Final Cut Pro 3.0

Rating:
Summary: If you aren't Copalla, you may be in over your head
Review: Although this program has an astounding number of features, it also has an astoundingly high learning curve. Unless you are planning on shooting an actuall short or full length film, it is too much software. It is definitely not for the amature weekend videographer, and is best left for the pros. I use it only because my job requires it (courtroom tech support). Final Cut Express is somewhere between iMovie and FCP, and one fourth of the cost. Check out the reviews for that product. It is far less hassle and has almost as many features and capabilities.

Rating:
Summary: Powerhouse in a package
Review: For a grand you get an editing system that works, an effects compositor which is absolutley *great* for DV material and can also hold its own with After effects once you upgrade the hardware. Incredible growth tool. I've used it for three years and I'm *still* learning cool things about it.

This was the tool that inspired the very first Final Cut Pro KeyGuide™ -- now bundled with Tom Wolsky's Final Cut Pro 3 Editing Workshop, available here on Amazon. Get this, get that, and get a going career!

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly Well Done
Review: I use this software in my school for a Video Production class. It is amazingly easy to use, yet creates amazingly complex and well made films. I wouldn't recommend trying to use it on an I-mac though. I would suggest using a G4 to properly use this software. There are a few minor faults in the editing area. For one thing it is almost impossible to input extra footage into an almost finished video. Nevertheless, it is a great program. The effects are amazing. If you don't have a digital camera to use with your computer you will need to get a VCR and a converter. If you have the cash to buy this software and have some fun with it I would definitely suggest getting it.

Rating:
Summary: It Rocks!
Review: It is the best thing ever to get if you own a digital camcorder. You can edit your movies, add special effects, and much more! There's even a program you can buy to burn your own DVD!

Rating:
Summary: Lost for words...
Review: This software, in one word, is AMAZING.
I spent many hours using iMovie, and wanted to do more interesting things with my movies. I decided to buy Final Cut Pro 3, and I fell in love with it. I can layer tracks on top of tracks, slice tracks in to parts, create sophisticated transitions and effects, etc...

With a Mac, Final Cut Pro 3, and a DV camera, you can really make your own movie, literally... All this costs the consumer around three grand, this is a steal.

The possibilities are endless, let's say you want to transform a person's face, maybe blur it out, or highlight it, you can do this with FCP, and it is easy.

Rating:
Summary: Good for people with unlimited budgets who like Macs
Review: Widely recognized as one of the best professional video editing programs currently available, but at [$$$] for the software and several thousand for the Mac-only hardware required to run it to full potential it's not even an option for most computer users. Meanwhile, there is an increasingly dizzying array of powerful and affordable editing solutions available for Windows-based PCs, so unless you already have a Mac it would make sense to investigate those options before considering FCP. For example, check out the latest offerings from Ulead, Vegas Video, Pinnacle, Matrox, Avid and Canopus before concluding that FCP is the only game in town. Personally I use the Canopus DVStorm2 and have found it to be an amazing tool; I had a chance to play with FCP and didn't see a compelling reason to switch.