature enhancements - plus a suite of animation, graphics, audio and compression software applications. Quite simply, Final Cut Pro 2 gives you the tools and capabilities typically found in editing systems ten times the cost.

Seamless Real-Time Integration
Many real-time editing systems in this price range use restrictive, proprietary real-time architecture that translates into a constrained creative environment, and UI-clogged with too many hard-wired effects. Instead, Final Cut Pro 2 uses a real-time QuickTime-based architecture that allows seamless integration with Final Cut Pro's motion tab functions. Compositing. Motion. Distortion. Crops. Shadows. All can be viewed without having to first undergo a lengthy and unintuitive rendering process - just plug in a RT PCI-card. The result? You and your clients can establish a more creative editing pace.

And just as QuickTime gives Final Cut Pro the ability to work with a variety of capture hardware, the new QuickTime real-time architecture enables Final Cut Pro 2 to work with a variety of real-time hardware, allowing video professionals to choose the format and features most suited to meet their needs.

Single Solution for Pro-Editing and Compositing
Unique to an application with this much editing functionality are Final Cut Pro's built-in compositing tools. Combine layer upon layer of video, audio, text, and graphics to create stunning sequences.

In addition to 75 built-in filters and effects, Final Cut Pro 2 features increased support for Adobe After Effects plug-ins, putting a whole library of digital wizardry at your fingertips. Or you can also use the built-in special effects, or use FXBuilder to roll your own.

Precise media Management Tools
Final Cut Pro 2 also gives you exceptional media management features with precise controls, multiple bins and folders for storing clips and effects, plus support for multi-item sorts, sifts and Boolean searching.