Final Cut Pro is a non-linear
video editing softwareVideo editing software, is application software which handles the post-production video editing of digital video sequences on a computer non-linear editing systems...
developed by
Macromedia Inc.Macromedia was an American graphics and web development software company headquartered in San Francisco, California that produced such products as Flash and Dreamweaver. Its rival, Adobe Systems, acquired Macromedia on December 3, 2005 and controls the line of Macromedia...
and then Apple Inc. The most recent version, Final Cut Pro X, runs on Mac personal computers powered by
Mac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
version 10.6.7 or later and using Intel processors. The software allows users to log and transfer video onto a hard drive (internal or external), where it can be edited, processed, and output to a wide variety of formats.
Since the early 2000s, Final Cut Pro has developed a large and expanding user base, mainly video hobbyists and independent filmmakers. It has, in later years especially, made inroads with film and television editors who have traditionally used
Avid TechnologyAvid Technology, Inc. is an American company specializing in video and audio production technology; specifically, digital non-linear editing systems, management and distribution services. It was created in 1987 and became a publicly traded company in 1993...
's
Media ComposerMedia Composer, frequently referred to as "Avid", is a type of computer software application known as a Non-linear editing system . It is the flagship product of Avid Technology. It was released in 1989 on the Macintosh II as an offline editing system...
. According to a 2007 SCRI study, Final Cut Pro made up 49% of the US professional editing market, with Avid at 22%. A published survey in 2008 by the American Cinema Editors Guild placed their users at 21% FCP (and growing from previous surveys of this group), while all others were still on an Avid system of some kind.
Features
Final Cut Pro provides non-linear,
non-destructive editingNon-destructive editing is a form of editing signals where the original content is not modified in the course of editing—instead the edits themselves are edited by video editing software on a non-linear editing system ....
of any
QuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
compatible video format including
DVDV is a format for the digital recording and playing back of digital video. The DV codec was launched in 1995 with joint efforts of leading producers of video camcorders....
,
HDVHDV is a format for recording of high-definition video on DV cassette tape. The format was originally developed by JVC and supported by Sony, Canon and Sharp...
,
P2 MXF (DVCProHD)P2 is a professional digital recording solid-state memory storage media format introduced by Panasonic in 2004, and especially tailored to electronic news-gathering applications. It features tapeless recording of DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO25, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO-HD, or AVC-Intra streams on a solid-state...
,
XDCAMXDCAM is a a series of products for digital recording using random access solid-state memory media, introduced by Sony in 2003. Four different product lines — the XDCAM SD, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD422 — differ in types of encoder used, frame size, container type and in...
, and 2K film formats. It supports a number of simultaneously composited video tracks (limited mainly by video format and hardware capability); up to 99 audio tracks; multi-camera editing for combining video from multiple camera sources; as well as standard ripple, roll, slip, slide, scrub, razor blade and time remapping edit functions. It comes with a range of video transitions and a range of video and audio filters such as keying tools,
matteMattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image . In this case, the matte is the background painting...
s and vocal de-poppers and de-essers. It also has a manual 3-way
color correctionColor grading or colour painting, is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture, video image, or still image either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic...
filter, videoscopes and a selection of generators, such as slugs,
test cardA test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
s and noise.
Final Cut Pro 7 claims better integration with Apple's other professional applications and improved codec support for editing
HDHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
,
DVDV is a format for the digital recording and playing back of digital video. The DV codec was launched in 1995 with joint efforts of leading producers of video camcorders....
and SD video formats, including encoding presets for devices such as
iPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
, Apple TV, and Blu-ray discs. A technology called DynamicRT built on the
RT ExtremeReal-time video editing is a system of editing video where it takes no longer to render a video than the length of that video clip itself. For example, after a 30 minute length of video is edited it needs to be rendered, and should the system take more than 30 minutes to render the clip it is not a...
technology was released with Final Cut Pro 4. DynamicRT allows a real-time multistream effects architecture, which can be set to automatically adjust image quality and frame rate during playback to maintain real time effects. For example, when there are a large number of video streams playing simultaneously it will, in real time, switch to a mode that reduces the quality of the playback so that all of them can be seen in real time; when the computer is capable it will automatically return playback to native quality (that is, when there are fewer simultaneous video streams). Final Cut Pro also supports mixed video formats (both resolution and framerate) in the
TimelineA timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
with real time support.
