# iMovie vs Final Cut Express



## chevy (Aug 10, 2004)

I just played 2 days with iMovie... and I must admit the software is incredible !

What would be the advantage to upgrade to Final Cut Express ?


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## brianleahy (Aug 10, 2004)

More sophisticated capture options, compositing (overlaying/combining) multiple video and audio tracks, including things like chroma-key...    better color correction options...  you can define sub-clips without actually snipping them apart - you just define start & end points that you can later move...


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## callieX (Aug 11, 2004)

chevy said:
			
		

> I just played 2 days with iMovie... and I must admit the software is incredible !
> 
> What would be the advantage to upgrade to Final Cut Express ?



Be careful.  I love iMovie and what I was able to do.  I decided to get final cut express do be able to do more.  The learning curve for me was too steep.  To me it is a large leap from iMovie.  The interface is very confusing I never know what screen I am supposed to be in.  I was told by my apple rep that my probelms would be solved by upgrading to the new version.  I upgraded with not improvement. I now have $400 invested in it and can not get it to do much more that I could with iMovie.  
It might just be me, but before investing time and money try to find a way to use it first.  If I would have done that, I would not have bought it.

calliex


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## brianleahy (Aug 11, 2004)

It's true; there is a learning curve.  

It does help to watch the included DVD video intro...


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## chevy (Aug 11, 2004)

Is there a good book that you would recommend ?


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## Vard (Aug 11, 2004)

iMovie and FCE both have their places.  I use both for different situations, and I am currently working on a project that I expect to use both on.  

That said, there is a curve with FCE, but it is very manageable, depending on what you want to do.  I took the CD with the manual to work, printed all 700+ pages and had the receptionist bind it for me.  I use it more as a reference when I am trying to do something that I don't already know how to do.  

iMovie is extremely capable and if you check out Erica Sadun's Book, "iMovie 3, Tips, Tricks, and Solutions" (or something that) you'll find that iMovie is WAY more powerful than most people know.  It shows you how to do compositing and all sorts of stuff most people would think to try in FCE/P.  Most of the techniques require QuickTime Pro, but at $30, it's more than worth it.

I only purchased FCE because I knew this person that had gotten a free copy through some promotion at an Apple Store.  He didn't want it, hadn't opened it and only asked for $90.  That was worth it to me.  

Anyway, I use both, and will continue to do so...but I would recommend getting Sadun's iMovie book, a copy of QTPro and learning the really cool stuff you can do with iMovie.  The biggest advantage to iMovie being it's extrememly fast work flow (at least for me).  I can get a lot more done in iMovie in a given period of time, but I don't have as much control.  FCE comes in when I need to do something iMovie/QTPro can't handle easily enough.

Hope that didn't make your decision harder.

Good luck,
Eddie


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## chevy (Aug 12, 2004)

I'm not sure I understand.

How can you work with iMovie and FCE on the same project ? iMovie is editing the original files whereas FCE is just appying pointers and filters.

And what is your usage of QT with iMovie ? I mean, when the movie is ready, I iDVD it.


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## Vard (Aug 12, 2004)

Both QT and iMovie work with DV format files.  You can use the extremely hidden, but extremely powerful editing features in QT to do things to these files and then use them in iMovie where laying them out on a timeline is much easier.

Basically, the same thing applies to FCE usage.  I just take a small section of video that I want to do something special to, import it into FCE and do whatever edit I had in mind.  Kick it back out as a DV file and import that into iMovie.

I have to re-read Sadun's book again, but she explains it all quite well.  Shows you how to do things that will really make you sit back and go WOW!

Later,
Eddie


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## chevy (Aug 12, 2004)

This is what you mean by editing capabilities of QT ?


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## Vard (Aug 12, 2004)

There are many other things that can be done that don't necessarily have such easy menu listings....but yes, those are some of the items that are usable as well.


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## chevy (Aug 12, 2004)

I'd like to know more... what are you thinking about ?


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## chevy (Aug 14, 2004)

By reading FCE doc, I found out that there is no simple way to put FCE output on a DVD. iMovie can prepare the data for iDVD, but FCE doesn't.


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## brianleahy (Aug 14, 2004)

> iMovie can prepare the data for iDVD, but FCE doesn't.



Not so!  I use FCE2 all the time, and it's a cinch.   Just do File/Export/Quicktime Movie (NOT "Using Quicktime Conversion").   It'll create a "Final Cut Movie" file, and iDVD can import these just dandy.


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## chevy (Aug 15, 2004)

But the chapter work, you have to do it in iDVD, don't you ?


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## brianleahy (Aug 15, 2004)

You can create & name Chapter Markers in FCE2.   I don't know what manual page to refer you to, but you just postion your playhead at the proper spot in your sequence, and hit M or ` twice.   (The first time creates the marker, 2nd time brings up a dialog to allow you to name it, and specify the type of marker, Chapter, Scoring, or Compression).


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## chevy (Aug 15, 2004)

Thanks.

In this case I think FCE will slowly take some of the work I was doing on iMovie.


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## karavite (Sep 5, 2004)

Hi Chevy,

For what it is worth, I started using FCP a little over a year ago after toying with iMovie for months which I thought was neat as well as being super easy to use. At first I hated FCP. It seemed that simple things were difficult, but after getting a nice book and doing lots of editing, I was sold. The other day I went back to iMovie for kicks and I realized that my whole way of thinking had changed and I found myself frustrated with iMovie.

My point. I'm sure going to FCP express or 4, HD will not be a mistake for you. Judging by all your smart and helpful posts, if I can do it, you certainly can! 

P.S. Isn't movie editing the coolest/most fun thing you can do on a computer? I wish I could do it all day!

If only Apple would make an "express" version of DVD studio...


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## Androo (Sep 6, 2004)

final cut express is just like final cut pro except it doesnt have half the features or something. Its like photoshop elements and photoshop, they aren't exactly the same.

iMovie is more straight forward and understandable, you switch it to camera mode and then click import. There you go, instant movie. You can export it for quicktime, like saving it for the web or a dvd. You can send it to idvd if you have a superdrive. You can send it to mail.app and send the movie to a friend. Those extremely easy things aren't in the Final Cuts, you have to do everything by yourself. Plus FCE is slow on my computer lol


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## karavite (Sep 6, 2004)

All true, but once you conquer the learning curve of FCP or FCE, there is no going back. You will be happier, versatile and more productive with FCP/E.


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## Jeffo (Sep 7, 2004)

i went into compusa and sat in front of FC for a while and did feel a little lost at first but was starting to get the hang of it and since i feel way to limited in imovie i am definately wanting to get FCE when i can shell out the money.  I have used an older version of AVID a while ago and i thought it was nice software but i was liking the way FC was doing things better.


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