« iTunes under fire | Main | An internet in space »
September 15, 2004
Final Cut Express 2
By Stephen Schleicher
I've been using Final Cut Pro for over five years now. If you have read my previous reviews of this software or have used my Final Cut Pro Quick Tips, you know I love this application. So when Apple released Final Cut Express 2, you can probably guess I was pretty hyped up about it. After all, not everyone can afford (or needs) a $1000 Pro system - right? After using it for a couple of projects am I still sold on Final Cut Express 2 as a viable option for DV editors? You're just going to have to read on...
When I first fired up Final Cut Express 2, the first thought that crossed my mind was, "Wow, this looks a lot like Final Cut Pro 3, but with Final Cut Pro 4’s interface enhancements."
What makes Final Cut Express 2 such a valuable product for the DV editor, is that the interface, keyboard shortcuts, and workflow is very much like it’s big brother, Final Cut Pro 4. Apple made a great decision to duplicate the interface and workflow, because they realized that eventually, you the indie editor will want to upgrade. And because you already know the system, migrating will be the easiest thing you’ve ever done.
Not that I condone “fooling” a client, but because of the look of the Final Cut Express interface, a quick glance will make anyone think you are using the higher- end system.
Final Cut Express 2 is targeted directly to the DV- only editor. It does not have the support for uncompressed cards, Cinema Tools, and the like. So all the editor has to do is plug her DV camera or deck into the Mac’s FireWire port and she’s off and running. Final Cut Express 2 supports most of the DV25 formats, MiniDV and DVCAM, no matter if the footage was shot in NTSC or PAL (Final Cut Express 2 does not support DVCPRO 50). Because of this, Final Cut Express 2 is a perfect editing application to use on your laptop without worrying about a lot of extra overhead brought on by the Pro system.
Since the only way to edit video is to digitize it, your first stop will be the Log and Capture window. Here’s where you’ll find the first major difference between the Pro and Express systems.
To start, you will notice you don’t have a Log button. What this means is the editor only has two options when he is digitizing footage. Capture Now, which allows you to digitize directly from the current position of the tape, and Clip, which allows you to set In and Out points. There is a Capture Project button, which allows you to do a batch capture, but since I’ve already established that you can’t log and then batch capture your clips, the only time I can see you using this feature is if the editor has deleted all of his media files and needs to re-digitize an archived project. While batch capture is not imperative, it is one of the many features that have been stripped from the Pro application to make Final Cut Express 2. Someone new to editing video on the Mac (or migrating from that horrible iMovie*) will really like the Log and Capture features in Final Cut Express 2, but those who have worked on Pro and have to move to another system that only has Final Cut Express, may find themselves pouting at the loss of this feature.
During the edit session, Final Cut Express 2 really shines. Editing, trimming, and simple graphics are done exactly like Final Cut Pro. Again, see my comments above as to why this was a great move on Apple’s part. In addition to being able to perform all of the edits like the Pro system, all of the Pro Editing Tools are there as well – Ripple editing, Razor Blade Tool, Pen Tool, Slip and Slide editing, etc. If any of these were missing, I would be scolding Apple, but instead, I have nothing but praise. The Final Cut (Express and Pro) editing tools are, in my opinion, some of the easiest and most powerful tools found in any NLE system.
Final Cut Express 2 can include up to 99 audio and 99 video tracks. It also supports Nesting, sequences can be used in other sequences, reused, etc. Final Cut Express only allows you to undo 32 times as opposed to Pro’s 99. But really, when was the last time you needed to undo your edit more than 20 times? I usually divert to an auto-saved project if I have to go more than that.
So far so good, right? With the exception of the Batch Capture feature, it sounds very much like the Pro system. Well, not quite.
One of the other major differences between Express and Pro is the missing filters. For the most part Final Cut Express 2 has a limited number of effects and transitions that can be applied to clips. While most that who use this system will never need some of the more powerful effects, things like dip to color, dissolves, page peels, etc. are there. And because Final Cut Express 2 supports RT Extreme, most of these will be viewable in real- time. Real- time in this case means viewing on your desktop and not on your video monitor via FireWire. Again, it’s not that big of a deal, but something that should be noted.
Final Cut Express 2 does have Color Correction capabilities. The two-way color corrector is by no means the three-way color corrector powerhouse found in the Pro application, but it does give you the ability to adjust the angle of hue and overall balance of an image. It does an exceptional job, and if you need to do color correction on your DV footage, you will be pleased with it.
One feature not found in Final Cut Express is the ability to preview those areas of your video that are exceeding chroma or video levels. Final Cut Express also does not include any vectorscope tools. The only way to ensure your video is broadcast safe is to apply the Broadcast Safe filter to the clips in the Timeline.
n addition to not being able to see excess levels, you also don’t have the ability to superimpose your clip/Timeline information over the video in the Canvas window.
One bonus is that Final Cut Express does support importing of iMovie projects (something Final Cut Pro does not do), so if you are following the migration path (see Sidebar), Final Cut Express 2 fits perfectly.
If you need to add titles to your project, Final Cut Express does include the awful Final Cut titling tools found in the Pro version (which I don’t recommend anyone using), and it also includes the excellent Boris Calligraphy titling plug-in.
Most Pro users are probably using LiveType for most of the title and motion graphic needs, and are probably not using Boris Calligraphy that much any more. LiveType is currently not available as a stand- alone package, so Final Cut Express users will have to settle for the great titles that are created with Calligraphy. Final Cut Express 2 users should not feel left out here as those Pro users who are still on version 3 are in the same boat.
The other major difference between the Express 2 and Pro 4 system is in the Motion tab for individual clips. In the Pro version you can set keyframes within the Motion tab. In express you set keyframes in the Canvas window. Not that big of a deal, and actually a bit of a bonus over the Pro system.
You can also create Bezier handles on your keyframes for smoother motion and to create dynamic motion paths. I haven’t mentioned too much on the audio side, but I should point out that Final Cut Express 2 does have the Voice Over Tool and does include many of the audio filters and effects you will need for most enhancements/fixes you will need to do to your clips.
For music tracks, you can purchase SoundTrack or GarageBand as a separate application and use the two systems together.
When it comes time to output the final edit, Final Cut Express 2 allows you to print your sequence or individual clip in the Project window directly to DV tape, and if you need to loop the sequence multiple times, you can do that as well. You can also import your Final Cut Express project to iDVD or DVD Studio Pro complete with chapter markers (with comments and durations), or exported to any QuickTime format for streaming distribution.
Final Thoughts
So what is my final conclusion? Is Final Cut Express really for everyone? In a way, yes. If you are doing serious DV work and don’t need the flash wiz bang features found in the Pro system, then this is the product you need. It gives you all the power you will find in Final Cut Pro, but without the overhead. If you are a user who doesn’t need the motion graphics capability of LiveType, are not working on uncompressed video projects, and don’t need the 24fps capabilities of CinemaTools, then a great deal of money can be saved by using Final Cut Express 2. At $299, Final Cut Express 2 is a steal and a great step in the right direction for DV producers and editors.
Posted by robeva at September 15, 2004 04:05 PM
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)