Final Cut Express
In 2003, Apple launched
Final Cut ExpressFinal Cut Express is a discontinued video editing software created by Apple Inc. It is the consumer version of Final Cut Pro and is designed for advanced editing of digital video as well as high-definition video, which is used by many amateur and professional videographers...
, a less expensive version of Final Cut Pro. It uses the same interface as Final Cut Pro, but it lacks all of the film-specific tools and other advanced options, limiting the feature set for non-professional editors.
In January 2005, Soundtrack and LiveType, previously only available with Final Cut Pro, were added to Express, and features were added to edit
HDVHDV is a format for recording of high-definition video on DV cassette tape. The format was originally developed by JVC and supported by Sony, Canon and Sharp...
. Soundtrack was subsequently removed with Final Cut Express 4.
Final Cut Express projects can be imported into Final Cut Pro, but not vice versa.
In June 2011, Final Cut Express was officially discontinued, in favor of Final Cut Pro X.
Final Cut Pro X
On June 21, 2011,
AppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
released a new version of Final Cut Pro, renamed to "Final Cut Pro X", heavily based on
iMovieiMovie is a proprietary video editing software application which allows Mac, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 users to edit their own home movies. It was originally released by Apple in 1999 as a Mac OS 8 application bundled with the first FireWire-enabled consumer Apple...
(leading some users to call it "
iMovieiMovie is a proprietary video editing software application which allows Mac, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 users to edit their own home movies. It was originally released by Apple in 1999 as a Mac OS 8 application bundled with the first FireWire-enabled consumer Apple...
Pro"). Described as a complete rewrite of the original application, FCP X is a 64-bit application with Grand Central Dispatch and
OpenCLOpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms...
support, allowing it to scale and use all available cores for background rendering. FCP X supports up to 4K resolutions and during import, can analyze footage and audio for automatic sorting into groups such as close-ups, medium shots, shots with two people or group shots as well as prepare the footage for quick, automatic fixes for defects such as lens flare, camera shake, rolling shutter, color balance. Audio can also be analyzed in an attempt to automatically remove hums, pops or other noticeable defects. It also features a 'Magnetic Timeline' which edits footage in the middle of the
TimelineA timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
without knocking any other clips or audio out of place at other points of the Timeline. It has been available on the Mac App Store since June 21, 2011 for $299.99, along with Motion 5 &
CompressorCompressor may refer to:* Gas compressor, a mechanical device that compresses a gas * A device used to apply video compression to a video signal* A device used to apply audio data compression to an audio signal...
4, both selling at $49.99.
Reception
Some professional users of earlier versions of Final Cut Pro have been critical of FCP X shortly after its release, giving the application more 1-star reviews than 5-star reviews in the Mac App Store on June 22. Among other missing features, disgruntled users cited lack of
edit decision listAn edit decision list or EDL used in the post-production process of film editing and video editing. The list contains an ordered list of reel and timecode data representing where each video clip can be obtained in order to conform the final cut....
(EDL),
XMLExtensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
and
Open Media Framework InterchangeOpen Media Framework or Open Media Framework Interchange is a platform-independent file format intended for transfer of digital media between different software applications....
(OMF) support, inability to import projects created in previous releases of Final Cut Pro, the inability to have more than one editing sequence in a project, removal of the multicam editing tool and the inability to use 3rd party IO hardware for capture and output (all features present in the previous Final Cut Pro version). In response to critics, Apple has stated that they only plan to incorporate multicam support in future releases of the software.
Unlike its competition from Avid and Adobe, FCP also doesn't offer support for native raw editing, as required for high-end digital cinema cameras as the Red One, 3D editing and advanced Blu-ray creation. As a response, those competitors are trying to win back the market share by offering return discounts to convince professionals that if they plan to upgrade systems, that they should convert to systems that still have the professional features lost in the new version of Final Cut Pro X. Some are taking the stance that migrating away from Final Cut Pro is inevitable for professionals.
In the 10.0.1 update of Final Cut Pro X, Apple has upgraded XML support.
Apple has promised to add multicamera support in early 2012. Apple has also promised to update Broadcast-Quality Video Monitoring in a later version.
