If you are an editor like me you started with out a manual and learned how to edit on your own. You know you can edit and you feel that you have it down, don’t let your ego get in the way of becoming a better editor with Class on Demand’s Complete TRAINING for Final Cut Pro 7.

Instructor
Tom Wolsky is on the Board of Directors of the Digital Media Academy, for whom he is an instructor in Final Cut Pro at their Stanford University summer program. Tom is an internationally known guru on Final Cut and the author of five Final Cut instructional books. Having developed video journalism curriculum for Apple Computer, Tom also does professional development training and teaches in schools around the country.

As an instructor Tom’s knowledge of Final Cut Pro is so deep that he can train you completely in Final Cut Pro in 5 hours. Now to make it stick you will have to spend another 20 hours reviewing and using the tips and tools that he demonstrates. Right off the bat I learned 5 new shortcuts that will enhance my editing and make me more efficient as a cutter.

Lessons
Here is a list of the lessons that you will learn.

I can honestly say I learned something new in each lesson. Does that mean I didn’t know what I was doing prior to this awesome training DVD? No…maybe…actually not at all. I was stuck in my ways and it feels great to open up and get this training to help me move forward especially with a newer version of Final Cut Pro. Some of my favorite lessons were…

• Trimming
• Audio
• Transitions
• Multicam Editing
• Compositing
• Media Manager

The one lesson that blew me out of the water and is something I had no idea that Final Cut Pro offers is the iChat Theater. iChat Theater will allow you to broadcast your timeline or viewer to a client or anyone on the other end of the chat. It will also allow you to broadcast the timecode while playing your timeline as well as using the text or video chat feature to have complete interaction with your client. OUTSTANDING!!!

Insight
The lessons are on a DVD-ROM and packed with 5 hours of lessons and all the project and media files are supplied on the DVD-ROM. You can open the project files and follow along with Tom or you can sit back and watch and understand what is going on. Glad that they supplied the files but I probably won’t use them since I understand what is going on. If you use a single monitor while you edit, first of all why? Secondly, you will have a difficult time following along with the lessons and will be forced to watch the lessons without participating.

Being that the training is on a DVD-ROM you can’t play it in a DVD player. I understand why it has to be a DVD-ROM and not on a regular DVD. With 5 hours of lessons you would need 3 discs plus an additional disc for the media and project files. Maybe when Blu-Ray is the standard on computers they will move over to that format. The only reason I have a problem with it is if you have a single monitor computer but who edits like that these days?

Final Thoughts
This is by far the best training series that I have seen for Final Cut Pro. I’m a huge advocate for the Apple Pro Training Series but this is a step up from that and with the expertise of Tom Wolsky is hands down first-rate training. If you are serious about editing…meaning if you bought a Mac and Final Cut Pro this is an essential tool to have in your kit to make you a better, more efficient and even professional editor. Get this DVD now and thank me later.

Price
149.95

That is nothing to learn from a pro. Not only learn but to keep coming back to re-learn and use over and over until it is a part of your editing mastery. Great deal if you compare it to training at a certified training center.

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