Interface
The Final Cut (Pro and Express) interface was designed around traditional (i.e. non-computerized) editing work-flows, with four main windows that replicate tried-and-trusted methods of organizing, viewing and editing physical tape or film media. The Browser, where source media files (clips) are listed, replicates the editor's traditional film 'bins' or stacks of videotapes. The Viewer, where individual media files can be previewed and trimmed, replicates the source monitor of older tape-based systems. The Canvas replicates the 'program' monitor in such systems, where the edited material is viewed. The
TimelineA timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
, where media are cut together (assembled) into a sequence, replicates the physically edited film or master tape of earlier systems. There is also a small Toolbox window and two audio-level indicators for the left and right audio channels.
Both the Viewer and Canvas have a shuttle interface (for variable-speed scanning, forwards or backwards through a clip) and a jogging interface (for frame-by-frame advancing).
Browser
As in most digital non-linear editing applications, the Browser is not an interface to the computer's file-system. It is an entirely virtual space in which references to clips (aliases) are placed for easy access, and arranged in folders called 'bins'. Since they are only references to clips that
are on the media drive of the computer, moving or deleting a source file on the media hard drive destroys the link between the entry in the Browser and the actual media. This results in a 'media offline' situation, and the media must be 'reconnected'. Final Cut Pro can search for the media itself, or the user can do this manually. If multiple clips are offline at the same time, Final Cut can reconnect all the offline media clips that are in the relative directory path as the first offline media clips that is reconnected.
The browser has an 'effects' tab in which video transitions and filters can be browsed and dragged onto or between clips.
Canvas
The canvas outputs the contents of the
TimelineA timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
. To add clips to the Timeline, besides dragging them there, it is possible to drag clips from the Browser or Viewer onto the Canvas, whereupon the so-called 'edit overlay' appears. The edit overlay has seven drop zones, into which clips can be dragged in order to perform different edits. The default is the 'overwrite' edit, which overwrites at an in point or the space occupied after the playhead with the incoming clip. The 'insert' edit slots a clip into the sequence at the in point or playhead's position, keeping the rest of the video intact, but moving it all aside so that the new clip fits. There are also drop zones to have the application automatically insert transitions. The 'replace' edit replaces a clip in the Timeline with an incoming clip, and the 'fit to fill' edit does the same thing, but at the same time, it adjusts the playback speed of the incoming clip so that all of it will fit into the required space [in the Timeline]. Finally there is the 'superimpose' edit, which automatically places the dropped clip on the track above the clip in the Timeline, with a duration equal to the clip below it. Unless an in or out point are set, all edits occur from the position of the playhead in the Timeline.
Using the wireframe view on the canvas, the clip can be manipulated directly - dragging it around in the canvas to change its position, for example, or resizing it. Precise adjustment controls for these things are in the viewer.
Viewer (Final Cut Pro 7 and previous)
The viewer has tabs for each channel of the selected clip's audio, in which the waveform for the audio can be viewed and scrubbed, and where its volume can be keyframed. The filters tab is where effects for the clip appear and where their parameters can be adjusted and keyframed. If the clip selected is a generator (such as an oval shape), a control tab appears for changing its geometrical properties. Finally, the viewer's motion tab contains tools to adjust the scale, opacity,
croppingCropping refers to the removal of the outer parts of an image to improve framing, accentuate subject matter or change aspect ratio. Depending on the application, this may be performed on a physical photograph, artwork or film footage, or achieved digitally using image editing software...
, rotation, distortion,
drop shadowIn computer graphics, a drop shadow is a visual effect consisting of drawing that looks like the shadow of an object, giving the impression that the object is raised above the objects behind it. The drop shadow is often used for elements of a graphical user interface such as windows or menus, and...
,
motion blurMotion blur is the apparent streaking of rapidly moving objects in a still image or a sequence of images such as a movie or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single frame, either due to rapid movement or long exposure.- Photography :When a camera...
and time remapping properties of the clip. Mini-timelines to the right of each parameter allow the property to be keyframed. The Viewer is not present in Final Cut Pro X.
Timeline
Clips can be edited together in timelines called sequences. Sequences can be nested inside other sequences, so that a filter or transition can be applied to the grouped clips.
The
TimelineA timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
in Final Cut Pro allows 99 video tracks to be layered on top of each other. If a clip is higher [in the timeline] than another, then it obscures whatever is below it. The size of a video clip can be altered, and the clips can be cropped, among many other settings that can be changed. Opacity levels can also be altered, as well as animated over the course of the clip using keyframes, defined either on a graphical overlay, or in the Viewer's 'motion' tab, where precise percentage opacity values can be entered. Final Cut also has more than a dozen common compositing modes that can be applied to clips, such as Add, Subtract, Difference, Screen, Multiply, Overlay, and Travel Matte Luma/Alpha.
The compositing mode for a clip is changed by control-clicking or right-clicking on the clip and selecting it from the cascading contextual menu, or by selecting the mode from the application's 'modify' menu. For either matte modes, the clip that will perform the key is placed overneath the fill clip on the Timeline.
For more advanced compositing Final Cut Pro is compatible with Apple's
ShakeShake is a discontinued image compositing package used in the post-production industry. Shake was widely used in visual effects and digital compositing for film, HD and commercials. Shake exposes its node graph architecture graphically. It enables complex image processing sequences to be designed...
(discontinued) and
Apple MotionMotion is a software application produced by Apple Inc. for their Mac OS X operating system. It is used to create and edit motion graphics, titling for video production and film production, and 2D and 3D compositing for visual effects.-History:...
software.
Final Cut Pro Shortcuts
Like other apple software, Final Cut Pro offers a variety of keyboard commands that allow the user to increase the speed of edits. This combined with the nonlinear approach that digital editing, provides Final Cut Pro users with several editing options. Below is a list of common key board commands used to help editors.
Command-A: Select all clips in the sequence
Command-Shift-A: Deselect all clips in the sequence
N: turns snapping off and on
Command-N: creates a new sequence
Command-O: Opens a project
B: Selects the Razor Blade tool
M: sets a marker in the Timeline
X: Mark the full length of a clip
RR: Turns the Ripple Tool on
E: Extends the selected edit points to the playhead location
R: selects the Roll Tool
S: selects the Slip Tool
SS: selects the Slide Tool
Command-S: Saves the current project
Command-Q: Quits out of Final Cut Pro
Users are also not strained to follow these specific keyboard commands and can set their own customizable keyboard preferences for projects.
History
Randy Ubillos created the first three versions of Adobe Premiere, the first popular digital video editing application. Before version 5 was released, Ubillos' group was hired by
MacromediaMacromedia was an American graphics and web development software company headquartered in San Francisco, California that produced such products as Flash and Dreamweaver. Its rival, Adobe Systems, acquired Macromedia on December 3, 2005 and controls the line of Macromedia...
to create KeyGrip, built from the ground up as a more professional video-editing program based on Apple QuickTime. Macromedia could not release the product without causing its partner
TruevisionTruevision, Inc. was a maker of digital video processing add-on boards for PC computers. It was founded by Cathleen Asch, Carl Calabria, Joseph Haaf, Bryan Hunt, Brad Pillow, Joe Shepard and Jeff Walters and others when AT&T split off their Electronic Photography and Imaging Center in 1987...
some issues with Microsoft, as KeyGrip was, in part, based on technology from Microsoft licensed to Truevision and then in turn to Macromedia. The terms of the IP licensing deal stated that it was not to be used in conjunction with QuickTime. Thus, Macromedia was forced to keep the product off the market until a solution could be found. At the same time, the company decided to focus more on applications that would support the web, so they sought to find a buyer for their non-web applications, including KeyGrip; which, by 1998, was renamed Final Cut.
Final Cut was shown in private room demonstrations as a 0.9 alpha at the
National Association of BroadcastersThe National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
(NAB) exposition in 1998 after Macromedia pulled out of the main show floor. At the demonstration, both
MacMac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
and
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
versions were shown. The Mac version was working with a Truevision RTX dual stream real time card with limited real time effects. When no purchaser could be found, Apple purchased the team as a defensive move. When Apple could not find a buyer in turn, it continued development work, focusing on adding FireWire/DV support and at NAB 1999 Apple introduced Final Cut Pro. ProMax was the first vendor to demonstrate Final Cut Pro on the show floor. A third party training CD from
DVcreators.netDVcreators.net is a Los Angeles-based company providing training, software and other resources for digital video producers.-Company history:...
called "Final Cut Pro PowerStart" was also released at NAB 1999, the first FCP training product available.
After the introduction of Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere's market share remained strong on Windows but began to decline on the Mac as its older codebase was more difficult to maintain. In 2003, Apple announced a program for Premiere users to trade in their discs for a free copy of
Final Cut ExpressFinal Cut Express is a discontinued video editing software created by Apple Inc. It is the consumer version of Final Cut Pro and is designed for advanced editing of digital video as well as high-definition video, which is used by many amateur and professional videographers...
or a $500 discount on Final Cut Pro.
Final Cut Pro benefited from the relative maturity of QuickTime and its native support for then-new DV cameras connected with FireWire (IEEE1394), such as Sony's initial DCR-VX1000 camera and later cameras by Sony, Panasonic and Canon. ProMax (Brad Pillow) made and sold PCI cards that added FireWire to a Mac, but Apple soon had FireWire ports on every Mac.
The first fully
Broadcast qualityBroadcast Quality is an term stemming from quad videotape to denote the quality achieved by professional video cameras and time base correctors used for broadcast television, usually in standard definition...
, Worldwide Distributed TV show produced on Final Cut Pro was 2000's WOW!
Women of WrestlingWomen of Wrestling, aka WOW!, is a professional wrestling promotion founded in 2000 by David McLane, previously the founder of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. It was based in Los Angeles, California...
, using the
PinnaclePinnacle Systems, Inc. is a California-based American manufacturer of digital video hardware and software for the consumer and broadcast markets. The company was founded in 1986 by Ajay Chopra, Mirek Jiricka and Randall Moore....
CinéWaveCinéWave 4.5 is a product marketed by Pinnacle Systems to complement the Final Cut Pro 4 non-linear editing system. According to MacMinute, it offers such features as real-time high-definition video capabilities and advanced 24-bit multi-track hardware-enhanced audio support.-References:* *...
uncompressed video card.
In late 2001, the studio motion picture
The Rules of AttractionThe Rules of Attraction is a 2002 satirical dark comedy film directed by Roger Avary, based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. It stars James van der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Biel, and Kip Pardue.-Plot:...
was edited on beta versions of Final Cut Pro 3, proving to the film industry that successful 3:2 pulldown matchback to 24fps could be achieved with a "consumer" off-the-shelf product.
Roger AvaryRoger Avary is a Canadian film and television producer, screenwriter, olive farmer and director in the American mass media industry. He was behind the screenplays of the films Silent Hill and Beowulf...
, the film's director became the spokesperson for Final Cut Pro, appearing in print advertisements worldwide. His advocacy of the product gave confidence to mainstream editors such as
Walter MurchWalter Scott Murch is an American film editor and sound designer.-Early life:Murch was born in New York City, New York, the son of Katharine and Canadian-born Walter Tandy Murch , a painter. He went to The Collegiate School, a private preparatory school in Manhattan, from 1949 to 1961...
, that the product was ready for "prime time."
In August 2002, the application won a Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for its impact on the
televisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
industry.
Final Cut Pro 4 was announced in April 2003. It included three new applications:
CompressorCompressor is a video and audio media compression and encoding application for use with Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio on Mac OS X. It can be used with Qmaster for clustering.-History:...
, used for the transcoding between video formats;
LiveTypeLiveType was a software program developed by Apple Inc. to create animated title sequences for video projects. It was discontinued with the release of Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4.-History:...
for advanced titling (such as the creation of animated
lower thirdsIn the television industry , a lower third is a graphic placed in the title safe lower area of the screen, though not necessarily the entire lower third of it, as the name suggests....
); and
SoundtrackSoundtrack Pro was a music composing and audio editing application made by Apple Inc., which includes a collection of just over 5000 royalty free professional instrument loops and sound effects...
, for royalty-free music soundtrack creation. It also bundled
Cinema ToolsCinema Tools is a software program for filmmakers, to use in conjunction with Final Cut Pro. It facilitates the creation of an integrated film database, allowing the management of film material through telecine.-Overview:...
, which was previously sold separately for filmmakers working with
telecineTelecine is transferring motion picture film into video and is performed in a color suite. The term is also used to refer to the equipment used in the post-production process....
.
In April 2004, version 4.5 of Final Cut Pro was introduced and branded by Apple as "Final Cut Pro HD" due to its native support for Panasonic's tape-based DVCPRO HD format for compressed 720p and 1080i HD over FireWire. (The software had been capable of uncompressed HD editing since version 3.0, but at the time had required expensive video cards and high speed storage.)
Final Cut Pro 5 was announced at a pre-
NABThe National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
event in April, and shipped in May 2005. Final Cut Pro 5 added support for the burgeoning
HDVHDV is a format for recording of high-definition video on DV cassette tape. The format was originally developed by JVC and supported by Sony, Canon and Sharp...
format for compressed HD, which had previously been supported in Final Cut Pro's "scaled-down" cousin,
Final Cut ExpressFinal Cut Express is a discontinued video editing software created by Apple Inc. It is the consumer version of Final Cut Pro and is designed for advanced editing of digital video as well as high-definition video, which is used by many amateur and professional videographers...
. Final Cut Pro 5 also added support for Panasonic's P2 format for the recording of DVCPRO HD video to memory cards rather than tape.
In January 2006, Apple stopped selling Final Cut Pro as a stand-alone product. In March 2006 the
Universal BinaryA universal binary is, in Apple parlance, an executable file or application bundle that runs natively on either PowerPC or Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers; it is an implementation of the concept more generally known as a fat binary.With the release of Mac OS X Snow...
5.1 version was released as part of Final Cut Studio. Upgrades were achieved by sending the original installation discs back to Apple with a fee. One noticeable difference is that the Intel versions of Final Cut and Motion no longer recognize After Effects plug-ins. Instead, Apple released its own universal plug-in architecture
FxPlugFxPlug is a plug-in architecture designed by Apple Inc. that allows the writing of image processing effects.-Hosts:Current hosts that can utilise FxPlug plug-ins are*Final Cut Pro*Final Cut Express*Apple Motion-Technology:...
.
On Sunday, April 15, 2007, Apple revealed Final Cut Pro 6.0, as the cornerstone of the
Final Cut Studio 2Final Cut Studio is a professional video and audio production suite for Mac OS X from Apple Inc., and a direct competitor to Avid Media Composer in the high-end movie production industry...
bundle. Once again, Apple did not have a booth at NAB 2009, however the product was well represented on the show floor in various booths. The RED Camera team relied heavily on FCP during development.
On July 23, 2009, Final Cut Pro 7/Final Cut Studio 3 (not officially designated as such by Apple but adopted by most users to describe the 2009 changes) was released, but it was not yet a 64-bit application.
On April 12, 2011, Apple announced Final Cut Pro X, a 64-bit application completely rebuilt with a new interface, workflow enhancements and automation, and new features such as ColorSync integration, resolution independent playback system, system scaling with Core Animation, and more. Apple then released Final Cut Pro X on June 21st exclusively as a $299 download from the
Mac App StoreThe Mac App Store is a digital distribution platform for Mac OS X applications developed by Apple Inc.. The platform was announced on October 20, 2010 at Apple's "Back to the Mac" event. Apple began accepting app submissions from registered developers on November 3, 2010 in preparation for its launch...
. The three apps, 'Color,' 'Soundtrack Pro,' and 'DVD Studio Pro' were dropped, while Motion 5 along with Compressor 4 were released onto the
Mac App StoreThe Mac App Store is a digital distribution platform for Mac OS X applications developed by Apple Inc.. The platform was announced on October 20, 2010 at Apple's "Back to the Mac" event. Apple began accepting app submissions from registered developers on November 3, 2010 in preparation for its launch...
as individual apps for $49.99 each.
Certification
Apple offers Final Cut Pro certification at several Apple retail stores internationally. Providing a range of training lessons to editors looking to improve their Final Cut Pro skills. To help pass these tests Apple has released an Apple Pro Training Series with each new version of Final Cut Pro. The latest version written by Diana Weynand expands and reveals new key features of Final Cut Pro X. The Apple Pro Training Series also extends to other software that Apple has released and includes Motion and Composer. Other books that dealt with older versions of the Final Cut Pro suite have been discontinued.
File format
A Final Cut Pro Project technically consists of separate files:
- Project File
- Media Source Files
- Render Files, Cache Files
The location of the Media and the Render/Cache Files is not standardised. Final Cut Pro can be configured where to store them. Some users have a central directory where they store all their Source/Render/Cache files, some set those file paths to their specific project directory, so that they have all project files at one place.
After having finished a project, one can erase everything but the project file, to save disk space, and at a later time Final Cut Pro can re-capture/re-link all source data and recalculate all render and cache data, provided it can access all linked sources.
Project file
The first versions of Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express used a binary file which contained all montage information such as timecode information, clip's in/out-points, size/crop/position, composition nesting, filter settings,
automation dataTrack automation or sometimes only automation refers to the recording or handling of time-based controlling data in time-based computer applications such as Digital Audio Workstations, Video editing software and Computer animation software software....
, etc. It didn't have a file suffix, instead it used the
Creator codeA creator code is a mechanism introduced in pre-Mac OS X versions of the Macintosh operating system to link a data file to the application program which created it, in a manner similar to file extensions in other operating systems. Codes are four-byte OSTypes. For example, the creator code of the...
KeyG and the
Type codeA type code is the only mechanism used in pre-Mac OS X versions of the Macintosh operating system to denote a file's format, in a manner similar to file extensions in other operating systems. Codes are four-byte OSTypes...
FCPF and it started with the
magic byte sequenceIn computer programming, the term magic number has multiple meanings. It could refer to one or more of the following:* A constant numerical or text value used to identify a file format or protocol; for files, see List of file signatures...
\162 K e y G \n (0xa24b6579470a).
More recent editions of Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express, before Final Cut Pro X, used the file extension
.fcp.
The latest version of Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro X, uses a new file extension;
.fcpx.
AppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
has come under some criticism for not supporting the older
.fcp project files, when it does support importing
iMovieiMovie is a proprietary video editing software application which allows Mac, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 users to edit their own home movies. It was originally released by Apple in 1999 as a Mac OS 8 application bundled with the first FireWire-enabled consumer Apple...
projects (
.imovieproj files).
Render Files, cache files, etc
Files which are generated by Final Cut Pro, i.e. audio waveform display, filter effects, etc.
Major films edited with Final Cut Pro
- The Rules of Attraction
The Rules of Attraction is a 2002 satirical dark comedy film directed by Roger Avary, based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. It stars James van der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Biel, and Kip Pardue.-Plot:...
(2002)
- Full Frontal
Full Frontal is a 2002 film by Steven Soderbergh, about a day in the life of people in Hollywood. The film, starring Catherine Keener, David Duchovny, Julia Roberts, Mary McCormack and David Hyde Pierce was shot on digital video in under a month using the Canon XL-1s...
(2002)
- The Ring
The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring....
(2002)
- Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier...
(2003) (Academy Award nominee for Best Editing – Walter MurchWalter Scott Murch is an American film editor and sound designer.-Early life:Murch was born in New York City, New York, the son of Katharine and Canadian-born Walter Tandy Murch , a painter. He went to The Collegiate School, a private preparatory school in Manhattan, from 1949 to 1961...
)
- Intolerable Cruelty
Intolerable Cruelty is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Academy Award winners George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush and Billy Bob Thornton with Cedric the Entertainer...
(2003)
- Open Water (2003)
- Red vs. Blue
Red vs. Blue, often abbreviated as RvB, is a set of related comic science fiction video series created by Rooster Teeth Productions and distributed through the Internet and on DVD...
(2003)
- Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
(2004)
- The Ladykillers
The Ladykillers is a 2004 dark comedy film directed, written and produced by the Coen brothers and stars Tom Hanks, with a supporting cast that includes J. K. Simmons, Marlon Wayans, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst and Irma P. Hall...
(2004)
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a 2004 American pulp adventure science-fiction film written and directed by Kerry Conran in his directorial debut. The film is set in an alternative 1939 and follows the adventures of Polly Perkins , a newspaper reporter, and Harry Joseph "Joe" Sullivan ,...
(2004)
- Super Size Me
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he eats only McDonald's food...
(2004)
- Corpse Bride
Corpse Bride, often promoted as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, is a 2005 stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton. It is set in a fictional Victorian era village in Europe. Johnny Depp led an all-star cast as the voice of Victor, while Helena Bonham Carter ...
(2005)
- Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story
Dreamer is a 2005 American family drama film starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning, inspired by the true story of an injured Thoroughbred racehorse named Mariah's Storm. It marked the directing and screenwriting debut of John Gatins.-Plot:...
(2005)
- Happy Endings (2005)
- Jarhead
Jarhead is a 2005 biographical drama war film based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford's 1991 Gulf War memoir of the same name, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford with co-stars Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chris Cooper. The title comes from the slang term used to refer to...
(2005)
- Little Manhattan
Little Manhattan is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed and written by husband and wife Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. Though Levin is credited as the director and Flackett as the writer, in the film's DVD commentary the two reveal that they collaborated on both tasks.Little Manhattan depicts...
(2005)
- Me and You and Everyone We Know
Me and You and Everyone We Know is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Miranda July and stars July, John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, Natasha Slayton, Najarra Townsend, Carlie Westerman, and JoNell Kennedy.-Plot:The structure of the film consists of...
(2005)
- 300
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
(2007)
- Black Snake Moan (2006)
- Happy Feet
Happy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
(2006)
- Zodiac
Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros...
(2007)
- The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
(2007)
- No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin. The film was adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name...
(2007) (Academy Award nominee for Best Editing – Roderick JaynesJoel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
)
- Reign Over Me (2007)
- Youth Without Youth (2007)
- Balls of Fury
Balls of Fury is a 2007 American sports comedy film starring Dan Fogler and Christopher Walken. It was directed by Ben Garant and was released on August 29, 2007.-Plot:...
(2007)
- Gabriel
Gabriel is a 2007 Australian supernatural action-horror film set in purgatory. It follows the archangel Gabriel's fight to rid purgatory of the evil Fallen and save the souls of its inhabitants. Gabriel is the first feature directed by Shane Abbess, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Matt Hylton...
(2007)
- Enchanted (2007)
- Traitor
Traitor is a 2008 American spy thriller film, based on an idea by Steve Martin who is also an executive producer. Written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, the film stars Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce in the lead roles.-Plot:...
(2008)
- Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading is a 2008 black comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Brad Pitt. It was released in the United States on September 12, 2008, and it was released on October 17, 2008...
(2008)
- The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
(2008)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
(2008) (Academy Award nominee for Best Editing - Kirk BaxterKirk Baxter is an Australian film editor. His editing, with Angus Wall, of the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing, the BAFTA Award for Best Editing, and the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award.Baxter was raised in Sydney, Australia and...
and Angus WallAngus Wall is a film editor and film title designer. His editing, with Kirk Baxter, of the film The Social Network won the Academy Award for Film Editing...
)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American action film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009...
(2009)
- (500) Days of Summer (2009)
- Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 American fantasy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are. It combines live action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery...
(2009)
- A Serious Man
A Serious Man is a 2009 dark comedy written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesota Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, leading to questions about his faith...
(2009)
- Tetro
Tetro is a 2009 drama film written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich and Maribel Verdú. Filming took place in 2008 in Buenos Aires, Patagonia, and Spain...
(2009)
- By the People: The Election of Barack Obama
By the People: The Election of Barack Obama is a 2009 documentary film produced by Edward Norton broadcast in November 2009 on HBO, which follows Barack Obama and various members of his campaign team, including David Axelrod, through the two years leading up to the United States presidential...
(2009)
- Gamer (2009)
- Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
- True Grit
True Grit is a 2010 American Western film written and directed by the Coen brothers. It is the second adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, which was previously filmed in 1969 starring John Wayne. This version stars Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross and Jeff Bridges as U.S....
(2010)
- The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
(2010) (Academy Award winner for Best Editing - Kirk BaxterKirk Baxter is an Australian film editor. His editing, with Angus Wall, of the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing, the BAFTA Award for Best Editing, and the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award.Baxter was raised in Sydney, Australia and...
and Angus WallAngus Wall is a film editor and film title designer. His editing, with Kirk Baxter, of the film The Social Network won the Academy Award for Film Editing...
)
- What Women Want
What Women Want is a 2011 Chinese romantic comedy film remake of the 2000 American film What Women Want. Film stars Andy Lau and Gong Li. It was released in China on 3 February 2011, which is Chinese New Year....
(2011)
- John Carter
-Politicians:*John Carter , New Zealand politician*John Carter , U.S. Representative from Texas*John Carter , U.S. Representative from South Carolina...
(2012)
- Hemingway & Gellhorn
Hemingway & Gellhorn is an upcoming HBO film about the lives of journalist Martha Gellhorn and her husband, writer Ernest Hemingway. It will be directed by Philip Kaufman. The film began shooting in San Francisco in March 2011...
(2012)
External links
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